Making the most of a trip to Mandurah with kids
Less than one hour from Perth, the relaxing seaside city of Mandurah has plenty to offer visitors including spectacular beach sunsets, watching dolphins in their natural habitat, great family restaurants and many other fun activities for the whole family.
When my husband told me he was going to Mandurah for a work-related golf trip, I immediately decided this was our opportunity to check out somewhere else in WA with the kids. We went ahead and booked a 3 night stay at Seashells in Mandurah.
We visited Mandurah in Autumn so it wasn’t exactly beach weather and there were showers of rain some of the time, but we still had a great relaxing weekend exploring this peaceful seaside city. We would recommend staying for a night or two, to explore Mandurah at a relaxed pace and to enjoy being right beside the sea.
Things to do in Mandurah with kids
We can recommend doing the following activities in Mandurah with kids:
1. Experience watching playful dolphins in their natural environment
We thoroughly enjoyed our one hour Dolphin and Scenic Canal cruise with Mandurah Cruises. We were able to see dolphins jumping out of the water, beautiful scenery, wetlands full of birdlife and magnificent canal homes. It was the first time we had seen dolphins in their own natural habitat and it was a simply amazing experience!
2. Relax while your kids play on the large replica boat at Keith Holmes Reserve
We stumbled across this great replica of a boat whilst exploring the Mandurah Ocean Marina. When my little dude spotted it he immediately ran on to it and started playing ‘pirates’. He was steering the boat on rocky waters, firing cannons and looking for sharks and “baddies” through the telescope.
There is a nice little shaded playground here with play equipment suitable for all ages, plenty of grass for a picnic, BBQ and toilet facilities and a small beach area. A short walk over a bridge and you will find plenty of cafes, restaurants and markets to visit.
3.Treat yourselves to an ice cream from Simmo’s Mandurah Ice Creamery
Located right beside the picturesque Administration Bay, Simmo’s ice creamery has a large range of delicious ice-cream flavours to choose from. Treat yourselves and your little ones to an ice-cream, before or after visiting the Mandurah Visitors Centre located nearby. The friendly staff at the Visitors Centre can provide you with a map of Mandurah so you can explore all there is to offer.
4.Take a stroll along the beautiful Mandurah Foreshore enjoying the water view
Located at the Eastern Foreshore, a short walk from the Visitor Centre is a huge shaded and partially fenced playground. You can’t miss it! It has a great range of play equipment for all ages and a beautiful view out on to the ocean. Located at the Western Foreshore is the relatively small city centre where there are many restaurants and shops. A small children’s train runs along the foreshore every Saturday.
5. Visit the beautiful war memorial located at Halls Head
A beautiful symbol honouring Australian servicemen and women and others who served, suffered or died in conflicts of war. The design of the Mandurah war memorial features a procession of pillars rising from the water, on the axis of the rising sun on ANZAC Day. The pillars then dissipate as the procession recedes back into the earth, amongst New Zealand Pohutakawa trees. This procession is a representation of the cycle of life.
You are able to get a good view of the war memorial on the Mandurah Cruise boat or you can take a short drive over to Hall Park to view it. A great opportunity to briefly explain to your children the importance of ANZAC Day.
6. Enjoy watching a spectacular sunset at Town Beach
A beautiful peaceful beach to sit and enjoy a spectacular sunset, while the kids have fun playing on the sand. We were also able to view the sunset from the balcony of our room at Seashells Mandurah.
Eating out in Mandurah with kids
We can recommend the following kid friendly restaurants in Mandurah:
Cafe Moka: 2 Dolphin Dr
Open Mon-Sun 7am – 3.30pm.
Kids menu available.
A popular cafe for breakfast, lunch or coffee and cake. We visited Cafe Moka for breakfast and really enjoyed our dining experience. The boys ordered vegemite and toast and scrambled eggs on toast which they ate with no complaints. There is the option to sit outdoors where you can enjoy water views.
Dome Cafe: 73 Mandurah Terrace (Mandurah foreshore)
Open Mon-Sun 6am – 10pm.
Kids colouring in activity pages and kids menu available.
A popular relaxed family friendly cafe, with a large range of simple cafe food. We visited Dome Cafe at lunch time and we all enjoyed our food. We were very impressed by the colouring/activity pages and packets of crayons available when you first walk in the door.
The Brighton Hotel: 10 Mandurah Terrace (Mandurah foreshore)
Dining area open Mon-Sun 11am – 9pm.
Kids activity page and kids menu available.
A local favourite, The Brighton Hotel is located right in the heart of Mandurah’s entertainment and shopping precinct. It has a great variety of typical “pub meals”. Our boys enjoyed the cheeseburger and chips and chicken nuggets, salad and chips, which they chose from the extensive kids menu. We can recommend the steak too!
Where to stay in Mandurah with kids
We can recommend staying at Seashells Mandurah located on the shores of Comet Bay. Seashells overlooks the Indian Ocean on one side and Dolphin Quay on the other. It is an easy 15 minute walk to the Mandurah Foreshore and a short 5 minute stroll to the Mandurah Ocean Marina where you will find a variety of cafes, restaurants and markets.
This fantastic 4.5 star accommodation has 1 and 2 bedroom luxury apartments and beach villas to choose from. We stayed in a beachside 2 bedroom villa which was very spacious for a family of 4, had all the facilities we needed including a laundry and kitchen and it was very clean and tidy. We had an amazing view of the ocean from our living room and balcony. We loved being able to hear the waves crashing on to the beach.
There is free WiFi, and a beautiful outdoor infinity pool with an ocean view. We found Seashells ticked all the boxes for us for an easy, relaxing weekend escape to the beach with kids.
