8 epic outdoor school holiday adventures

Feels like yesterday that the school term started, and now we quickly find ourselves staring down the barrel of another round of school holidays.

School Holidays in Mandurah

8 epic outdoor school holiday adventures for the whole family

Feels like yesterday that the school term started, and now we quickly find ourselves staring down the barrel of another round of school holidays. Keeping the kids entertained is hard work, but with a little bit of inspiration and planning, it can be an adventure for everyone.

Less than an hour’s drive from Perth, Mandurah is perfect for a fun filled day trip outdoors, or an extended holiday spot. We’ve taken the guesswork out of what to see and do, with a range of unique activities the whole family will love.

Be a pirate for a day

Ahoy me hearties, your young explorers will have the ultimate time sailing the seven seas (Mandurah’s waterways and canals), on an epic pirate adventure on board a real life looking pirate ship.

Get your crew together and come dressed in your best pirate outfit, as you go searching for the infamous bottlenose dolphins and other wildly creatures. If you’re lucky, ye old sea captain may even let the kids steer the pirate ship and ring the bell. But beware, those who misbehave may be obliged to walk the plank!

Dolphin spotting

You don’t have to trek all the way to Monkey Mia to get up close to the wondrous bottlenose dolphins. Our pods of playful residents have made Mandurah’s waterways  their home for years, with more than 90 of these curious creatures leaping in and out of the Peel Harvey estuary every day. Take the family on a dolphin cruise and see how many you can spot!

Or hire a boat! Mandurah Boat and Bike Hire offers boats tanging from a four person dingy up to a 12-person pontoon boat and are conveniently located right in the heart of Mandjar Bay. Kayaks, stand-up paddle boards, fishing rods and crabbing nets are also available for hire.

Dolphins live and swim together in groups, so when you see one there’s likely to be more nearby, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled and camera ready.

Hit the bike trails

Get the kids out of the house and onto the track. Whether it’s in the bush or by the beach, there are stacks of cycling trails you can set off on at varying distances and levels. Bring your own bikes or save yourself the hassle and hire a bike for the day. 

Cycle alongside dolphins

Is it a catamaran or a giant banana? Jump on a bike ride of a different kind on the water with Mandurah waterbikes. Easier than riding a bike, these waterbikes are steady and stable, so you won’t even get wet as you gently pedal and glide through the water. Hire a waterbike any day of the week during the school holidays and choose where you cruise, exploring Mandjar Bay and the stunning canals from a new perspective.

Go into the wild on a kayak

Explore hidden parts of the Peel Harvey Waterways by kayak on a guided private river or estuary tour with Salt and Bush Eco Tours. The tandem peddled kayaks are great for beginners and all level kayakers, which means you can spend more time concentrating on the incredible scenery and wildlife around you.

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Visit one of WA’s best skate parks

Get your wriggly little humans moving at one of WA’s newest skate parks by the waterfront. Suitable for all abilities, you can skate, scoot or BMX your way around three different skate zones including the very cool skate bowl. Get the kids down for a session – they’ll love it! Find out more.

Learn to surf

Get your kids to master a new skill these school holidays. Star Surf‘s accredited surfing instructors will teach them how to launch themselves onto a board safely and get on top of their first wave. Get to know Ian ‘Wooly’ MacPherson from Star Surf.

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All aboard the fun train

Jump on board the Tourist Fun Train, Mandurah’s trackless train. Your little ones will love seeing the sights as the Big Toot or Mini Toot takes them on a fun journey around the foreshore and city.

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If you’re looking for a seaside escape jam-packed with activities for the whole family to enjoy, now’s the perfect time to head to Mandurah for the school holidays.

The summer holidays are bursting with family-friendly activities including Mandurah’s new Estuary pool that is ready to have you and your kids splashing around. 

So, make the most of the sun and Visit Mandurah during these school holidays.

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Spring in Mandurah

Drifting on vast waterways, exploring wonderful wetlands, casting a line, watching dolphins play, and following pathways full of colour, you’ll discover there are plenty of things for everyone to enjoy this Spring in Mandurah.

Spring in Mandurah

Experience the flow of life by the waterways this Spring in Mandurah

Drifting on vast waterways, exploring wonderful wetlands, casting a line, watching dolphins play, and following pathways full of colour, you’ll discover there are plenty of things for everyone to enjoy this Spring in Mandurah.

Spring, the most vibrant time of year, has arrived. Mandurah’s nature blooms with the return of sunny days, welcoming new life and bright colours along our coast, wetlands, foreshore, and national parks. Spring is the ideal time to jump in the car (or on the train) with family, friends, or someone special and visit Mandurah. The city has many upcoming events and festivals including art, nature, fashion, and sport. So read on to find out why this season will not be complete without a trip to Mandurah.

Spring on the Water

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Get the crew together for a guided kayak tour along the protected Peel-Harvey estuary to truly rejuvenate and feel like you are miles away from it all. It’s the kind of peace and solitude you won’t appreciate until you’re in the moment. Worth bumping up to the top of your list of things to do.

 

Meet the famous local inhabitants on a day of dolphin spotting. With over 120 dolphins calling our estuary home, they’re considered one of the healthiest dolphin populations in Australia. And there’s plenty of ways to seek them out on the water. You can hire a boat,  waterbike or paddleboard or take a cruise

 

Have you always wanted to sleep on the water? Book a houseboat and cruise Mandurah’s tranquil waterways at your own pace. Mandurah Houseboats can sleep anywhere from 4 to 10 people, complete with all the amenities you need (some even have a spa), and you don’t need a Skipper’s ticket to get going.

 

Looking for a new hobby? Why not try surfing. Surfing is all about fun. Surfing increases your fitness, strength, balance, and flexibility. Spending time in and around the ocean positively impacts your health, and the more you do it, the more your confidence in the ocean increases. Mandurah Surf Lessons runs surfing and stand-up paddleboard (SUP) lessons for all ages.

 

Mandurah is home to kilometres of pristine beaches, and one of our favourites is Falcon Bay. This beautiful bay on Spinaway Parade in Falcon is much loved by the locals. Northern facing and protected from southerly winds, it’s perfect for spending all day swimming and relaxing by the water.

It also has shady grassed areas, picnic tables, BBQs, a playground and toilet/shower facilities and the famous Falcon Bay Beach Cafe’ nearby, selling everything from coffee and cake to a delicious, filling lunch with views across the ocean.

The calm waters make it an excellent spot for paddlers too. It also has a reef area ideal for exploring or snorkelling at high tide.

 

And finally, float around the beautiful Dolphin Quay and Venetian Canals on your very own floating barbecue onboard a doughnut-shaped ECO BBQ boat seating up to 6 or up to 10 people. Bring your own food and drinks or take advantage of locally prepared hampers. All BBQ equipment is supplied, and no skipper’s ticket is required. This is the ultimate 360-degree dining experience on the water.

Spring in the City

This Spring, immerse yourself in a thriving arts scene by discovering Aboriginal stories and traditions, local arts and crafts, talented artists, stirring performances and exciting events.

 

The hugely successful Plein Air Down Under, Outdoor Painting Festival is returning to Mandurah. The festival dates are the long weekend of 25, 26 and 27 September 2021, with additional pre-festival workshops and activities designed to celebrate the art of painting outdoors. The festival will be held around Mandurah’s town centre, cultural precinct and the historic town of Pinjarra.

 

Mandurah is filled with incredible public art, but not all of it is as obvious as the silver metal heart sculpture on Mandurah’s Eastern Foreshore. Hidden down laneways, on the pavement or on the facades of buildings, artworks are all around us in Mandurah, and we’re going to help you find them.

 

With a delicious foodie scene across the city, Spring is the perfect time to indulge your taste buds by experiencing the city’s culinary delights. To avoid roaming around until you’re ravenous and weak at the knees hungry, we’ve hunted down the legendary foodie stops, popular eats and yummy experiences that you might otherwise only know about if you were a local.

 

Wearable Art will be back later in the season (4-27 November), with the In the Fold – Wearable Art Mandurah Paper Category. Wearable Art Mandurah celebrates revolutionary works of art on the body by introducing an exciting new category – Paper.

Artists have accepted the challenge of fabricating a garment made from 90% paper. Wearable art Mandurah categories have traditionally always been showcased on stage. However, with its fragile and often subtle aspects, paper wearable art is better suited to the gallery.

 

There are tonnes of other indoor and outdoor attractions for the kids, including the brand new skate park featuring 3 different skate zones and plenty of space to run around. It’s epic!

Spring in Nature

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Did you know that WA has the most wildflowers in the world? Our beautiful state is home to over 12,000 species, with almost two thirds unique to WA, and there’s lots of ground to cover. What you see can vary each year depending on the weather, and given our bumper winter rains, this wildflower season could be one of the best yet! Right now is when the Peel region starts to bloom. As a biodiversity hotspot, you can expect to see a vivid display of colourful species, including a wide variety of acacia and native orchids. And you don’t need to be a nature expert to appreciate how spectacular it all is.

 

The Wetlands Weekender Festival is on again from 8th to 10th October 2021 and with a jam-packed program full of fun activities for the whole family to celebrate and explore our natural environment! We are delighted to share this year’s program with you and hope you can join us to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day and welcome migratory shorebirds back to our neighbourhood! Sarah from Ways to Nature is full of local knowledge. She can show you the remarkable wildlife that exists in tucked-away places across Mandurah’s diverse parks and wetlands. Take a guided nature walk with her through the wilderness, and you won’t be disappointed.

 

Mandurah is all about kicking back and enjoying the fresh open air, and there’s plenty of ways to do it. To really take in the wonders of Mandurah’s vast natural landscape, you can go for a leisurely bike ride along the coastal path, drift along the waters on a stand-up paddleboard or, hire out your own boat for the day and tell the skipper where you want to go.  

 

End your day in Mandurah this Spring by creating a memorable moment with an evening of stargazing, led by expert local guides, nature lovers Sebastian and Jamie of Salt and Bush Eco Tours. The striking skies of Mandurah are perfect for stargazing, and you’ll be able to get a closer view of the night sky through a telescope.

Mandurah is the perfect destination to relax, unwind and indulge with your favourite peeps this Spring. And, as it’s just a short drive from Perth, there’s no excuse not to make a weekend of it soon!

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