Perth tips - child friendly places for food, attractions and shopping

Had a bit of time, so I'm putting together the places I went and tried

Introduction

Perth in general

Perth City is quite small, but Western Australia is huge, so be specific on where you want to go and what you want. Traveling distances out of Perth City are massive so account for the traveling time. Eg a day trip to Margaret River is ill-advised.

Weather, if you're going soon, it's warm in the day, but gets cool at night. Bear in mind, Australia is like that in general, once the sun goes out, the temperature can drop by more than 10 degrees.

Food
Be prepared to spend 18-30 Aus$ a meal. Or pack sandwiches and such to save. Or stay home. You can't really scrimp too much and enjoy. The good news is that the currency is smaller than ours, so there's a discount. And don't try to smuggle food or any organic material, they are really strict. Declare and pack in clear bags. Usually dried stuff with English labels eg baby food and medicine are fine.

Eat local stuff like beef and fish but if you do like Chinese food, there are many choices, the Northbridge area has many choices. Viet pho is also very good there. Some places offer free Chinese tea, but other drinks like Coke can cost $4-5 a can.

Visa
We do need a visa, and you have to use their ETA app. Bear in mind there's one for Australia and another for NZ, and they are not interchangeable. They do charge $40 Aus and the ETA, if granted, will be valid for one year and will allow Singapore citizens to visit multiple times for up to 90 days per visit. Scanning your passport and photo is a bit fiddly. So don't do it last minute.

Data roaming

I think it's vital since you need your phone for GPS, and downloading a map prior to leaving home is ok, but can be tricky. Wifi in hotels is ok but don't expect lightning speed. Usually hotel wifi is free but check first to avoid surprises.

Car rental

If you intend to go out of the city, a SUV is a good thing. But a mid to large sized sedan is fine for road trips. Specify the child seat if you need one. It is illegal without one and they are really strict. Pre book it to avoid issues. There are many car companies, so just use one of the major websites. There is a petrol station not far from the airport to fill up. Prices do vary so check and use the airport station as a benchmark. It is more costly to pump nearer the weekend and when it is near to the tourist sites.

Check your car for defects and spend some time.

Again a reminder that distances are vast in Australia, so plan ahead, and it is always good to have at least two drivers. The one not driving is important, to navigate and more importantly, keep the driver awake. They drive on the same side as us, and our local license is fine over there.

Roadside parking in the city can be expensive so take note. But check, some places are free after certain hours. Also, when it says "2P" they are quite strict and will fine you if you do exceed.

Payments

Cash is less and less accepted, eg my hotel only does cashless. Some places add a surcharge for credit cards but are free for debit cards so check first. They have their own version of paywave and it's quite convenient.

Shopping

https://www.perth.dfo.com.au/

There is a DFO on the outskirts near the airport, and prices are decent, especially those on sale. Remember to claim GST but it has to be in a single receipt or purchase. Check for details from their site:

https://www.abf.gov.au/entering-and-leaving-australia/tourist-refund-scheme

Locally produced stuff are cheaper, including food, wine, and even hiking stuff.

Bring a cooler bag or something. Also there are no bags for free, so bring your own or be prepared to pay.

QV creams are way cheaper there, so get some for babies or yourself. Likewise for sunscreens and also try their local toiletries, very nice and cheap.

Go to the supermarkets to shop for chocolates, biscuits, tea other local food.

There are three major chains, IGA, Coles and Woolworths. Look out for sales

Tap water is potable and I often just drink from the tap. The free water served in restaurants is just chilled tap anyway.

Attractions:

King's Park

Great for kids and also adults to just walk about

Free parking

Caversham Wildlife Park

30-40 min from the city

Great for kids and adults

Free parking

Bring your own lunch or expect to eat the stuff in the small cafe there. Not cheap and so so

You have to queue to touch the koala and wombats, pay extra to hug a koala and there are showtimes, so take note and plan your circuits.

Also a full day out

Rottnest Island

Better for older kids and you will definitely need a full day out

Hilarys Boat Harbour

30-40 min away from the city

Better for older kids and you'll need a full day out too

Decent restaurants nearby, just not cheap

Yanchep National Park

40 min from the city

A little like Caversham so choose one

Attractions
•   Gloucester Lodge Picnic Area. Named after Duke of Gloucester, who stayed here in 1934, the lodge is independently operated as a recreation camp. ...
•   Crystal Cave. ...
•   Bull Banksia Oval. ...
•   McNess House Visitor Centre. ...
•   Boomerang Gorge. ...
•   Yanchep Golf Course. ...
•   Lakeview picnic area. ...
•   Cabaret Cave.

Fremantle Market

30 min from the airport or city

Nice place to wander for half a day or less. It's quite small.

· Viet Kites – pho, roast pork belly banh mi
Dosukoi - Ramen

· Muffle – waffle ice cream cone

· Freo Baby – mini Dutch pancakes (milo milk)

Dinner at Kailis’ Fish Market Café (11 mins walk from Freo markets)

Food

As mentioned there are many many places to eat at Northbridge if you fancy Chinese or Asian, so take a walk around. I choose child friendly places mainly and also a lot more Asian places than some others may want.