The Best Family-Friendly Things to do in Margaret River

Only two and a half hours in the car from Perth – it’s easy to justify a trip to Margaret River with the family. And a trip to ‘Margies’ is a rite of passage for most kids from WA’s state capital. Some things haven’t changed since holidays down south first began – things like white sandy beaches, lush bushland and good things to eat and drink. But there’s a few new additions to keep coming back for too, and plenty of activities that will keep the kids happy. Here are the best family-friendly things to do in Margaret River.

The Ideal Place to Stay

A kid friendly base is the secret to a successful holiday. You want just enough space to stay out of each other’s pockets, but not too spread out so you can keep an eye on the kids. Of course, there’s also got to be a decent sized kitchen to rustle up brekky in, and ideally a nice outdoor area for a sundowner vino while the kids burn off energy before bed. Margaret River Holiday Cottages tick all of the boxes, with the addition of over twenty animal farm animals to feed on their beautiful rural property and an indoor heated pool.

However, if your kids are more water- baby than land-lubber, a spot by the beach is going to be essential. You can’t get much closer to the beach than the 500m walk from  Margaret’s Beach Resort and Margaret River Beach Apartments. If the kiddos are still too young to hit the beach, they can keep busy in the playground, the heated pool or with free DVD hire and Foxtel.

Eat Up

There is an art to dining out when you’ve got a few different sized mouths to fill (and energetic little bodies to keep busy). There are so many great options in the Margaret River Region, from breweries and wineries through to cafes and food trucks. For breakfast, you can’t go past the Margaret River Farmers Market with sweet treats from Claudio Biscotti and the Margaret River Bakery, or a brekky burger from the weekly fundraising stall. The White Elephant Beach Cafe is the perfect spot to sip your coffee and fill up while watching the kids play on the sandy shores of Gnarabup beach below.

Hit up one of the wineries or breweries mentioned below with playgrounds if the kids need a bit of space to stretch their legs in-between lunch bites, or pack a picnic from goodies gathered in town and head out to one of the many national parks and picnic spots for an alfresco long lunch under the trees – just be sure to take all of your rubbish with you. Dinner time is sorted at The Margaret River Brewhouse with a nature playground and room for the kids to roam while waiting for the food to arrive.

Two foodie suggestions to keep both adults and kids happy are chocolate and cheese. Kids will love you for a visit to Margaret River Chocolate Company where they can watch chocolate being made and try a selection of different flavours. And not far down the road from the chocolate company, is another place of indulgence for the grown ups. Margaret River Dairy Company has a range of soft ripened cheeses (Brie and Camembert), semi-soft Farmhouse cheeses, and locally made pot-set yoghurts. It’s wise to stock up on some picnic supplies here and then grab a bottle of wine at one of the region’s wineries.

If you are centrally located in Margaret River, try the Margaret River Fudge Factory. Friendly service, and top quality coffee and fudges make this a must-stop with kids.

Little Ones

Furry (and not so furry) Friends

Seriously, who wouldn’t mind spending a few hours amongst cute furry animals? Visit Sunflowers Animal Farm and the kids will be kept busy while you plan how you might be able to fit a lamb and a baby alpaca in the backyard back home. Here there’s feeding animals, patting sheep, and a day of  generally slotting into farm life. Alternatively, head out to catch the watery action during whale month; either from land or up close and personal on the water with Naturaliste Charters.

Twisting and turning

The hedge maze at A Maze’n. will keep both adults and kids occupied for way longer than you think! Just few minutes drive from Margaret River’s main street, it’s an ideal way to while away the afternoon with the family. Don’t worry, even if you do get a little lost finding your way of the maze with the kids, there is a café at the end with an ice cream with your name on it.

The Colony Concept is another good stop, just down the road. Kids can learn all about bees and be kept busy looking for the Queen of the hive in behind the Perspex screen of the live hive in the educational room adjoining the shop and café. There’s also a great playground on the waterfront, so you can be certain of occupying a few hours of attention here.

Playground Time

While there is a whole coast of nature’s playground for the kids between the capes, you’ll find some of the WA’s best man made playgrounds in the Margaret River region. Take a stroll around the bushland after the kids hit up the playset at Rotary Park in the centre of town, or head down to Riflebutts Reserve for a kid and dog friendly playground a stone’s throw from the ocean. If you need a coffee to kick off the day, Yahava has plenty of seating and lots of green space by a fun playground to keep the kids busy with while you enjoy a cuppa in peace.

Of course, it’s a win-win when hitting up a winery or brewery with a playground for lunch. When it comes to wineries, Xanadu Wines is just minutes from town with plenty of green lawn and a playground for the kiddos. More of a beer lover? You’re spoilt for choice with breweries with playgrounds. Check out Colonial Brewing Co. which is just a short drive and has a massive playground to crawl over. Cheeky Monkey and Cowaramup Brewing Co. are a little further north, and of course the Beerfarm’s claim to fame kicks off in the warmer months: a slippery slide all the way down to the dam.

Head Underground

Mammoth Cave is an experience for all ages. Babies in carriers, toddlers and pre-schoolers have all come and gone through the cave over the years and love to explore the underground wonderland. Mammoth is self-guided, so adults are free to manage the family at their own pace, and all visitors are provided with a headset at the beginning, allowing you to learn about the caves history as you go. Kids love a bit of technology and will enjoy pressing the buttons and listening to the stories through the headphones.

Not-So-Little Ones

Things can get a little more tricky as the years go by. While toddlers can easily be entertained with a good playground, small fry can get a bit more discerning as the years go by. Tweens and teens will be kept happy and busily occupied with the following active options for a day out in Margs.

What’s SUP?

A family run business, the crew at Stand Up Surfing know all about keeping the kids busy on the water. Three generations deep, you’ll be in safe hands when you try out paddling on the water at Gnarabup Beach.  Send the teens out for a paddle in the turquoise flat waters, while you sip a coffee on the shore – or get out there with them. It’s hours of fun and you’ll definitely deserve that long lunch afterwards!

Something a Bit Different

The only place in Australia to offer a Coasteering experience, Margaret River Adventure Company is your one stop shop for adventurous teens and pre-teens. The minimum swimming requirement for participants is just 25m unaided – you’ll be fully kitted out in a wetsuit, rubber shoes, helmet and life-jacket so when not scrambling and jumping off rocks, you’ll be bobbing up and down in the swell. Grown-ups will be seriously jealous if they miss out on this oceanic fun, so be sure to book in to accompany the younger members of the family.

Pedal Power

Margaret River is home to some of the most beautiful biking trails in the state. Teens with a bit of bike experience can hire a bike from Life Cycle Bikes and hit the trails just off Carters Road, alternatively try one of the gentle and flat routes such as the Wadandi trail, or the Darch trail. If you’d prefer to head off the beaten track, let Brookesy from Margaret River Mountain Bike Tours take the whole family out for a spin. He’ll help build up your bike confidence before heading out on the trails and has plenty of e-bikes to hand if you’d like to take things a little easier and focus on the fun rather than the fitness.

Rev Up

Mountain biking through the forest sounds pretty epic right? Margaret River Eco Adventures take things one step further with their electric quad bike tour through Boranup Forest; meaning that fitness and bike skills are no barrier to getting in the saddle for the day. Catering for ages from 4 through to 94, it’s an activity that all the family can get in on. The eco quad bikes are electric, green and silent so you’ll be able to fully immerse yourself in the beauty of the karri forest. Bikes are even equipped with an iPad mini so you’ll be clued up on the fossils of long-extinct megafauna and feel like you’ve had a slightly Jurassic Park kind of experience (without the T-rex chase of course).