Only a short stones-throw from Perth lies Mandurah. What started as a small holiday region with the quintessential corner deli has now transformed into a well-developed oasis with endless restaurants, a fantastic foreshore and a bunch of activities that will keep the entire family sorted. Mandurah, in all its glory after receiving WA’s 2022 Top Tourism Town, now sits firmly as a holiday destination that offers up some new-age attractions. These include the new Giants of Mandurah outdoor exhibition, dolphin cruises and Peel Markets – for some of the freshest fish and produce in our state. This list is to give you a hand when planning your next trip south to Mandurah.
Giants of Mandurah
Starting the list of strong is the newest open-air exhibition featuring giant ‘human-like’ wooden structures scattered throughout the region. Installed by world-renowned Danish artist – Thomas Dambo, each sculpture celebrates the importance of the natural world, where the wooden giants blend seamlessly into the natural landscape. Each is handcrafted using recycled and locally sourced materials and is a fantastic treasure hunt exploration for the whole family. The team at Visit Mandurah has put together a guide and trail to follow to experience them all. Using the information at each installation, symbols are collected. Once they have all been obtained, we recommend visiting the code machine in central Mandurah to reveal the final secret spot. This interactive element adds a great dimension of mystery and is perfect for the kiddos.
Hire E-Scooters – Mandurah Foreshore
After a recent development; the Mandurah foreshore is a seriously impressive space with huge open walkways, restaurants a plenty and a beautiful inlet. E-scooters have now been introduced for hire. The Bike Kiosk located opposite Ciccerellos is the place to go. Here you’ll be able to secure bikes or e-scooters depending on the plans for your day. They also have several excellent tracks, trails and routes that you can take for great photo opportunities.
Mandurah Instagram Trial
Carrying on with the photo opportunities, Visit Mandurah also created an Instagram Trail that can be visited via e-scooter. This custom trail offers up the best spots to snap some winning images. Each spot along the trail promotes local artists and their impressive murals and installations, and are all at an excellent distance from one another. The best bit is it requires a walk along the foreshore – hitting two birds with one stone.
Peel Produce Markets
Held every Saturday, this product market brings together all the best local traders under one roof. We’re talking bakers, the best fruit and veg in town, fish and poultry, and not to mention organic produce such as cheeses, spices and coffee. It’s got it all and is one of the top things to do in Mandurah, especially if visiting on the weekend. Hot tip, aim to come when it opens around 7 am as it can get super busy mid-morning, where parking also becomes hot real estate. Finally, if you have kids and considering visiting, some Saturdays feature a patting zoo with ponies to keep them entertained while you secure coffee.
Dolphin Cruise
Mandurah was initially put on the map due to the sheer volume of dolphins that reside in the bays and inlets. It was almost sure that if you made the trip, you’d see them interacting in their natural habitat. Schools are generally found close to the opening of the harbour and also close to the shore on the surrounding beaches. The team at Mandurah Cruises has Dolphin spotting tours on offer, where the guide will take you to all the top spots and cruise beside them as they swim along our famous coastline. The best part about hiring an expert for this one is they are always aware of where the pods of dolphins are each day, so can help significantly if you have time constraints!
Falcon Bay
Located a short 10-minute drive from Mandurah along the coast, is Falcon. A small community with shacks and quintessential holiday homes that represent old Mandurah. Emulating a true holiday feel, Falcon Bay has a fantastic family-run corner cafe and newly renovated bay complete with BBQ equipment, a nature playground and a grassed area. This is an awesome spot to take some produce from the Peel Produce Market and enjoy a sunset with heaps of space for the kiddos to run.
Play Golf at the Cut
For golf enthusiasts, The Cut is a short two-minute drive from Falcon and offers some spectacular coastal views and manicured greens. A day here isn’t going to break the bank but can be customised with club and buggy hire. Finish the day strong with a cold beverage in their club rooms and restaurant.
Scenic Flight With Royal Aero Club of WA
For those with a little extra cash to splash, the team at the WA Aero Club of WA offers scenic flights of the fantastic Mandurah coastline and surrounding inlets. Witness a kaleidoscope of blue water and white sand whirlpools from above in your very own plane. These guys take safety very seriously, so you’ll be well briefed, and the pilots are also very good at pointing out the best photo opportunities. You’ll feel on top of the world with the activity.
Kwillena Gabi Pool
This one is perfect for younger kids or adults who are big kids at heart. The Kwillena Gabi Pool is in the protected waters of Mandurah and includes floating pontoons arranged in a circular formation perfect for bouncing and jumping off. The floating pontoons don’t have a net attached which means there is a free flow of wildlife that you might get the chance to swim with. This includes a possible pod of dolphins!
Wild Seafood Experience
Finishing the list off strong is a pretty deluxe 60-ft boat experience. You’ll undertake a thrilling adventure catching the famous lobsters and find out about all the conservation used to support these famous crayfish. Following this, you’ll get stuck into a 7-course degustation showcasing all local ingredients prepared by your private chef. Accompanying this will be top-notch wines from the Margaret River wine region while you sit back and watch local dolphins and pelicans in the canals. If this interests you, we recommend reserving your boat earlier rather than later, as it’s a pretty popular experience and books out fast!
Starting as a sleepy holiday region – Mandurah has transformed into a top WA tourist destination with a serious list of impressive activities to keep everyone entertained. Everything from dolphins to artisan weekend markets – Mandurah is our pick for your next summer break from Perth. If you are also organising a larger group and need transport, we can help you out. We have bus sizes to suit all parties. Chat with our sales team today.