All the best things to do in Margaret River with kids. From kid-friendly wineries to beaches and caves, here’s what to do in Margaret River with the family.
Margaret River Australia is one of our favourite family holiday destinations. We have visited seven times over the past ten years and so it feels almost like a second home to us.
Although we head here mainly for the fabulous wineries and beautiful beaches, over the years we have checked out a lot of fun things to do in Margaret River with kids.
Yes most people come to Western Australia’s holiday capital for the wine and visiting the Margaret River wineries is one of the most popular things to do here.
Luckily there are many family-friendly wineries to choose from, whether you pop in for a quick tasting or decide to stay for a fabulous Margaret River winery lunch and sample the local produce.
Beyond the wineries there are many other fun Margaret River attractions too.
The white sand beaches here are some of the most stunning I have visited anywhere in the world, so make sure you factor in a few mornings at the beach during your family trip.
On top of this there are many other Margaret River activities to enjoy with the family – caves to explore, animal farms to visit, mazes to escape from and lots of yummy ice cream to enjoy.
So if you are wondering what to do in Margaret River with kids, here we give you our favourite Margaret River tourist attractions to make the most of your family vacation.
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Table of Contents
Visit the Margaret River Wineries
You can’t go to Margaret River and ignore the wineries; it’s pretty much the point of the place. The region produces more than 25% of Australia’s premium wine, so you know that you are in for some good wine tasting opportunities here.
Luckily having kids in tow doesn’t mean you have to skip the joys of wine tasting, as so many of the Margaret River wineries have child-friendly facilities.
From kids menus in the restaurants, to toy boxes in the tasting rooms, to large grassy lawns with garden games, and even outdoor playgrounds, the Margaret River wine region is a great place for oenophiles with children.
I have to confess – we once visited 19 wineries in a week, but far from complaining, our kids rushed into each cellar door excited to find what ‘games’ they had.
Top Tip: Book a private tour of the wineries so that nobody needs to be the designated driver. You can read about our experience with Wine for Dudes here.
Some of our favourite wineries to visit with kids include:
- Aravina Estate
- Swings & Roundabouts
- Will’s Domain.
- Leeuwin Estate
- Xanadu Wines
Read our article Child-Friendly Wineries in Margaret River for more recommendations.
Relax at the Margaret River Breweries
These days its not just wine that is attracting interest in the Margaret River. Craft beer is also big business these days and there are nine family friendly breweries in Margaret River now to choose from.
Serving up everything from traditional pale ales and pilsners to chocolate or chilli beer, you’ll find something to intrigue every palate.
Offering laid back and casual surroundings, children’s playgrounds, live music, barbecue facilities and/or great food, spending a relaxed afternoon at a Margaret River brewery promises to be a great time for the whole family.
Some of our favorites include:
Play on the Margaret River Beaches
It’s not all about wine tasting in Margaret River – the region boasts some of the world’s most stunning beaches along its wild, rugged coastline too, and spending a morning at the beach is one of the top things to do in Margaret River.
Running over 120km from Cape Naturaliste in the North to Cape Leeuwin in the South, the Western border of the Margaret River region is where the raw natural beauty of the area is at its most evident.
Long stretches of pure white sands run alongside rugged rocks and dunes, while the beautifully clear water of the Indian Ocean is impossible to resist.
Pack your boogie boards, snorkels and buckets and spades and head west to the coast, and you are bound to find an incredible beach to spend a few hours on. Some of our favourites include
- Smiths Beach
- Bunker Bay
- Eagle Bay
- Gnarabup Beach
- Yallingup Beach
Click here to ready more about the best beaches in Margaret River.
Visit a Margaret River Animal Farm
If you have city-kids like me, then they will love the opportunity to visit the petting farms and see all the animals up-close.
At the Wonky Windmill Farm, kids get to feed sheep, goats, ponies, pigs, ducks, emus, kangaroos and even llamas and alpacas. Also on the agenda, is bottle-feeding milk to the little lambs and calves and cuddling a rabbit or guinea pig.
Sunflowers Animal Farm offers more of the same, with the option of a Margaret River farmstay where the kids can enjoy pony and tractor rides and help collect the eggs in the morning.
Explore the Margaret River Caves
If your kids fancy themselves as adventurers, then head for the caves.
While most people associate the Caves Road with the many wineries dotted along it, it is actually named after the complex of more than 150 underground caves that run the length of Leeuwin Naturaliste Ridge.
Two of the most famous show caves – Jewel Cave and Lake Cave – can be visited via guided tour, where you descend into the depths of the Earth to marvel at the beautifully lit stalactites, stalagmites and other natural calcium sculptures.
There are a lot of steps, but we managed Lake Cave with two 4-year olds with no (okay, maybe just a little) whinging. If you prefer to wander at your leisure, then visit Mammoth Cave to stroll the boardwalks of the crystal chambers guided by an MP3 audio tour.
Ngilgi Cave (formerly Yallingup Cave) is another cool cave in Margaret River. Located close to Dunsborough, you can visit this cave as a semi-guided tour, meaning the guide gives you an introduction and takes you to the cave entrance but then you are free to wander around at your own pace.
If you have older children (aged 10 and above) the best cave in Margaret River to take the caving experience to the next level is Moondyne Cave, where you don overalls, gloves and helmets to explore the tunnels and caverns via torchlight. Cool!
Take a Stand Up Paddleboard Tour
For a fun way to explore the lesser-visited parts of the region, Margaret River Stand Up Paddleboard offer a national park river tour through the wilderness of Blackwood River National Park.
The 2-hour tour takes you along the twists and turns of the river as you look out for eagles, waterbirds and the occasional kangaroo.
No experience is necessary as the tour begins with a beginners’ lesson. Kids aged 8 and over can join in.
Click here to visit the Margaret River SUP website.
Enjoy a Margaret River Ice Cream
What’s a family holiday without ice cream? Luckily for the kids (and maybe Mum too), Margaret River also excels in this domain. Our favourite stop-off for Margaret River ice cream is Simmo’s ice creamery, just outside Dunsborough.
I judge all ice cream I try in the world by the White Chocolate and Malteser ice cream they have at Simmo’s and it’s still my favourite!
This ice creamery dishes up 60 flavours of seriously amazing ice cream, and is the perfect place to hang out with its playground, large shady lawn, mini golf and an ice cream-eating emu named Edward to entertain the kids.
If you find yourself with sweet cravings further south, then head to Millers Ice Cream, located on the family farm just outside Cowaramup.
Millers fabulous ice cream is made using milk from their own cows, and the farm café has an excellent adventure playground for the kids too.
Get Lost in a Margaret River Maze
A Maze’n Margaret River, is one of the most fun places to visit in Margaret River for kids.
This Margaret River maze features plenty of family-friendly activities including a three-metre high giant hedge maze and a 18-hole mini golf course, in addition to five hectares of landscaped gardens with a selection of games, more mazes and playgrounds.
Yallingup Maze has a large wooden maze, in addition to bouncy castle, a large playground and a café full of puzzles and games.
Swing through the trees at Next Level Monkey Business
Kids love the thrill of the zip line and ropes course at Next Level Monkey Business Margaret River. There are 3 levels: Cheeky Chimps for ages 4+, Mini Monkeys for ages 9+ and Great Gorillas for 13+.
Kids can practice their walking, balancing, climbing and zip lining through the natural bushland as they go over rope walks, net bridges, tunnels and other obstacles. There is also a mini zip for the younger ones, a mega zip for the bigger kids and a bouldering wall for everyone. Fun!
Open Friday – Monday, 9am – 4pm. Online booking recommended.
Click here to visit the Next Level Monkey Business website.
Meet the Stingrays of Hamelin Bay
Hamelin Bay offers something very special that you will rarely find at any other beach in the world – stingrays! Big, beautiful stingrays that come right into the beach and swim around your feet.
Go to the boat ramp where the fishing boats come in and you will see several sting rays and eagle rays, all hoping to score some fish scraps off the fishing boats.
Get the kids to shake their fingers on the surface of the water and the rays will swim up to them in search of food. One of the most unforgettable Margaret River things to do.
Learn to Surf in Margaret River
With 75 breaks along a 130-km coastline, Margaret River is also a major surfing destination in Australia. And with all those gorgeous beaches, where better to learn how to surf?
Margaret River Surf School provide lessons on some of Margaret River’s most pristine beaches. Families can book a 2-hour private lesson, or choose from a 3-day or 5-day course if you’re super keen. SUP lessons are also available.
Click here to visit the Margaret River Surf School website.
Discover Australia’s Deadly Animals
Yes, Australia is famous for its deadly animals, but at Discover Deadly they are all about encouraging a positive attitude towards the country’s snakes and spiders.
With 30 different species of reptile and amphibian, this small reptile house has the largest collection of its kind in the South West.
Marvel at the snakes, lizards, crocodiles, dragons, turtles, frogs and spiders and watch animal feedings, listen to talks and even hold a snake.
Open Weds – Sun 10am – 4pm.
Click here to visit the Discover Deadly website.
Meet the Bird of Prey
Dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and conservation of birds of prey and owls, the Eagles Heritage Raptor Wildlife Centre has the larges collection of eagles, hawks, falcons and owls in the whole of Australia.
Set in a beautiful natural bushland setting, visitors can watch twice-daily flight displays and even wear a glove and have a bird of pretty sit on your arm.
Click here to visit the Eagles Heritage Wildlife Centre website.
Busselton Jetty
The Busselton Jetty is a 30-minute drive from Dunsborough or a 45-minute drive from Margaret River township and is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Western Australia, attracting over 500,000 visitors per year.
Jutting out 1.8km into Geographe Bay, this heritage listed jetty is the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere.
But there’s more to Busselton Jetty than just being a jetty. It is also home to one of only 6 natural underwater aquariums in the world and has the only solar powered electric train in the world that travels over the ocean!
A day at Busselton Jetty can include a train ride down the jetty, marvelling at 300 different marine specimens in the underwater observatory, doing an undersea helmet walk, taking a Mermaid Tour and even dining underwater!
Click here to visit the Busselton Jetty website to learn more.
Getting to Margaret River
The distance from Perth to Margaret River is around 270km. It is a pretty easy three-hour drive down the highway. We usually break up the journey and have lunch in Bunbury on the way down.
Looking for family accommodation in Margaret River? Click here to read our post Best Family Accommodation in Margaret River.
Pin it for Later!
Right, you’ve talked me into it – icecream is on the list next time we visit the region!
It looks like a great spot, saving this for later. When we are back in the southern hemisphere it will be great to be able to take trips to places like this.
I’ve heard of Margaret River but yes, I kind of thought of it as a place to drink wine and go surfing. Surprisingly, it happens to be a perfect place to go with the kids.
Yay – Western Australia has opened up, we will be going to Margaret River soon!
Hi, really intrigued with the information here! Can I check given the cold temperatures in Perth in June, is it still advisable to visit MR and the beaches? Any tips? Thanks!