Perth and the surrounding areas offer an exciting range of family-friendly activities - many of which are within the city limits.
The emphasis is on family fun for all members of the clan, so you can expect holiday experiences to appeal to all ages.
Day 1: Perth
Begin with a short drive to South Perth, or catch the ferry from the city and walk along Mends Street to start the day at Perth Zoo.
Open from 9am-5pm every day of the year, the zoo's leafy surrounds make it a comfortable place to stroll around in any kind of weather. Grab a map to help you navigate the 230 species within the zoo's enclosures.
Perth Zoo plays a key role in species conservation and aims to create suitable habitats for each animal. Each area transports visitors to a different continent - see zebras and giraffes in the African Savannah and elephants in the Asian Rainforest Zone. The scent of eucalypts and call of kookaburras characterise the Australian Bushwalk area, where children can interact with free-roaming wallabies.
Be captivated by the Penguin Plunge exhibit which demonstrates how fairy penguins "fly" and dive underwater.
Pause for a barbecue lunch at one of the shaded picnic areas while the kids run around the children's playground. It has caves, tunnels, a secret garden, ponds, and sculptures, offering sights, scents and sounds for children of all ages.
In the summer months, Perth Zoo stages a series of fantastic events, from evening concerts to daytime special activities for the whole family.
So sprawl out on the lawns and enjoy an animal atmosphere in the beautiful garden surrounds.
Overnight: Perth
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Day 2: Perth and the Swan Valley
Continue your holiday experience of the animal kind with a visit to Lake Monger, just 10 minutes from the city. Take the Vincent Street exit off Mitchell Freeway and turn west onto Lake Monger Drive for an impressive display of waterbirds which inhabit the lake.
Thousands of birds call this lake home, including Western Australia's faunal emblem - the black swan. Keep an eye out for the bright colours of pink-eared and blue-billed ducks that migrate to the area.
After strolling through the lake's expansive surroundings, point the car north east and head to the Swan Valley for an Australian farm-life experience.
You'll only need to travel about 45 minutes from the city centre to find farmstay accommodation. Spend your afternoon and evening immersed in the seasonal activities of a farm, including the daily chores if you so choose.
Enjoy the friendliness and hospitality of the surrounding community, come face to face with emus and sheep and try your hand at shearing. Children will love feeding and petting cattle, sheep, ducks, goats and horses, as well as delight in the local kangaroos that often visit the farms for a graze in paddocks.
Farmstay accommodation is usually designed to complement the landscape, and there's generally a choice of bed and breakfast or self-contained cottages.
There's plenty to keep you occupied in the Swan Valley for another day or two, or you can head back to Perth for more city-based activities.
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