It’s been awhile since we last went for an overseas trip, as the past one year is entirely devoted to nurturing baby Nate. Since Adrian’s (brother-in-law) family in Perth wasn’t able to return for Chinese New Year this year, we decided to pay them a visit in June instead, together with my in-laws. Western Australia isn’t new to any of us, except baby Nate. It was almost 5 years ago when hubby and I embarked on a road trip to the region south of Perth, covering slightly over a thousand kilometres. The thought of going back there again certainly evoked a pleasant sense of nostalgia.
What’s for certain this time around was spending less time on the road and taking things at a slower pace. We anticipated that travelling in a big group wasn’t going to be the same as how we did it 5 years ago. Our entourage comprised six adults and two toddlers – Nate and his cousin, Cameron (sister-in-law’s son). A lot of adjustments had to be made to the itinerary, mealtimes, bedtimes, etc.
While we were getting all excited for the upcoming vacation, disaster struck! Nate developed high fever two days prior to our departure. That got hubby and I extremely worried, not so much for the trip, but more for his well-being. Up till then, he had been a pretty healthy baby who had never fallen sick before. Hubby had to drive out close to midnight to search frantically for KoolFever relief pads. It so happened that it was the Hari Raya (Eid al-Fitr) weekend and the fever relief pads were sold out in two nearby 7-Eleven convenience stores. Thankfully, hubby managed to get hold of a few remaining pads in the third store. Nate’s fever abated the next day and we got hubby’s paediatric colleague to give him a quick check-up before heaving a sigh of relief. Honestly, at the back of our minds, we were kinda ready to abandon this trip should Nate still be unwell.
Winter Apparel
The month of June signals the beginning of winter in the southern hemisphere and Western Australia’s temperature ranges between 13-24°C. Not extremely cold and definitely not snowing, nonetheless, it was still a new experience for the toddlers and we had to be prepared for all eventualities. Couldn’t exactly say that we weren’t stressed out with the preparation in the days leading up to the trip, but we enjoyed every bit of it.
Taiping is not like the big cities with many choices and as such, we had to source for Nate’s winter clothings online. Most of them had to be shipped in from abroad, which was time-consuming. Fortunately, hubby and I already had ours in the closet from the previous trips and we only needed to focus on Nate. The worst part about travelling in winter means that your luggage is going to be bulkier and cumbersome. This is an important consideration particularly if you’re taking a budget airline.
Flight
If you’ve been following my previous posts, you’ll realise that our favourite website for booking air tickets is Kayak. However, this time we decided to go on business class or its equivalent because we reckoned it would be inconvenient should we have to attend to the needs of baby Nate. With that in mind, we had to be careful not to blow our budget just on a 6-hour flight. After much consideration, we resorted to flying Malindo Air business class from Kuala Lumpur to Perth (RM3801.76 for three of us, inclusive of taxes) and AirAsia premium flatbed on our return journey (RM3444.83 for three of us, inclusive of taxes). Nate’s ticket price (infant under 2 years) was only ten percent of a full fare ticket. Well, of course the economy ticket would be much cheaper, but where else could you enjoy business class facilities with a party of three for just RM7246.59? Although it is challenging travelling with toddlers, the plus point is that their air tickets cost just a small fraction of yours, so long as they’re under 2 years of age.
The perquisites of flying business class are aplenty, among which we enjoyed were complimentary lounge access (Malindo Air merely provided a RM30 lounge coupon), exclusive check-in and immigration lanes, faster luggage claim, free-flowing high-end range of food and drinks (not quite so for AirAsia, though) and more spacious seats as well as greater legroom. But what we most needed then was the spacious seats and toilets that were shared by less than 12 passengers. We were quite surprised but thankful that Nate was well-behaved throughout the flight and wasn’t at all irritable or uncomfortable. 
Transportation
To me, Australia has always stood out as the best country in the world to drive in. Its roads are arguably the most systematic and well-maintained I’ve ever seen, not to mention the civilised driving culture of most Australians. What else could have prevented us from enjoying such quintessential infrastructure?
Since there were eight of us, we rented a 12-seater van that could accommodate everyone as well as our luggage. Fortunate for us, we had a church friend (auntie Janet) who managed Budget Car Rental and gave us that van (or what they call a bus) for A$588.06 (RM1774.52) inclusive of taxes. The next thing to do was to have data on one of our mobiles, in order for the GPS (Waze or Google Maps) to work. Trust me, unless you’re a local who remembers every nook and cranny of Western Australia, a GPS is going to come in handy. 
Unlike in Malaysia, the road safety regulations in Australia are very stringent with regards to how children are seated. There are no two ways about it except to comply – we rented two toddler car seats. Yes, it incurred additional costs, but quite a worthwhile contribution to road safety.
Itinerary
We all flew into Perth on three different flights from either Kuala Lumpur (parents-in-law) or Singapore (sister-in-law’s family). Hubby, Nate and I were the last to arrive at 2:10pm (18th June), by which time my dad-in-law and Lawrence (sister-in-law’s husband) would have picked up the van and en route to fetch us from the airport. That’s the advantage of arriving last. 
It was a 20-minute drive from the airport to auntie Janet’s house in Perth, where we were putting up the night before we embarked on our adventure to Pemberton the next morning. The first day or rather half of it was spent with Adrian’s family (he was away in Geraldton though). That evening, we had dinner at a Chinese restaurant that was run by Malaysians. How ironic! Anyway, it was a great family reunion where all the three “rooster” babies (Nate, Cameron and Azarael were born in the year of the rooster) could meet up for the first time.
Naturally, jet lag started setting in soon after dinner and it wasn’t long before we hit the sack. We had a long day ahead of us in less than 24 hours. Special thanks to Alyssa (sister-in-law) who came up with the itinerary:
Day 2 (19th June) – Pemberton
We started our journey in the morning around 10am, right after breakfast. Our destination for that day was Pemberton, but we decided to stop by Bunbury for lunch. The leisurely drive from Perth towards Bunbury, along State Route 2 followed by National Route 1 took approximately two hours. Road trips always have beginnings and ends, but what counts most is what’s in between. One of the most memorable things about Australia is its scenic drives, which hubby and I used to take advantage of in our previous trips. We would pull over at various spots just to snap a couple of picturesque landscapes and then continue driving.
By the time we arrived at Bunbury, it was almost noon – right on time for lunch. Being a coastal town, fish and chips is something which should definitely not be missed. That was exactly what we all had in AJ’s Fish & Chips. We ordered a couple of meals which included fish, squid rings, oysters, crabsticks, prawn cutlets, mussels, scallops, apple fritters and chips. Its huge portion was sufficient for everyone’s consumption and yummy, of course.
Having filled up our stomachs with a sumptuous meal, it was time for exploration. We strolled for a short while along Victoria Street – the main street of Bunbury where most of the shops and restaurants are located. As soon as we got back into our van, it started raining cats and dogs. Up next on our itinerary was Bunbury Wildlife Park, which was just a 6-minute drive from the town centre. The rain had almost subsided when we arrived at the park and we just had to wait another 5-10 minutes for it to stop completely. That’s the peculiar thing about Australian weather – erratic and transient.
Bunbury Wildlife Park opens daily from 10am to 5pm. Admission was priced at A$10.50 (RM31.30) for an adult and free for children under 3 years. Pretty reasonable, I would say (many other parks in Australia would have costed more). The next hour was spent exposing our little ones to the various Australian wildlife, the highlight of which was feeding the kangaroos. I certainly hope Nate and Cameron will remember this experience for a long time to come.
By the time we were done with the wildlife park, it was nearly 4pm. En route back onto National Route 1 (heading south toward Pemberton), we made a pit stop at Bunbury Farmers Market. While this might not sound like most people’s favourite place, believe me it’s going to be worth your while especially if you’re planning to do some cooking throughout your trip. Unlike the traditional wet market you may be used to, this market is fully air-conditioned, clean and comfortable enough for you to look through its items at your own pace. If you’re looking for the freshest of produces Australia has to offer, this is the place!
The sun had almost set by 5pm (shorter daytime in winter), when we continued our drive toward Pemberton. We arrived in Pemberton two hours later and checked ourselves into Eucalyptus House, an accommodation that we found through Airbnb. This huge loft is made of timber and overlooks the magnificent karri forest. The advantage of booking an Airbnb accommodation is to have the facilities of a home at our disposal, besides a space which accommodates so many people. From our purchases earlier, we cooked something simple for dinner that evening. Everyone was already exhausted from the trip down south and we all went to bed early that night.
Day 3-4 (20-21st June) – Margaret River
The next morning, we got up early to prepare ourselves for another adventure-packed day. Strangely the check-out time was 10am and we had to quickly pack up our stuffs after breakfast. It was only in the morning that I could really appreciate the beautiful environment surrounding of our accommodation. Man, it was breathtaking!
Pemberton is renowned for its log saw-milling industry, being surrounded by karri forest and five national parks within 20 minutes’ drive. As such, the best way to explore it is via the Pemberton Tramway, which runs from Pemberton to Warren Bridge. In fact, this represents only a third of the entire railway’s distance which supposedly ends in Northcliffe. However, according to the train driver, the segment beyond Warren Bridge is no longer safe for travel anymore. The tram will stop about 10 minutes at the Cascades for you to alight and experience the feel of the forest and the river that runs through it. Lest you get bored, there’s a running commentary from the driver all throughout the ride.
A ride on the tram to and from Warren Bridge took us roughly an hour and 45 minutes. The fares were A$28 (RM83.70) for an adult and A$4 (RM11.90) for children under 2 years. If you’re keen on this ride, be sure to plan your time correctly as there are only two departures (10:45am and 2:00pm) daily and it’s closed on Sunday.
Up next on our itinerary was lunch at Lavender & Berry Farm. Dining in the wineries is commonplace in Australia, but I’ve never heard of people dining in a farm. Pardon my ignorance! Anyway, this farm that occupies a vast piece of land has so much to offer its visitors – accommodation, cafe, gift shop, kids playground, gardens and animal farm. One could easily spend the whole day relaxing here, however, our main purpose was just to have a meal and then a quick walk-around the estate. If there’s one thing you ought to savour, it’s the berry pancake which is served with berry sauce and ice-cream.
That marked the end of our short adventure in the quaint town of Pemberton. From there, we drove close to two hours before arriving at Margaret River, where we spent two days. By the time we arrived at this coastal town and checked into Kilifi Beach House (again via Airbnb), it was almost 4pm. As the name suggests, our accommodation is within walking distance from the beach, which faces the Indian Ocean.
Travelling with toddlers means that a lot of time will be spent attending to their needs (feeding, bathing, toileting and pampering). While most of us languished in exhaustion, my mom-in-law still managed to prepare a scrumptious dinner, for which we were very grateful. Hubby and Lawrence stayed up late that night watching soccer (yes, the World Cup fever was in June).
Margaret River is popular for its world-renowned wineries, which are strewn all throughout its coastal plain. In actual fact, we only started exploring Margaret River the next day, after breakfast. A good starting point would be the shops that line the touristy street along Bussell Highway, which cuts through the town. Mind you, the prices of goods sold here were quite exorbitant. Window shopping would suffice, in my opinion.
If you’re going to have a meal, be sure to check out Settlers Tavern & Margaret River Ale Co – highly recommended by me, of course! It’s located along the main street (Bussell Highway) with ample parking space next to it. This cosy, family and kid-friendly tavern serves superlicious western cuisine accompanied by soothing music in the background. Each meal has a pretty huge portion, at least by Asian standards, thus you might also consider the kids menu (smaller and cheaper).
It started drizzling soon after lunch while we continued window shopping and stopped by Millers Ice Cream for dessert. It prides itself for creamy ice cream made of fresh milk from its own family farm in Cowaramup. Feel free to taste all the flavours of ice cream before deciding which to purchase. They were all very rich and tasty, I must admit.
Your stay in Margaret River would not be complete without a trip to the wineries. We were spoilt for choice, but eventually chose Voyager Estate, which was just a 10-minute drive from the town centre. If you’re into it, wine-tasting is an activity you should never miss. In most wineries, you’ll only be charged a small amount of fee if you don’t purchase after tasting the wines. You’ll get recommendations as well as commentaries from the sommeliers, depending on your selection of wines. Believe me, they are very experienced at what they do. Besides wines, most estates also sell grape juices to cater to the needs of teetotallers.
Wineries are not just about the production and sale of vine products. A walk around the estate is the most recommended thing one should do when visiting a winery. You can either do it on your own (free of charge) or sign up for a formal tour (paying a certain amount of fee and allowed to tour some restricted areas). There are several beautiful gardens within Voyager Estate, some of which are occasionally used for weddings.
Before twilight, we quickly headed to Surfers Point, which is just adjacent to the mouth of Margaret River. Besides being a surfer’s paradise, it also offers a magnificent view of the Indian Ocean – a pleasant place to enjoy the sea breeze, while watching the sunset. Then came the end of our eventful day and shortly afterwards, we had home-cooked dinner (by mom-in-law) before retiring to bed.
Day 5 (22nd June) – Perth
Do you realise that time always flies when you’re doing something enjoyable? We were already travelling back to Perth the next day, but we still had a long day ahead of us. After breakfast, we had coffee at White Elephant Cafe in Prevelly, which was just a kilometre away from where we stayed. This cafe by the beach also provides a spectacular view of the Indian Ocean but from another angle.
From the cafe, we headed up north along Bussell Highway and stopped at Cowaramup. We had never intended to stop by this attractive rural town, until several cow statues and cow-themed shops in the main street piqued our interest. Then we remembered that the ice cream we had a day earlier originated from this town. Thus, the only rational thing to do was to stop and explore, as we thought the toddlers would be greatly fascinated by the cows.
It was a pleasant day to walk around the picturesque Pioneer Park in the heart of Cowaramup. What caught my attention was a golden cow statue in the midst of it, which somewhat reminded me of “Aaron and the golden calf”.
It so happened that there was also a garage sale somewhere in the park and it was here that I managed to buy some board books for Nate at an extremely reasonable price. We then hopped from shop to shop, but the one that I’d recommend is Candy Cow. It’s here that you get to taste various flavours of chocolate, fudge, nougat and candy before you decide which to purchase.
Our next stop would be lunch at The Deck Marina Bar & Restaurant, which overlooked Port Geographe Marina. If you’re pining for fine dining at a seafood restaurant with extraordinary ambience, this is arguably the place. The food was of course, nothing short of excellent!
After lunch, we headed to Busselton – a 10-minute drive to the west. The main attraction in this coastal town is none other that the 152-year-old Busselton Jetty (longest wooden jetty in the world – 1.8km), which itself has numerous fun activities for your indulgence, namely train ride, underwater observatory, fishing clinics, mermaid tours and underwater helmet dives. The jetty day pass is priced reasonably at A$4 (RM11.90), but all the other activities are rather exorbitant. As we were also running short of time, we just strolled along Busselton Jetty Foreshore.
The next leg of our journey was another 2-hour drive towards Mandurah, where we did our last minute shopping in Kmart. Nate, hubby and I had less than 12 hours before our flight back to Kuala Lumpur, while the rest of them had more time as we were all on different flights. Kmart has always been my favourite departmental store in Australia, as this is the place to get almost anything at a discount. Our trolley was filled to the brim with mostly Nate’s clothes, books and toys with just a few of our own stuff. Well, our purpose this time was to shop mainly for Nate.
Our final activity of the day was to have dinner with Adrian’s family in Perth (he’s just returned from Geraldton). They reside slightly less than an hour away from Mandurah and by the time we arrived around 8pm, all of us were famished. Thankfully, an appetising steamboat meal was already prepared just in time for us to gobble up. The “rooster” babies together with their other older cousins (Arianne and Ariel) met up one last time that night. What a joy to see them playing together! 
The three of us had to get up very early the next morning to catch our flight home at 6:50am. All in all, it was a short and fun-filled trip in our first overseas experience with toddlers. (Tip: if you’re doing it for the very first time, do consider a developed country like Australia). Will I do this again? Yes, of course, but perhaps not in winter.
NOTES:
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