1) Remember to apply ETA (Electronic Travel Authority) for Singaporean and Malaysian. Go to http://ja-travel.com/visa/visa_aus.html as JA Travel has the cheapest ETA fee of SGD10.00, and you can almost get an approval within two days. Alternatively, you may apply via Australian Immigration website at AUD20.00 (about SGD21.40 at the rate of 1SGD to AUD1.07) http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/tourist/visa-options.htm
2) Get an Optus prepaid card upon arrival at Perth Airport. You get 500MB of data as low as AUD2.00 per day! I bought AUD4.00 for 1GB, total AUD28.00 for 7 days.
3) Australia's immigration is very strict on meat, water, electronic devices, and look out for all signs prior to arriving or departing. During our Gold Coast's trip, we brought a hotdog bread, and did not declare on arrival card. The officer was kind enough not to fine us, but our bread was confiscated. When we were departing, our baby was not wearing his shoes (we left it at our resort in a hurry). We had to buy a pair of flip flop for baby as barefooted on plane are not allowed.
4) There are four terminals at Perth Airport - T1, T2, T3 and T4 - located at two terminal precincts that are separated by a short, 15 minute drive: the T1/T2 precinct and the T3/T4 precinct. Remember to check your itinerary carefully, or contact your airline, to make sure you go to the right terminal, as a number of airlines operate from more than one terminal.
5) If you are renting cars in Perth, do check out Drive Now's website to compare prices for car rental here.
6) There is no toll in Perth which is good news. But traffic police is on the ball, so please watch out your speed limit and cannot exceed even 1km. Remember it is the speed limit and not speed target.
~ Day One : Singapore to Perth ~
Our initial flight with a better timing was via Singapore Airlines, but Scoot was offering about SGD250.00 less per pax for "flybageat" so we ended up flying Scoot. As usual, Ethan had some fun colouring at Changi Airport before we departed.
We had not tried in-flight meals from Scoot before, and the food was just soso.
Our fare did not include in-flight entertainment, so we brought along stuffs to entertain our Ethan during the five hours flight.
Managed to take some pictures of the sun setting. Yeah!
Our first meal at Juice & Bean Co., Perth Airport. Should have requested to toast the sandwiches. Coffee was not hot enough too.
After we collected our SUV from Hertz, we headed straight to the hotel. Comfort Hotel Perth City is affordable at SGD162.00 per night inclusive of daily simple breakfast and car park. However, car park space is limited and we often had to try our luck when we went back to hotel in the late evening.
Perth Airport
Perth Airport WA 6105, Australia | +61 8 9478 8888
https://www.perthairport.com.au
Hertz Car Rental - Perth Airport
Perth (Redcliffe), WA 6104, Australia | +61 8 9479 4788
https://www.hertz.com.au/p/hire-a-car/australia/western-australia/perth/perth-airport
Operating hours: Mon - Fri 6:30am to 2:30am | Sat - Sun 7:00am to 2:30am
Yes Optus Perth International
245 Airport Drive, Terminal 1 Perth Airport, Ground Floor, Arrivals Hall
Perth Airport WA 6105 | 1300 727 414 | http://www.optus.com.au/shop/stores
Operating Hours: 5:00am to 1:00am daily
Comfort Hotel Perth City
200-202 Hay Street, East Perth WA 6004 | +61 8 9220 7000
http://www.comforthotelperthcity.com.au
~ Day Two : Rottnest Island ~
Our simple breakfast at the hotel to start the day. I had hard boiled eggs, oats and ham every morning.
We happened to visit Rottnest Island during its annual Carnivale. Initially, we wanted to give it a miss due to the expensive ferry tickets & admission fee. Fortunately, due to this Carnivale, there was a promotion and we decided to go to Rottnest Island after all.
Ferry & Admission fees as follows:
- Return ferry ticket for an adult AUD61.00 + AUD18.00 admission fee
- Return ferry ticket for a child AUD35.50 + AUD6.50 admission fee
Ours were the Carnivale promo of return ferry ticket for both adult and child at AUD29.00 each with admission fee included. That was a great deal!
We boarded an hour's ferry from Fremantle on Rottnest Express. Please be mindful of the huge waves as we were
Some exploration around the Island, and there were these little natives - Quokkas wandering around. They looked like gigantic hamsters to me.
There was nothing much to eat for lunch, so we settled for Dome.
The carnivale had a lot of children games from face painting, treasure hunt, kite making, sandcastle building to pirate adventure and more.
Our dinner was at Kailis' Waterfront Fremantle for their fish and chips. I was looking for reviews online and decided to try out Kailis over Cicerellos. I kind of regretted my choice but I guess their barbeque seafood would be better.
Rottnest Express
B Shed Victoria Quay, Fremantle WA 6160
1300 467 688 | https://www.rottnestexpress.com.au
Kailis Waterfront Fremantle
46 Mews Road, Fishing Boat Harbour, Fremantle | +61 8 9335 7755
http://www.kailis.com/fremantle/
Operating hours: 8:00am to 9:00pm daily
~ Day Three : Swan Valley ~
I enjoyed cracking my brains while trying to complete each of the maze by myself. Some of them were just too difficult for me. A great place for families and those who love challenges. The Maze was truly fun and worth your every penny.
We started off with this mini golf course, and Ethan loved playing with it so much!
The only thing I love about Australia is their paddle pop flavour ice-cream. Lol..
You may visit the Outback Splash for some water play if you have time to spare.
Our first maze challenge was the original timber maze built in 1981. If you get to the wooden house with slide, you are already halfway to the exit.
We stopped for a rest as Ethan continued playing at the playground.
If you are fond of animals, do drop by the little animal farm. You could get to hug a Koala Bear too which comes with a fee of course.
Up next was a no left turn maze, and I managed to escape it. Yay!
The no right turn maze was a tough nut to crack as well as tangle maze and tyre maze. Tyre maze's entrance does provide an answer if you are unable to solve it.
We took another break playing with hookey and Ethan kept jumping non-stop on top of the gigantic bouncy pillow. How I wish Singapore has this!
Last maze before we leave and it was totally fun figuring out which way to go.
Please do not miss Lavender Bistro & Boutique if you happened to be around Swan Valley. We ordered everything lavender from ice-cream, cheesecake, tea to macaroons. Do buy back some products if you are a fan of lavender flower.
As we were craving for pizza, we visited Bistro Bellavista which was located near to our hotel. The Hawaiian pizza was so delicious, we totally died.
Guildford Courthouse, Corner of Meadow and Swan Streets, Guildford
+61 8 9207 8899 | https://www.swanvalley.com.au/Home
Operating hours: 9:00am to 4:00pm daily (closed on Christmas Day)
The Maze, home of Outback Splash
1635 Neaves Rd, Bullsbrook WA 6084 | +61 8 9571 1375
info@themaze.com.au | http://www.themaze.com.au/attractions/
Tickets: Adult (16 years above) AUD34.00 | Child (4 to 15 years) AUD27.00
**Note that the prices are for summer season from 23 Sep 2016 to 29 Apr 2018
Operating hours for summer season: 10:00am to 5:00pm (opening days varies for different attractions) Check out website for a more accurate operating hours.
Lavender Bistro & Boutique
6 Cranleigh Street, West Swan 6055, Western Australia
+61 8 9250 7711 | http://www.lavenderbistro.com.au
Operating hours: 9:00am to 5:00pm daily
Bistro Bellavista
150 Bennett St, East Perth, W.A 6004 | +61 8 9220 9560
feedme@bistrobellavista.com.au | http://www.bistrobellavista.com.au
~ Day Four : Lancelin Sand Dunes ~
Hubby drove about close to two hours before reaching Lancelin. We went for lunch at Lobster Trap Cafe which was just a five minutes drive away from the sand dunes. It was also directly opposite Lucky 7 convenience store where you get to rent your sand board. Do get a wax for your board.
The sand dunes only allowed 4WD to be driven all the way in. For the rest of 2WD, just drive a little and park at the entrance along with other cars. Then walk towards the sand dunes and play till you are dead tired.
We had one of the best meals in Perth at Wok & Ladle. Most probably due to we were too sick of eating potatoes all the time. Asian cuisine is still the best to be honest. We could definitely eat the white rice without any sides.
Lancelin Sand Dunes
Beacon Road, Lancelin WA 6044, Australia
https://www.lancelin.com.au/tourism/sandboarding
Operating hours: 24 hours all year round, but no noise between 7pm to 8am
Lobbster Trap Cafe
91 Gingin Road, Lancelin WA 6044, Australia | + 61 8 9655 1127
Operating hours: Thur-Tue 8:00am to 3:00pm (closed on Wednesday)
Wok & Ladle
8/232 Hay Street, East Perth WA 6004, Australia | +61 8 9325 7546
~ Day Five : Scitech ~
Sci-tech was truly fun because we got to learn so many cool stuffs through play. Remember to catch some shows especially those puppet shows. Parking is free when you visit to Sci-tech. Just get the counter staff to validate your ticket.
I had planned for a Chinese Dim Sum lunch at Fortune Five, North bridge area (Perth's Chinatown). Do get a queue ticket while you wait for a table.
Not to forget our favourite ice-cream when visiting Australia - Cold Rock!
Cuzzie invited us to her house for some catch up session (I have not seen her in years!). Since it was Hallowen Day, we let Ethan tried out trick or treating with Cuzzie's daughters. They had so much fun asking for treats from houses to houses.
Scitech
City West centre, Corner Railway Street & Sutherland Street, West Perth
Western Australia 6005 | +61 8 9215 0700
info@scitech.org.au | https://www.scitech.org.au
Admission tickets: AUD19.00 for adult and AUD12.00 for child (4 to 15 years)
Operating hours: Mon-Fri 9:30am to 4:00pm | Sat-Sun 10:00am to 5:00pm
Fortune Five Chinese Restaurant
108 James St, Northbridge WA 6003, Australia | +61 8 9228 8381
https://www.fortunefive.net.au/dim-sum-menu
Cold Rock Ice Creamery
128 James Street Northbridge , WA 6003 | +61 8 9227 5514
northbridge@coldrock.com.au | https://www.coldrock.com.au
Operating hours: 12pm to 10pm daily
**Timing is subject to seasonal change, do check with the store before visiting
~ Day Six : Cottesloe Beach | Kings Park ~
Our holiday would not be complete without a trip to the beach. Cottesloe Beach is the nearest from Perth of about thirty minutes drive away. Parking is free for the first two hours (look out for signs). If not, drive further down and parking along the roadside is free all day.
The weather was terribly hot with glaring sun. We were the only family who brought along a tent. Ethan finally get to build sandcastles as the beaches in Singapore or Malaysia do not have clean and fine sands as compared to the Ang Moh countries.
We went to try out Nao Ramen for lunch since online shown pretty good reviews. Their noodles were not too bad, serving was a little small though.
I wanted to try Miss Maud's Princess Cake, but they had sold out for the day. Sigh pie.. so I bought strawberry tart instead. Turned out the other dessert was mouth-watering too.
We were fortunate that our hotel's area had a few Asian eateries. We had a wonderful Korean dinner at Hanzan. Just order anything because everything tasted great! We had fried rice, clam soup and Korean fried chicken.
Nao Japanese Restaurant
191/580 Hay Street within Equus Arcade | +61 8 9325 2090
http://www.naojapaneserestaurant.com.au/en/index.html
Kart World Belmont
8 Cowcher Place, Belmont WA 6104, Australia | +61 8 9479 1200
https://www.kartworldbelmont.com.au
Operating hours: 10:00am to 10:00pm daily except Christmas Day
Miss Maud
Belmont Forum Shopping Centre (Coles end)
+61 8 9478 1717 | http://www.missmaud.com.au
Hanzan
71 Bennett St, East Perth WA 6004, Australia | +61 8 6260 1462
I was glad there is a theme park in Perth and I don't really have to plan much on my itinerary.
Buccaneer Battle
Must be at least 122cm to ride, children between 90cm to 122cm must be accompanied by a supervising adult
The maximum weight per boat is 136kg
Fancy being a pirate on your battleship while shooting at your enemies? Then this mini battle boat would be suitable for you.
Grand Prix Race Track
The driver must have a minimum height of 147cm with passenger a minimum height of 102cm
Fully enclosed footwear is a must
We did not go for go-kart ride since we had played it the other day.
Goliath
You must be between 120cm to 200cm to ride
As usual, Hubby finds the thrilling rides nothing interesting. He is bold like that.
Abyss
Minimum 125cm or taller to ride, and children under the age of ten must be accompanied by a supervising adult
This is the most decent ride as Hubby said he had a headache with all those spinning. Guess he is getting older now.
We loved Dragon's Kingdom as
The Barnacle
Must be at least 105cm to ride, children between 90cm to 105cm must be accompanied by a supervising adult
This mini pirate ship is really fun!
Dragon Express
Must be at least 105cm to ride, children between 90cm to 105cm must be accompanied by a supervising adult
One of my fears is riding on a roller-coaster even on a kiddy one. So hubby got to accompany Ethan for this ride.
Dragon Flyer
Minimum height of 90cm to ride and maximum combined weight is 150kg for two people on one dragon
Ethan probably would like to be a pilot flying his own plane some day.
Little Leaper
You must be between the height of 90cm to 190cm to ride
It was a torture riding this for us as the seats were too damn hot.
Yarli's Barrel Spin
Minimum height of 90cm to ride, and children below 90cm to be accompanied by a supervising adult
We spun too fast, and I felt like vomiting after that.
I have lost count on how many times Ethan ate chicken nuggets with fries when he was in Perth. That was like the only food suitable for him. Faints.
Rail Rider
Minimum height of 90cm to ride, and children under ten years old are not allowed to ride alone unless accompanied by a supervising adult
Strictly two riders per car
I loved this as I needed to cycle the entire ten to fifteen minutes ride. It was more of an exercise for me while enjoying the scenery around up high.
Inferno
Rider must be between the height of 140cm and 195cm
Children under ten years old must be accompanied by a supervising adult, and those under eight years old are not allowed to ride
Giant Drop at Dream World, Gold Coast was scarier.
If you are travelling to Perth, Kings Park and Botanic Garden is a must go.
The ducks and crows at Kings Park were eyeing on our picnic food. We had to literally hide ourselves when eating our pop-corns.
Our dinner at Outback Jacks Bar & Grill. I could finally see some vegetables as one of the sides under kids menu.
Adventure World
351 Progress Drive, Bibra Lake, Perth, Western Australia, 6163
+61 8 9417 9666 | feedback@adventureworld.net.au
https://adventureworld.net.au
Operating hours refer to https://adventureworld.net.au/opening-hours
Kings Park & Botanic Garden
Fraser Avenue, Kings Park WA 6005 | +61 8 9480 3600
enquiries@bgpa.wa.gov.au | https://www.bgpa.wa.gov.au/kings-park
Free entry all year round
Outback Jacks Bar & Grill
124 James Street, Northbridge WA 6003, Australia | +61 8 9227 7346
http://www.outbackjacks.com.au/northbridge
Operating hours: 11:30am till late daily
~ Day Eight : Fremantle ~
We did not manage to check out weekend farmers' markets except for Fremantle Markets. For a list of weekends markets in Perth, go to this link.
Our last meal in Perth before we left. Dosukoi Ramen has a much larger servings than Nao Ramen at a more affordable prices.
The lovely macaroons from Lily Paris would be perfect with a cup of hot chocolate on a cold day.
Fremantle Markets
Corner South Terrace & Henderson Street Fremantle, Western Australia 6959
+61 8 9335 2515 | info@fremantlemarkets.com.au
https://www.fremantlemarkets.com.au
Dosukoi Ramen
72 South Terrace, Fremantle WA 6160, Australia | +61 412 855 663
Operating hours: Fri 9:00am to 8:00pm | Sat-Sun 9:00am to 6:00pm | Closed on other days
Lily Paris
76 South Terrace, Fremantle WA 6160, Australia | +61 422 874 420
Operating hours: Fri 8:30am to 8:00pm | Sat-Sun 8:30am to 6:30pm | Closed on other days
