Perth Family Itinerary — 30 Aug to 6 Sep 2026

Strawberry picking

Farms near Gnangara/Wanneroo vary week to week — check the farm's Facebook page the night before Day 3, and have the chocolate co. or a playground as backup.

Busselton Jetty

3 Sep falls in the reduced May–Sept hours: Interpretive Centre 9:30am–4:15pm, Jetty Train 10am–4pm, Underwater Observatory tours 10am–3pm — all weather-dependent. Only pre-book if you can commit to the timing; otherwise foreshore + a walk out on the jetty is the low-risk plan.

Rottnest ferry

Book the Fremantle–Rottnest ferry ahead of time (about 25–30 min each way) and pack windbreakers — late winter/early spring can be breezy on the island.

One adjustment from the original spreadsheet: the plan document had you moving from Scarborough to Coogee on Day 5, the same day as the Busselton trip. Since you're actually checking out of Scarborough on 2 Sep, I split that into two lighter days — Day 4 is just the move, and Day 5 is a Busselton day trip out of Fremantle/Coogee with no accommodation change. It also shaves roughly 15–20 minutes off the Busselton drive each way, since Coogee sits south of the city, closer to the South West. Penguin Island has also been dropped from Day 7 — the landing is closed for the winter nesting season on 5 Sep, so the day is now a straightforward Rockingham foreshore visit instead.

Sun 30 Aug Scarborough

Day 1 — Arrival & settle in

Keep expectations low. Groceries, milk/snacks, diapers and an early bedtime win the day.

Arrival

Land 4:15pm, collect the rental car from Europcar in the terminal, drive to Scarborough.

Lunch / nap

Already handled on the plane.

Evening

Check in, dinner, and a grocery run for the essentials.

Airport → Scarborough: ~30–40 min

Perth Airport → Scarborough Airbnb

Mon 31 Aug Scarborough

Day 2 — Kings Park + Perth CBD

Morning

Kings Park — the Lotterywest Family Area / playground and the easy viewpoints.

Lunch / nap

Lunch in the CBD.

Afternoon

London Court, Hay Street / Murray Street Mall, or a short shopping stop.

Evening

Dinner near Elizabeth Quay.

Scarborough → Kings Park: ~20–30 min Kings Park → CBD: ~10–15 min CBD → Scarborough: ~20–35 min

Why this shapeCovers the CBD + Kings Park box without making the day too packed for a toddler.

Scarborough Airbnb → Kings Park

Tue 1 Sep Scarborough

Day 3 — Caversham Wildlife Park + strawberry picking

Morning

Drive to Caversham Wildlife Park, aiming to enter by 9:30–10:00am so you're not rushed before last entry.

Lunch / nap

Lunch in the Swan Valley / Whiteman Park area, then a car nap afterward.

Afternoon

Short strawberry-picking stop in Gnangara/Wanneroo if farms are open; otherwise Swan Valley Chocolate Company or a playground.

Evening

Back to Scarborough for dinner and laundry.

Scarborough → Caversham: ~35–45 min Caversham → farms: ~25–40 min Farms → Scarborough: ~35–50 min

Kid noteCaversham is open 9am–4:30pm daily (last entry 3:30pm) and recommends 3–4 hours — strawberry season runs roughly Aug–Oct, but check the specific farm first.

Scarborough Airbnb → Caversham Wildlife Park

Wed 2 Sep Scarborough Moving day

Day 4 — Checkout & relocate to Fremantle / Coogee

Adjusted from the spreadsheet's original "free suburban day" — this is now the move, kept deliberately light.

Morning

Slow morning at Scarborough Beach / playground / coffee before checkout. Optional Trigg Beach drive-by.

Midday

Pack up and drive south to the Fremantle / Coogee base.

Afternoon

Check in, unpack, and keep it unstructured — a walk around Coogee Beach or South Fremantle is plenty.

Evening

Easy dinner locally. This is also your laundry/grocery buffer, just relocated a day earlier than the spreadsheet had it.

Scarborough → Coogee: ~30–40 min

Scarborough Airbnb → Fremantle Airbnb

Thu 3 Sep Fremantle / Coogee

Day 5 — Busselton Jetty day trip

A full day out, but no accommodation change — this is the easier version of the spreadsheet's "hardest day."

Morning

Relaxed start, then drive straight down to Busselton.

Lunch / nap

Lunch in Busselton; toddler naps in the car on the way down.

Afternoon

Busselton Jetty foreshore, playground, and a short jetty walk — or the pre-booked Jetty Train / Underwater Observatory only if the timing works.

Evening

Early dinner in Busselton, then a bedtime drive back to Coogee/Fremantle.

Fremantle/Coogee → Busselton: ~2 hr 30–2 hr 45 Return: ~2 hr 30–2 hr 45

Kid noteStill the biggest driving day of the trip — but no longer doubled up with a house move. Treat any train/observatory booking as optional rather than fixed.

Fremantle Airbnb → Busselton Jetty

Fri 4 Sep Fremantle / Coogee

Day 6 — Rottnest Island day trip

Morning

Drive to the Fremantle ferry terminal, take the morning ferry over. Stroller-friendly settlement area, quokka spotting, a bakery/cafe stop.

Lunch / nap

Lunch on Rottnest; nap in the stroller or a quiet beach/cafe.

Afternoon

Return on the mid/late ferry. Keep it simple: Thomson Bay, The Basin if the weather allows, settlement area and the bus if needed.

Evening

Easy dinner in Fremantle or back at Coogee.

Coogee → Fremantle terminal: ~15–25 min Ferry each way: ~25–30 min

Kid noteBook the ferry ahead, and bring windbreakers — late winter/early spring can be breezy out there.

Fremantle Airbnb → Fremantle Ferry Terminal

Sat 5 Sep Fremantle / Coogee

Day 7 — Rockingham + easy beach day

Morning

Drive to Rockingham — the foreshore, a playground, and the Cape Peron lookout, with good odds of spotting dolphins from shore.

Lunch / nap

Lunch in Rockingham; nap on the drive back to Coogee.

Afternoon

Free-and-easy Coogee Beach, Fremantle Markets if open, or a supermarket/packing run.

Evening

Final relaxed dinner.

Coogee → Rockingham: ~25–35 min

Fremantle Airbnb → Rockingham

Sun 6 Sep Fremantle / Coogee

Day 8 — Fremantle + departure

Morning

Slow checkout. Fremantle Markets/cafes, Esplanade Park, the Little Creatures area, or a beach walk depending on the weather.

Lunch / nap

Early lunch; car nap if needed.

Afternoon

Leave a buffer for the airport by around 2:15–2:30pm for the 5:20pm flight — allow extra time for the Europcar return before heading to check-in.

Evening

Depart Perth 5:20pm.

Coogee → Fremantle: ~15–25 min Coogee/Fremantle → Airport: ~35–50 min

Kid noteKeep the final day low-risk — avoid paid attractions that could run late and squeeze the flight.

Fremantle Airbnb → Perth Airport

Drive times are planning ranges, not guarantees — they'll shift with your exact accommodation address, traffic, road works, weather and ferry/tour schedules. Worth rechecking closer to travel. Maps are live Google Maps driving directions between each day's start and main destination — open any of them directly in Google Maps for turn-by-turn navigation.