Top 13 Australia Day Activities for Families in Perth 2015

Australia Day is a day to gather with family and friends to celebrate this beautiful country.  There are so many choices for Australia Day activities this year in Perth that it's going to be a tough decision for our family to decide.  I'm thinking we will have to fit in several from my Top Thirteen List!

 Top Thirteen Australia Day Family Events for 2015:

1. City of Perth Skyworks & Laser Show- 


2. Australia Day at The Fremantle Esplanade-

Giveaways, live music, and activities for the kids!

Perth Mermaids at Bathers Beach


Then stay for The Indian Ocean Fireworks starting at 8pm!

These are the best vantage points to watch the fireworks:

• Esplanade Reserve
• Bathers Bay
• Round house
• Monument Hill
• Fishing Boat Harbour
• South Beach

3.  Celebration Zone, South Perth-


4.  Langley Park Entertainment Zone-
100 FREE activites for all ages from 3pm!

LANGLEY PARK ENTERTAINMENT ZONE TIMES:

• Amusement Zone, 3pm - 7.45pm
• Water Playground, 3pm - 7.45pm
• Circus Joseph Ashton, 4.30pm - 5.05pm, 6.30pm – 7.05pm, 7.15pm - 7.50pm
• Freestyle Motocross,   4pm - 4.20pm,   5pm - 5.20pm,  6pm - 6.20pm and 7pm - 7.20pm
• Scitech Live Science Shows, 3:15pm – 3:45pm, 4pm – 4:30pm, 4:45 – 5:15pm, 5:30 - 6:00pm, 6:15 - 6:45pm, 7pm - 7:30pm
• The Amazing Mr Jim Children’s Entertainer, 3.15pm and 5.30pm
• Sand Sculpture Artist, Live all day
• Twilight Hawkers Market, 3pm - 8pm
• Rotary Big BBQ, 3pm to 8pm
• Fireworks & Laser Show, 8pm - 8.30pm

5.  City of Perth Air Show-
View the airshow from Langley Park from 3:30-7:45 pm before the fireworks!



6.  Water Regatta on the Swan River-  
Catch the action of the river including float planes, water skiers, and boats from 5:00-7:30 pm.


7.  Australia Day at King's Park-
The traditional 21 Gun Salute fires at noon on Australia Day from the State War Memorial.
Fraser Avenue precinct offers an excellent viewing opportunity during the Australia Day Skyworks. See map below for the BYO picnic zone.  Entry is by gold coin donation.



8.  Rockingham Australia Day Carnival-


9.  Australia Day in Bassendean-


10. Spend Australia Day Poolside-

Claremont Pool:


Outback Splash:


11. Australia Day BBQ Brekkie at Coogee Beach Reserve-
Start the day's celebrations early with Brekkie and fun activities for the whole family!

Roller Ball * Gladiator * Bouncy Joust * Bucking Bull * Aussie Animal Farm * Sandcastles * FREE Sausage Sizzle (with healthy option) and FREE ice-cream and so much more!!! 

12.  Australia Day Armadale-
Family entertainment from 5pm including: carnival rides, live music, delicious food, and Fireworks at 8:30 pm.

13. Australia Day at Rollerdome, Morley-

Scitech Backyard Adventures

We visited Scitech to check out the new exhibit, Backyard Adventures.

  

It was great fun for each of my kids from age 5 to 13 years of age.

My 5 year old especially enjoyed the imaginative play area with the dress up clothes, and the hands on backyard animal "pets" in their perspective habitats.



He also liked seeing what the world looked like through the eyes of the bugs and dog's view.


Both of my boys loved the "walk through the seasons" exhibit where they were able to run on a treadmill and watch the seasons change on the screen in front of them.




My 11 year old loved all of the video game type interactive exhibits that educated him about various "backyard" animals and their habitats.


I found him exercising his tangram skills by putting together some "backyard" pavers.


He also loved the exhibit that displayed various nocturnal creatures, and we were able to use night vision to view them in their dark "habitats".


My thirteen year old daughter's favorite exhibit was the skipping rope.  We had great fun watching her take her turn jumping to the various speeds.

I'm not gonna lie, I loved it too!


There was a hands on area where the kids could participate in different activities throughout the day including making their very own insect feeder.


Or you could take insturctions home with you to make your own birdhouse!


The miniature golf was a hit with all of  the kids.  They spent the most time in this area trying to get their balls in each hole.  It was fun to watch them all in there together having a ball!



The Backyard Adventure exhibit at Scitech was a big hit with our entire family!

Splashing Down the New Waterslide in Busselton!

The Busselton Jetty foreshore is a fantastic destination for a summer holiday, especially with the addition of this enormous waterslide suitable for the entire family!

The slide's footprint is as big as an 8 lane Olymic size swimming pool!

As we drove into the Jetty carpark, the kids noticed the bright colored inflatable waterslide that towered three stories high! It certainly seemed like an excellent way to cool off, so we decided to check it out.

We purchased a family pass that was good for one hour of unlimited sliding for all of us.  

The slide is suitable for ages 3 and up, and kids under 110cm can slide with an adult.  

There were 30 steps to climb up to the top, which was actually part of the fun for the kids. 

We had a blast sliding over and over again!  We raced each other down the two side slides, slid down the big center slide in pairs, and had contests on who could slide the farthest. 

We had grandparents with us, and they enjoyed watching us from the shaded area at the end of the slides.

We had a blast slipping and sliding all hour long.  Everyone in the family gave it a big thumbs up!  It's an activity not to be missed this summer!

Discovering Dinosaur Island at Adventure World

A trip to Adventure World always promises a full day of fun and adventure, and now, with the temporary addition of Dinosaur Island, there is even more reason to visit!  Dinosaur Island will be enchanting guests of Adventure World now until March 2015.

My four year old and I spent the day swimming and playing among the prehistoric creatures hidden in the trees surrounding the pools in the Kingdom Falls area.

Just follow the huge dinosaur prints once you enter Dragon's Kingdom, and you will find Dinosaur Island!

At first Hagen was more than a little cautious of the enormous, life like dinosaurs because they looked so real.  He kept his distance and wouldn't keep his eyes off of them.

They moved and made noises, just like real dinosaurs!

He started to feel more comfortable once we came across the adorable baby stegosaurus.

The misty Dinosaur Island tunnel was a huge hit with all the kids, and added a sense of mystery to the atmosphere.

 I imagine the cool mist would be an even bigger hit on a hot, sunny day!

We strolled around the "island" looking for all the dinosaurs hidden within the trees.

Tyrannosaurus Rex was quite easy to spot.  He had a low guttural growl that sent shivers down our spines!


We stopped and read the many different signs along the way with facts about each dinosaur, including their actual size and what they liked to eat.


There were also signs about dinosaurs around the pool area on Dinosaur Island.




There is so much to do and see at Adventure World, so of course we hit a few of our favorite waterslides and rides before leaving for home late in the afternoon.  Hagen went home bursting with stories for his older siblings about the "real" dinosaurs he saw at Adventure World, and now they want to go see them too!