Holiday recommendations in Western Australia PLEASE!

[santaclausiscoming]

Being a newbie in Perth (7 months in and loving it!) we've decided we'd like to take a holiday in January but can't decide where! I know the school holidays have just started and lots of people have told me "you'll never get anywhere" but there must be some places still vacant. Anyway, we really don't know where to go and would prefer a max of 4 hours driving from Perth (or very cheap flights!). Suggestions on a postcard to.....

Also, any websites / companies that we should contact would be really helpful. Should also mention that we have two DDs aged 6.5 and 3 that need entertaining!

hiya, dh and i honeymooned in wa last feb (feels like a lot longer ago than that though!) we travelled up and down the west coast and places we LOVED were:-

Coral bay - quite small complex but the snorkelling/swimming/eating/accomodation was excellant, easily the most relaxing place i've ever been.

also we loved margaret river cos you could travel out to places very easily and the town was busy.

can't remember prices i'm sorry, and i know coral bay is a LONG way from Perth, we drove (obviously without kids!) so cant help with cost of flights!

hope this helps..

My cousin lives in Perth, has three kids under 3 and is a huge fan of Margaret River.

Lots of wineries with play equipment and things to keep the kids occupied while you have a civilised tipple.

How close is Monkey Mia? The dolphins would be a hit with the kids, surely? Or Ningaloo Reef is apparently gorgeous.

It wouldn't keep the 3yo occupied, but I saw something on a travel programme once where you could go to a sapphire mine somewhere in WA and buy a bucket of tailings to sift through, and you got to keep anything you found. There were loads of kids about 6-11 years old who were utterly mesmerised by the task, and I thought yeah, that would have kept me quiet for days at that age.

Monkey Mia is a good 10 hours or so drive away. It is really brilliant to go see the dolphins. But I would suggest you break up the journey by staying somewhere like Kalbarri overnight first, otherwise 'tis too much IMO.

Just thought, could be further. When we did the trip, we went by coach to Kalbarri. Stayed there in a brilliant self catering complex and then drove on up to Monkey Mia the following day. We drove back all in one hit to Perth, but you really need to start out early to do that, because you don't want to be driving at night, because the roos come out and if you hit one as they bounce across in front of you, you could have a very nasty accident. That was one of the tips we were advised by locals.

Hmm, think Monkey Mia is a bit too far. Would like to go as last went 15 years ago but the thought of driving all that way with my two doesn't appeal!

Margaret river is gorgeous. I'll have to do some googling...

Thanks for your suggestions.