Perth: Perfect Playground
Published in SGTravellers and The Straits Times supplement, 19 January 2016:
https://www.sgtravellers.com/travel-article/perfect-playground/7338/1
The miniature train whistled. Its quaint, red locomotive chugged along the railway, hauling petite carriages of ecstatic children.
The stationmaster gestured for us to climb aboard the wagon, its girth just broader than my shoulders. My preschooler son chortled gleefully and his twin sister gazed in awe.
We were at Castledare Miniature Railway, an open secret among locals in Perth, Western Australia, but little known to tourists.
Castledare, which runs just one Sunday a month, is the longest club-operated miniature railway in Australia, boasting 12 steam locomotives, 16 diesel engines and over 50 passenger wagons.
Our little train tooted and chuffed along the idyllic Canning River, where Pacific Black ducks shared space with groups of kayakers.
The carnival-like atmosphere morphed into one of brief tranquillity as we observed birds and insects fleeting around paperbark forests fringing the wetlands.
An elderly man said that, as a boy, he used to ride the miniature railway, which was established in 1963.
“I then took my children here, and now my grandchildren ride with me,” he said.
We watched our twins explore the railway tracks and signal boxes. They entered the engine sheds, where they came face- to- face with off-duty locomotives charmingly named “Dependable” and “Black Butt”.
“This is their toy train set come alive,” my husband commented as our children scooted across the turntable leading to the locomotive sheds.
Perth, known to many as a gateway to other attractions in Western Australia, surprised us with its wonderful child-oriented experiences that fascinate little ones on their first travels.
A train driver hopped off his miniature diesel engine, and invited my son to sit in the driver’s seat, making his day.
And this setting is just the tip of the iceberg for children’s attractions in Perth, as we discovered.
Farms and fauna
We observed our city-born-and-bred children shed inhibitions towards animals at Caversham Wildlife Park, where they patted sheep and attempted to feed kangaroos.
Caversham, situated at Whiteman Park in Swan Valley, showcased the largest private collection of native wildlife in Western Australia, including koalas, wombats and dingoes.
The children were enthralled by the flagship Molly ’s Farmshow, where they witnessed sheep sheared, cows milked, whips cracked and sheep dogs mustering herds into pens.
We were delighted when they clamoured for more animal interactions the next day. We visited the Landsdale Farm School, a quiet but cosy farm housing goats, turkeys, chickens and alpacas, many of them roaming freely.
A Shetland pony trotted by, pulling a wooden wagon. The children mounted the cart and whooped with delight when a guide led the pony to circle the farm.
An orange mini-tractor trundled through the grass, and they needed no invitation to hop onto its colourful trailers.
Play at King’s Park
My husband and I sat back and relaxed — momentarily — to enjoy the sweeping panorama of the silvery-blue Swan River and the Perth city skyline, while our brood traipsed the grassy lawns of King’s Park.
We discovered the Rio Tinto Naturescape, a rustic play area that preserves Australian bush-land elements and invites children to immerse themselves in nature.
“It’s like the good old days — kids can play in the watering hole, scale rocks and trees, get wet and dirty,” a local commented.
Sounds good, we said, and wasted no time in casting off our shoes. The kids splashed through the shallow Paperbark Creek, and used branches and leaves to construct “cubbies”, the Australian term for improvised playhouses.
It is a refreshing, natural sensory experience in summer — the lyrical stream of cool water, warm sunshine, powdery sand, rocky gravel and flitting of dazzling dragonflies, all juxtaposed with the squeals and patter of children.
We also visited the Synergy Parkland, a dinosaur-themed playground set by a peaceful lake, as well as at the Ivey Watson playground, conducive for children under six years.
To market in Fremantle
In Fremantle, we strolled through the iconic weekend market, where the array of eclectic wares and buskers were audiovisual feasts for children.
Collective sighs were heard at the baby animal corner in Market Lane, where children can cuddle bunnies, guinea pigs and even an alpaca.
We enjoyed freshly battered fish and chips and delectable grilled seafood at Sweetlips by the fishing harbour, but not before the children burned energy at the playground and carnival at Esplanade Park.
Indoor fun
For respite from the summer heat, we headed to the sprawling air-conditioned Jungle Gym, an impressive centre featuring massive inflatable slides, long trampolines, trapezes, bars, beams, ropes and foam-filled pits.
Our elder daughter zipped to the top of the slides, while our son honed his talent for swinging using Tarzan ropes.
Even our one-year-old looked immediately at home, cruising the foam-padded flooring, climbing and falling at will.
Jungle Gym, open only to kids aged one to five years in the mornings, is seldom on travellers’ radar, but is the perfect play arena for young children on days of extreme weather in Perth.
Scenic beaches
No trip to Perth is complete without a visit to its pristine beaches, and we drove the scenic sunset coastal route, stopping for pictures (and milkshakes) at Cottlesloe, City and Trigg Beaches.
The children stretched their limbs at a coastal playground by Scarborough beach, and sank their toes in the white sand fringing the stunning turquoise waters. But the largest waves seemed to break at this stretch, and we travelled further north.
The beach at Hillarys Boat Harbour is ideal for young children as it is completely sheltered from the surf, enclosed by rock walls and jetties.
Children scale playground structures on the sand, while others caught fish on the breakwaters.
We ended the day with a sunset stroll on the beach.
“Perth is fun,” my daughter said, while pointing out kite-surfers in the distance.
With its breadth of child-centric experiences, Perth proved to be an extensive playground for little ones and, with them happily occupied, a joy to parents.
InBrief
Getting there
We flew from Singapore to Perth on Singapore Airlines. From Perth International Airport, we rented a car to explore the city and its surrounds. The attractions we visited were within 40 minutes’ drive from the city.
Traveller’s tips
Serviced apartments are good options for families. We stayed at Adina Apartment Hotel Perth, a centrally located serviced apartment with full hotel service. The apartment, booked via Airbnb, was clean, quiet and furnished with blackout curtains, crucial for children to sleep through the 5am sunrise on summer mornings.