On a pupil free day I’d taken Little Chef for a coffee and a walk along the South Perth Foreshore. We didn’t really have a plan, I thought we’d just see where the wind took us. After stopping at a couple of playgrounds, we came to the Mends Street Jetty and on a whim, decided to take a ride on the TransPerth Ferry!
I’ve lived in Perth most of my life and never been on the ferry, so it seemed like something I could knock off my Perth bucket list, and I knew Little Chef would just love a ride on the river too! For Kids, it’s just 90 cents to ride, cheaper still if they have a Smartrider. If you couple your ferry trip with a train or bus ride, the ferry is free with a family rider ticket (at off-peak times).
Taking a trip on the ferry is the cheapest way of viewing the city from the Swan River. The ferry departs from Elizabeth Quay and Mends Street Jetty, in South Perth regularly. We only had to wait a couple of minutes at both sides.
The ferries are child friendly, with dedicated spaces for prams and wide walkways and ramps for easy access.
The journey across the Swan River takes just eight minutes. There are plenty of windows for children to get a good view. See if they can point out landmarks like the city, Kings Park and the Perth Hills. You may even spot a dolphin, black swan or an airplane.
We took a trip over to EQ on a return ticket, which meant we had to return within two hours. This gave us plenty of time for a ride on the carousel, lunch at The Island and even a play at the brilliant Elizabeth Quay playground!
If you’re visiting South Perth, there are many cafes to stop and have a bite to eat at. Or take a walk east along the river, enjoy the view and stop at a few playgrounds.
Or if you’re just wanting the ferry ride, you can remain on board the ferry and return straight back to your starting point. A family smart rider provides the best value journey. On this ticket, two adults and up to five additional concessions can travel all day on the TransPerth network trains, buses and ferry.
I recommend taking a trip on the TransPerth ferry and discovering the South Perth Foreshore or Elizabeth Quay. It’s a wonderful, low cost day out in Perth.
See the TransPerth Ferry timetable here.
Find more places to visit with kids in Perth
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Amanda Carlin has her own food and travel blog. Established in 2013, “The Chef, His Wife and Their Perth-fect Life” has enjoyed an exciting name change in 2021, as “The Chef’s Ex-wife” embarks on new adventures with Simply PERTHfect. Amanda loves getting out and about in Perth and WA, as well as brunching, tapas or something a little fancy in equal measures. With her son “Little Chef” in tow, Amanda always has plenty of family friendly eating options to recommend too! Be sure to check out Simply PERTHfect.
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