At Hillarys Boat Harbour, you’ll find the Aquarium of Western Australia, more affectionately known as AQWA, which takes you on a journey explore 12,000km of WA’s coastline in just few hours! The kids will be excited to go on an underwater adventure from the cold southern water to the sunny northern habitat.
Located at Hillarys Boat Harbour, it is about 20 minutes away from Perth City. There is plenty of free parking available at the Hillarys Boat Harbour, but it does get packed quite quickly during the weekends and school holidays.
Once inside, we are greeted by a blue hue of displays. AQWA currently houses over 45 unique displays showcasing the native marine life and corals found along our WA coastline.
The kids were able to get up close to all the exhibits without any difficulties. We were greeted by the Western rock lobsters, blue devil and Australian cuttlefish at the Perth Coast exhibit.
At the Great Southern Coast exhibit, they were so fascinated by the leafy sea dragons, watching them move so effortlessly in the water.
And who can forget about finding Nemo when you are in the aquarium? The girls were so happy to find everyone’s favourite clown fish at the Coral and Far North Coast exhibit!
We got to see different types of soft corals and also a baby crocodile! There is a shallow pool that allows you to see the stingrays up close, as long as you don’t touch it!
I like that AQWA has put in that special WOWness with their unique themed exhibits. Walking into the UV lighted room in the Glowing Ocean room showcases all the glowing corals, fishes and anemones so beautifully.
At Coral Conservatory, we get to peek into the behind-the-scenes of their Coral growing room. The Coral Bank of WA is like a shelf full of our pretty native corals. The kids learnt about the efforts taken to conserve the coral species and get to measure themselves in coral years too!
The highlight of our day would be the Shipwreck Coast, where we hopped onto the conveyor belt and entered the underwater tunnel filled with 3 million litres of water! We were greeted by the grey nurse sharks, giant stingrays, turtle and hundreds of fishes! We were lucky to be there during the feeding sessions, so we saw the feeding frenzy of the sharks and the stingrays.
Outside, you’ll find the Marine Park exhibit, which is the most interactive part of AQWA. The touch pool is very popular with all the kids. They got to touch the starfish, sea cucumbers and even baby sharks.
The kids also meet the rescue turtle at the Turtle Rescue Pool where they learnt about their rehabilitation program.
When you are tired from all the walking, you can sit back at the viewing platform and watch the outdoor coral reef display, which is one of the biggest in the world! You can overlook the coral reef from above and view it from a different angle by going downstairs to the underwater gallery. The viewing area is furnished with several comfy chairs, so you can stay and watch the colourful fish swim amongst the coral for a while.
There is plenty of benches around the outdoor tank too and the kids can continue their play at the pirate ship playground.
In total we spend about 3 hours at AQWA. There is also a café located conveniently in the centre and a gift shop to buy your souvenirs.
And if this is not your first visit to AQWA, you can always upgrade your visit with one of their booked experiences online on their website. These paid experiences include a glass bottom boat, behind the scene pass, swim with sharks and even birthday parties and dining!
Do check out their website regularly to find out what’s on as they run lots of different school holiday programs and special events.
Info
Find AQWA at Hillarys Boat Harbour, 91 Southside Drive, Hillarys.
Free car parking is available next to AQWA.
For more information visit www.aqwa.com.au
Find more places to visit with kids in Perth
- Johnny’s Burgers, Canning Vale - May 9, 2024
- Jungle Gym Minii, Willettom - May 9, 2024
- Pepper Lunch, Willetton - April 29, 2024
- Annabel Karmel AK Little Meals and My First Cookbook - April 22, 2024
- Kumo Kaitien Sushi, Cockburn Central - April 18, 2024
- The Left Bank, East Fremantle - April 18, 2024
- Three Little Pigs Cafe, South Fremantle - April 6, 2024
- James Cameron – Challenging The Deep Exhibition at WA Maritime Museum - April 5, 2024
- Carmel Cherry Picking Farm - April 5, 2024
- Paperbark Burger Co, - March 25, 2024
[…] Discover Western Australia’s favourite indoor aquarium centre on a Perth rainy day. The majority of the exhibits are indoors, and the touch pool where kids can get up close and personal with a selection of sea life is undercover outside. Why not grab lunch at the cafeteria style cafe and make a day of it? Whether you’re a local or just visiting Perth, a visit to AQWA is a great way to spend the day! Read our AQWA review. […]