Discover Deadly, found just south of Vasse, is a great place to visit in the Margaret River region with adventurous kids! As the name suggests, it’s home to all sorts of poisonous spiders, snakes and more – plus plenty of creatures that are safe to meet close up. If you’ve got snake-obsessed kids, or even curious little ones, be sure to explore Discover Deadly.
The Discover Deadly Reptile Education Centre is home to over 40 different species of reptile, amphibian, birds and arachnid. In fact, it’s the largest display of its kind in southwest WA. It’s not just tanks and signs either – there’s interactive games, shows, turtle feeding and a playground too.
Inside, you’ll find many exhibits showing everything from lizards, snakes, frogs, turtles, scorpions and even a crocodile!
The exhibits are very well done, giving each creature an interesting West Aussie habitat for its home.
There’s even a few nocturnal creatures, see if you can spot them with the special torch!
We even got to meet their newest resident – a beautiful Boobook owl.
One of the big drawcards is that Discover Deadly offers WA’s only live reptile show. There are daily reptile talks and feeding sessions.
The friendly keepers bring animals out, chat through their behaviours and quirks, answer all the questions, and show you how they feed and handle them safely. We met many different species of snakes and lizards – including a tiger snake. During school holidays the schedule can shift a little, so it’s worth checking their website before you go.
The show also busted myths about our “deadly” wildlife (like should you stomp to keep snakes away – no!) and helping families understand what’s actually dangerous, what’s misunderstood, and how to stay safe and respectful around our native creatures. You are all guaranteed to come away having learned something.
After the talk, kids can even hold a snake and meet other animals up close. It makes a great photo opportunity!
From a parent point of view, Discover Deadly is set up really well. There’s a little playground on site (watch out for the giant spider!), so kids can play between looking at enclosures.
A fun extra is the 3D snakes and ladders game, which feels very on-theme and keeps the kids entertained for ages.
There’s a gift shop.
Plus, coffee and snacks available too.
Discover Deadly is open six days a week, Wednesday to Monday, 10am to 4pm, with last entry at 3pm. It absolutely deserves a spot on your family itinerary.
You can pre-book tickets and see entry times via their website at Discover Deadly.
You’ll find Discover Deadly at 10 Wildwood Road, Carbunup River.
Explore more to do in the Margaret River region here.
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Amanda Carlin has her own food and travel blog. Established in 2013, (first as “The Chef, His Wife and Their Perth-fect Life”) Amanda loves getting out and about in Perth and WA for her blog ‘Simply PERTHfect’. You’ll find her checking out the newest foodie spots (brunching, tapas or something a little fancy), as well as fun family activities with the kiddos in tow, so Amanda always has plenty of family friendly eating options to recommend too! Be sure to check out Simply PERTHfect.
