My daughter loves spotting planes but hates loud noises. The times I have tried to visit the airport have not always gone to plan. So when I discovered a café over looking Jandakot airport you bet I was going.
Jandakot Airport opened in 1963 and is one of the busiest airfields and largest aviation training bases in Australia. Located above the Royal Aero Club at Jandakot Airport sits “The Apron Café”. I get the vibe from the café that it’s a mix of pilots and plane spotters and was pleased to see I wasn’t the only one bringing a toddler to watch the runway. We arrived an hour before closing and it was still busy with other little plane spotters.
I was able to get us a table overlooking the runway and ordered ourselves a babyccino and coffee. They offer a full café menu and cabinet items as well, which would make it a great weekend breakfast stop. It is something different for everyone especially if your little ones are plane lovers.
We sat and enjoyed the planes for a while, and I feel like my daughter would have happily stayed longer, but I wanted to see how she would be at the viewing platform. The café also has a rooftop viewing deck, but I decided that with a toddler and baby in tow, I would just stick to the café.
A few hundred meters up the road is the viewing platform at “Robert J Cross Park” with a car park, toilets and a large grassed area with picnic tables and shade. You can easily come here for an hour or so. I laid out our picnic blanket, toys and snacks, and my kids enjoyed being outside. The viewing platform sits right over the runway, and with the planes being on the smaller side, it was a lot quieter than Perth Airport, so my daughter was unbothered by the noise.
Overall, it was nice to be outside and do something different, and it was actually rather peaceful. It’s rare that I’m able to just sit and watch as I’m often dragged down a slide, so if, like me, you also have a toddler who sometimes needs a calmer outdoor activity, I would definitely add this one to your list.
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Kat is a mum of two little girls, Emilia and recent new addition Eleanor. Kat shares her travels around Perth and beyond on her instagram @thethriftymumma_ . Helping families find activities that are budget friendly but still packed with fun. Determined to get the most out of what WA has to offer without it costing the bank.
[…] aviation fan then pack a family picnic and spend the morning plane and helicopter spotting at Jandakot Airport. Or take the family to view planes landing and taking off at Perth Airport Viewing […]