Living in a state as huge as Western Australia means almost every family holiday starts with a decent stint in the car. Whether you’re heading for Bunbury, Busselton, Margaret River or deep into the Southern Forests, planning a few well‑timed stops can transform “are we there yet?” into part of the fun. From giant slides and quirky gnome villages to farm‑fresh cafes and pretty picnic spots, there are loads of family‑friendly places to stretch legs, grab a bite and reset everyone’s mood on both the Forrest Highway, the inland South Western Highway and the Albany Highway.
Travelling south on Forrest Highway
South Yunderup – Adventurescape
Only a few minutes’ detour off Forrest Highway, Adventurescape in Austin Lakes is still one of WA’s standout destination Playgrounds. The huge farm‑themed park features towering windmill and pig slides, a 35‑metre double flying fox, giant tractor tyres, maze, rope challenges and a pair of real tractors to climb on. There’s plenty of open grass for a run around, a lakeside setting, barbecues, shelters and toilets, making it a brilliant first major stop with kids of all ages on the way south. The Shire of Murray manages the park and notes facilities such as parking, seating, shelters and toilets on site, so it works just as well for a quick toilet stop as for a longer picnic and play session. Read more in the Buggybuddys review.
Myalup – The Crooked Carrot and Old Coast Road Brewery
The Crooked Carrot, is a much‑loved, farm‑fresh cafe right on Forrest Highway at Myalup. Run by local farming family the Castros, the cafe has a strong “farm to table” ethos and serves generous breakfasts, good coffee and an ever‑changing cabinet of homemade cakes and loaded cookies, plus house‑baked pies, sausage rolls and breads. Outside, there’s a sprawling rustic nature Playground that caters for toddlers through to bigger kids, with plenty of room to roam, plus vintage Melbourne trams, old tractors and classic cars to admire. Onsite you’ll also find a florist and a huge lawn area perfect for a quick picnic rug stop, though outside food and drink aren’t permitted on the grounds. Read more in the Buggybuddys review.
A few minutes inland from the highway, Old Coast Road Brewery is ideal when you want a longer, more relaxed break. Set on a 60‑acre rural property with olive groves and views across a big recreation lawn, the family‑friendly brewery pairs wood‑fired pizzas and pub classics with craft beers, ciders and small‑batch spirits. Kids can burn energy on the Playground and run on the oval, and there’s a “Wonders of Western Australia” mini golf course that’s a fun leg‑stretch for the whole family. It’s an easy place to spend an hour or two before jumping back on the road. Read more in the Buggybuddys review.
Australind and Eaton – Treendale Farm and Eaton Tavern
Treendale Farm Hotel in Australind is a fantastic modern pub designed specifically with families in mind. Located just off the highway in the Treendale estate, “The Farm” features multiple fenced and gated play areas, including a jungle gym-style indoor space that is a lifesaver on rainy days. Outside, the beer garden offers a covered soft-play area for crawlers and a larger soft-fall Playground with a boat and windmill fort for older kids to explore. With an extensive kids’ menu, all-day kitchen service from 11am to 9pm, and frequent school holiday events like waterslides and discos, it is an easy and reliable choice for a substantial meal break where the kids can truly run wild. Read the Buggybuddys review
Eaton Tavern, just 500m off Forrest Highway at Eaton, is another easy family stop when you’re heading towards Bunbury and beyond. The retro‑style dining room has a fun, diner vibe, and older kids and teens will make a beeline for the dedicated arcade room, with air hockey, console stations and classic arcade games to keep them busy while you wait for meals. Little ones are covered too, with a shaded soft‑play area for toddlers just off the courtyard. The kids’ menu has plenty of choice and includes a drink, with free ice cream on Sundays, while adults can tuck into all the pub favourites – from parmi and burgers to brisket with slaw and chips – before jumping back on the highway. Read the Buggybuddys review.
Bunbury – Bunbury Farmers Market and Koombana Foreshore
Just before you reach Bunbury proper, Bunbury Farmers Market sits right on the corner of Vittoria Road and Forrest Highway, and it’s become a classic road‑trip stop for a reason. The market champions “extreme freshness and extreme value”, working with more than 150 local growers and producers to stock everything from fruit, veg and deli goods to bakery items, desserts and grab‑and‑go “Market Made” meals. Their commercial kitchen turns out ready‑to‑eat salads, sushi, baguettes, quiches, soups and hot pies, plus barista coffee, so you can refuel fast and stock the esky in one hit. For families, it is worth noting that the market also features a Playground area, making it even easier for the kids to have a break while you shop. The Bunbury store is open seven days a week, including most public holidays. Read the Buggybuddys review
If you have time to duck into town, Koombana Foreshore in Bunbury is a brilliant place to break up the drive. The redeveloped foreshore precinct wraps around Koombana Bay with an accessible promenade, grassy areas and a large, modern Playground with flying foxes, climbing structures and water play features. Families can wander the foreshore, let the kids loose on the play equipment and make use of the picnic spots and toilets. Cafes nearby mean you can grab a coffee or an ice cream before continuing south. Read the Buggybuddys review.
Travelling on the South Western Highway
Pinjarra – Pinjarra Bakery & Café Chérie
If you’re heading inland via South Western Highway, Pinjarra is often your first natural break from Perth. The award‑winning Pinjarra Bakery, right in town, is a tried‑and‑true stop for families. Expect a huge range of pies (they’ve picked up plenty of national awards), sausage rolls, sandwiches and sweet treats, plus coffee and cold drinks. Importantly for road‑trippers with little ones, there are toilets and baby change facilities onsite, making it a very practical mid‑morning or lunch stop before you push on further south. Read more in the Buggybuddys review.
Café Chérie is a charming French-inspired patisserie on the edge of Pinjarra, set on the grounds of a picturesque former vineyard. It is a fantastic spot to stretch your legs, offering expansive lawns and a shaded wooden fort Playground that keeps the kids entertained with slides and climbing ropes. While the little ones play, you can enjoy a coffee on the deck or explore the cabinet filled with authentic French tarts, pastries, and cakes. With a menu featuring everything from crepes to croque madames, it is a sophisticated yet family-friendly stop. Read the Buggybuddys review.
Waroona – Railside Park, The Magic Fairy Garden and Drakesbrook Weir
Railside Park sits right on South Western Highway and is perfect if everyone needs a proper run around. The big windmill‑style slide is a standout for older kids, while younger ones are well catered for with a fully fenced and gated toddler area featuring a timber truck and mini slide. There is also an accessible merry‑go‑round, water play via the Dethridge wheel creek, plus a pump track and skate park for scooters and bikes. With shade, BBQs, picnic spots and toilets, it is an easy, all‑ages play break just across from the town centre. Read the Buggybuddys review.
A little further along the highway, the Magic Barn Fairy Garden is a free, fully enclosed fantasy Playground that feels like stumbling into a storybook. Kids can explore cubby houses, a pirate corner, swings, slides, bridges, bikes and see‑saws, all sprinkled with fairy doors and magical creatures to discover. The owners often put on free activities like fairy‑door painting and treasure hunts and have the cutest guinea pigs in their own “magical corner”. Inside the bright pink barn there is a cafe, gift shop and reading corner, plus a party room, making it a fun stop in its own right or a memorable detour on the way further south. Read the Buggybuddys review.
Less than ten minutes from town, Drakesbrook Weir (Lake Moyanup) offers a much more scenic pause. This pretty recreation area has lawned picnic spots, barbecues, a small nature‑style Playground and a calm stretch of water suitable for swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding in warmer months. It’s also known as important habitat for the critically endangered Noisy Scrub‑bird, so it’s a lovely place to listen for birdlife and enjoy being out of the car. Camping isn’t permitted and the site is managed as a day‑use area, but it’s a beautiful place for a picnic and a splash before continuing south. Read more in the Buggybuddys review.
Harvey – Stirling Cottage and Harvey Dam
Harvey sits roughly halfway between Perth and Margaret River, which makes it a very logical rest point. The Stirling Cottage precinct is a particular highlight. The replica 1850s cottage and gardens sit by the Harvey River and are closely linked to Australian children’s author May Gibbs, who spent part of her childhood here and is thought to have drawn inspiration for her “Snugglepot and Cuddlepie” stories from the surrounding bush and river. Today, the beautifully maintained gardens, riverside walks and on‑site tearooms make this an easy, relaxed break. You can enjoy breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea at Stirling Cottage Kitchen, browse the May Gibbs displays and visitor information, then let the kids explore the lawns and paths before you hit the road again. Read more in the Buggybuddys review.
If you’ve packed your own food, Harvey Dam is another superb picnic option. Set among landscaped lawns with views over the dam and surrounding Jarrah forest, it’s perfect for a classic roadside picnic with a walk along the dam wall and some time on the shaded Playground. Read the Buggybuddys review.
Donnybrook – Apple Fun Park and Gnomesville
Donnybrook makes a brilliant family stop, especially with a play break at the legendary Apple Fun Park and the option to detour to quirky Gnomesville in the Ferguson Valley. Right in the centre of town, Apple Fun Park is one of WA’s biggest Playgrounds, packed with equipment for all ages – from toddler slides and sand play to giant climbing towers, long slides and flying foxes for bigger kids. There are shaded areas, BBQs and picnic spots, so it’s easy to turn a quick leg‑stretch into a relaxed lunch stop before you hit the road again. Read the Buggybuddys review.
If you can spare a little extra time, Gnomesville is a wonderfully odd side trip that kids adore. Tucked in the bushland where Wellington Mill Road meets Ferguson Road, this free, community‑created “village” is home to thousands of garden gnomes scattered along pathways and boardwalks. Children love wandering the trails and spotting gnomes playing cricket, flying planes or representing schools and sporting teams. You’re welcome to add your own gnome to the collection, and with picnic tables and basic facilities on site, it makes a fun, memorable addition to a Donnybrook stop on your South West road trip. Read the Buggybuddys review.
Manjimup – Manjimup Heritage Park and The Power Up Electricity Museum
Further south again, Manjimup Heritage Park is a fantastic family stop if you’re pushing on into the Southern Forests. The park grounds are open at all hours and include one of WA’s most impressive Playgrounds, featuring a towering slide, flying fox, swings and unique timber climbing structures that nod to the region’s timber history. There’s ample lawn, barbecues, shelters and space to run. Read the Buggybuddys review.
Within the park you’ll also find the Power Up Electricity Museum, which brings the story of electricity to life with interactive exhibits, and a collection of historic buildings in the State Timber Museum and restored hamlet. According to the park’s visitor information, the museums and visitor centre generally operate from mid‑morning to mid‑afternoon, seven days a week, with slightly shorter hours on Sundays and public holidays, while the parkland itself remains accessible outside those times. Together they make Manjimup a destination in its own right rather than just a quick break. Read the Buggybuddys review.
Travelling on the Albany Highway
Williams Woolshed and The Kodja Place
Heading to the Great Southern via Albany Highway opens up another string of brilliant family stops, with Williams and Kojonup both worth planning into the drive. Roughly 160km from Perth, Williams Woolshed is a true “must‑stop” hub, bringing together a busy country cafe, coffee hut and a cluster of retail spaces selling wool garments, shoes, local produce and gifts. There’s loads of parking (including room for caravans and EV chargers) and a kids’ play area outside, so families can grab barista coffee and a proper meal while the children burn off some energy in the fresh country air. The cafe is open daily, with the Coffee Hut and shops operating extended hours, making it an easy, dependable stop on any Albany Highway run. Read the Buggybuddys review.
Further south, Kojonup makes another excellent break point before you push on to Denmark or Albany. The Kodja Place precinct combines an interactive cultural centre and rose maze with picnic spots and the Black Cockatoo Café across the road from a shaded park and Playground, giving kids space to play while adults stretch their legs and grab a bite. Around town you’ll also find Apex Park and Kojonup Park with Playgrounds and BBQs, plus bush reserves and walk trails close by – ideal for a short wander after hours in the car. Read the Buggybuddys review.
Together, Williams and Kojonup turn the Albany Highway leg from “long haul” into a relaxed, small‑town hop between kid‑friendly stops.
From giant country Playgrounds and quirky gnome villages to fairy gardens, markets and riverside picnic spots, there are so many ways to turn a straightforward drive to the South West into a mini family adventure. Building in just a couple of these stops lets kids burn off energy, keeps everyone better fed and caffeinated, and often reveals little towns you might otherwise have whizzed past. With a bit of planning, the journey becomes part of the holiday – and you may just find a few new favourite places to revisit next time you head south.
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Jennie McNichol is on a mission to prove there is always something fun to do in Perth. After 11 years in London working in the television industry for the BBC, Jennie moved to Perth in 2010 and founded Buggybuddys to silence the “nothing to do” crowd. Fifteen years later, it is the city’s number one guide for families, packed with daily inspiration and a huge focus on free local activities.
As a mum of two daughters, Jennie has evolved the site right alongside her own family—growing from a toddler-focused resource into a guide that supports parents through every stage, from the early years through to the teens. A passionate advocate for the WA lifestyle, Jennie loves helping families discover the best playgrounds, hidden gems, and budget-friendly days out in the most family-friendly city in the world.
The crooked carrot must make the shortlist! Great coffee + carrot cake, an amazing nature playground full of old tractors.
You missed Albany highway – williams and kojanup! both must stops on our winter getawats down to denmark