Rainy day fun for families

You don’t want to brave the weather, but you still want to enjoy your time in the Margaret River Region. Thankfully there are lots of fun and family friendly places you can visit, no matter what the weather is like.

Here are some awesome indoor activities the whole family can enjoy.

Located in the heart of Metricup, Wow Illusions is a must-see, must-do when visiting the region with (or without) kids. You’ll find incredible 3D art, a mirror maze, life size pin art and the world’s wackiest toilet and plenty more that’ll leave anyone visiting in a cackle.

Get ready to spend a curious day in the world of the weird and wonderful, then go on and fuel up with delicious cake and hot drinks, fruity ice cream, or blend your own muesli in the Gift Shop & Café. For kids and parents who aren’t afraid of a little rain, there’s the big outdoor playground to explore too.

There is so much to do at Country Life Farm in Dunsborough you could easily spend the whole day there. They have the biggest indoor play centre in the Margaret River Region with toys for babies and toddlers, play equipment for big kids, a TV, seating and complimentary tea and coffee for mum and dad. To use the play centre your kids must wear socks, if you forgot to bring some you can buy some cheap ones from the front counter.

There are a few attractions at Country Life Farm that are also undercover like the Dodgem Cars, Giant Bouncy Castle and Guinea Pig, Chicken and Rabbit petting shed.

Outside there many farm animals waiting to be pat and fed. On arrival, you will receive a bucket of carrots and you can walk around at your own pace feeding alpacas, ponies, goats, sheep, donkeys, llamas and more.

When visiting Country Life Farm it’s a good idea to dress like you are going to a farm, with flat enclosed shoes and clothes you don’t mind getting a bit dirty.

If you are looking to do something fun, interactive and educational with the kids bring them to Discover Deadly in Carbunup. They have over 40 different species including snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, goannas, a crocodile and more.

Definitely try to plan your visit around one of the reptile feeding sessions, or for the full experience book in to be a ‘Reptile Keeper For A Day’ and take part in cleaning, feeding, and handling some of their reptiles under the watchful eye of their experienced senior keepers.

This is a fantastic indoor activity that will have kids mesmerised while learning about our incredible native wildlife, and the barista-made coffee from the on-site café (open until 2pm) is very welcome by the adults.

A chocolate lover’s paradise, Margaret River Chocolate Company is the perfect place to visit when the rain sets in. When you first walk in the tantalising smell of chocolate wafts into your nose and your eyes will widen at the sight of all the different kinds of chocolate on offer.

The tables and shelves are stacked high with every type of chocolate-touched product you could imagine. A viewing room allows you to watch delicious sweet treats being handmade by chocolate artisans right in front of you.

The Margaret River Chocolate Company has an amazing café featuring chocolate fondue, mousse and other treats made with their luxurious chocolate.

Their legendary hot chocolates and baby chinos are made with chocolate drops that you stir into the warm milk. Outside there is grass and a small nature-based playground to run off all that sugar.

Yallingup Galleries is situated on a beautiful 1.5 acre bush block of gum trees with many varieties of native plants and flowers. It is home to a wide range of bird life, marsupials, reptiles and insects; and a trail meanders its way from the car park around the perimeter and into the gallery.

They’ve recently opened their new outdoor sculpture trail, a trail filled with beautiful and interesting sculptures by Australian artists. This is definitely worth chucking your gum boots on and defying a little shower for, the glorious smell from the gum trees and native plants after a little rain only elevates the experience.

The Yallingup Maze is a great place to visit no matter what the weather is like.

Outside there is a large timber maze, award winning 18-hole mini golf course, nature-based playground, traditional playground, sporting equipment, a few unique smaller mazes and lots of room to run around.

Inside there is a heated Puzzle Café featuring lots of fun and educational puzzles and games for people aged 0 – 100. These games and puzzles are unique and have been handpicked by the family that runs the Yallingup Maze. They come with instructional booklets and the friendly staff is happy to help.

This indoor gem is perfect for little ninjas between 1-12 years old who like to run, jump, throw, hang, spin, slide, and crawl in a huge play area! With a Soft Playground and Ninja Zone making up for some 500m2 of action-filled space, Ninjas In Mocean is waiting with hours of endless fun for the entire family to enjoy.

The soft playground has a wave slide, tube slide, ball pit, trampoline, steppingstones, spin plate and a crawl tunnel, and a separate toddler area right by the cafe will keep the little ones happy.

The Ninja Zone has three specially made ninja rigs, testing their strength, balance, agility and coordination. This space is forever growing and changing with all your favourite obstacles – rings, cannonball alley, rope swings, peg board, ninja steps, wing nuts and cliffhangers, to name a few. They also offer before and after school classes for kids who would like to develop their ninja skills.

But perhaps the icing on the cake, parents and guardians are welcome to enjoy equipment with their kids or stay in the cafe with coffee, drinks and snacks at hand, all while the little ninjas tire themselves out.

We love going to the movies, especially on rainy days. The Orana Cinemas in Busselton is very family friendly and features movies for all ages, a full candy bar, a Mums & Bubs discounted ticket on certain days, an elevator and baby change facilities. Movie and popcorn, anyone?

Over the road, the newly opened Reading Cinemas at Busselton Central screens all the latest movies and if you’re further south, Margaret River HEART – Nala Bardip Mia offers a diverse program for all ages and interests.

The 29-year-old giant hedge maze at A Maze’n Margaret River will keep you sheltered from any light drizzle of rain. Once you’ve completed the giant maze, there are many other mazes to lose yourself (and the kids for just a moment), a playground, outdoor games and puzzles, giant chess, draughts, Jenga and more.

In between showers, tee off on the 18-hole mini golf course or wander through 5 hectares of breathtaking gardens before lunch in the A Maze’n Cafe.

Immerse yourself in The Mermaid’s Cave & Cafe, not the rain. Just 600m from the Busselton Jetty, step inside an extraordinary world with an impressive sea shells collection, captivating aquariums and a treasure trove of a gift shop – everything you need to play mermaids for the day.

Get up close to the resident Eel Kevin and Pufferfish Karen with microscopes are readily available.

Next door is The Mermaid’s Cafe a unique and very family-friendly cafe and a delicious menu featuring ice cream from Millers Ice Creamery, ice-cold bubble teas, loaded pancakes & baked potatoes and more.

You’ll find everything you need to keep the kiddos entertained at Origins Market, Busselton.

Their all-weather venue is perfect for families to gather, play and learn and there really is something for all ages. This is the market where kids can be kids, grown-ups can do adult stuff (such as drink coffee and taste wine) and everyone’s happy.

Rain or no rain, they host a variety of kids’ workshops (especially during the school holidays) just make sure to book in advance, a small token fee usually applies.

Throughout the year, kids can enjoy the awesome indoor nature-based playground for a clamber, massive artwork, watch the beehive and try to spot the Queen B, meet the face painting fairy on weekends, and all the gelato, cakes, sours boys and milkshake you can possibly imagine under one roof.

When the weather takes a turn the best thing to do is head underground. There are four different ‘show caves’ open to the public in the Margaret River Region, each with its unique drawcards.

If you have older kids then Jewel Cave in Augusta or Lake Cave in Boranup is a great activity and includes a one-hour fully guided tour into the depths of the cave. Younger kids might prefer Ngilgi or Mammoth Cave, which are semi-guided and self-guided respectively.

For more information on each cave check out this blog post Which Cave is Best For Me.

Big4 Taunton Farm Holiday Park in Cowaramup is a fantastic place to stay while you are visiting the Margaret River Region. They have accommodation options ranging from camping & caravan sites to fully self-contained family-sized chalets.

Their chalets have everything you might need, and so does the park facilities with a lovely playground and massive bouncy pillow. One of the major highlights during your stay will likely also the farm animal feeding, and roasting marshmallows over the campfire in true winter cosiness.