- Duration
- ~50 min train + local bus, the rest on foot, 7–8 hours (≈ 6 h 17 min: moving and stop time only)
- Who it suits
- With kids
- Transport
- walk
- Start
- Tods Cafe, The Boardwalk
- Finish
- Mandjar Square and the bay at sunset
- Pace
- relaxed pace
- Best time
- Year-round; Kwillena Gabi swimming is best December–March. Leave Perth around 8:30 to be at the jetty by 10:45 for the 11am cruise. Dolphins live in the estuary year-round, but they are wild
- Budget per adult
- Giant & Dolphin cruise A$79 adult, A$44 child 3–15 (under 3 free); cheaper Dolphin Cruise & Views A$44 / A$24, families from A$93. Train A$3.15 contactless (3 hours incl. bus), free on Sundays. Playground and Kwillena Gabi pool free. Prices checked October 2026, lunch extraPrices as of: July 2026; transport and zoo prices October 2026
Getting there
Transperth Mandurah line from Elizabeth Quay or Perth Underground to the Mandurah terminus, under an hour; then bus 588 or 589 to the foreshore (your train ticket covers it) or a taxi. By car ~75 km via the Kwinana Fwy, free all-day parking at the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre / Reading Cinema car park on Ormsby Terrace
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
- Snack
1. Tods Cafe, The Boardwalk~35 min at the stop
A cafe on the Boardwalk overlooking Mandjar Bay: coffee, all-day breakfast, toasties and a kids' menu. An easy start while the kids watch the boats.
Tip: Open daily 7am–5pm, closed Christmas and Boxing Day. 73 Mandurah Terrace. The Visitor Centre next door (75 Mandurah Terrace, 9am–4pm) has the Giants map.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 3 min · 0.2 km
- For kids
2. Eastern Foreshore playground~35 min at the stop
A fenced, nautical-themed playground nodding to Mandurah's crabbing heritage: a crab-scoop climbing frame, a big slide on a buoy tower, a rowboat, ship's wheel and telescopes, plus the much-loved yellow boat from the old playground.
Tip: Free and accessible, with toilets, picnic shelters and BBQs nearby. Only part-shaded, so bring hats.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 4 min · 0.3 km
3. Mandurah Cruises Giant & Dolphin Sightseeing Cruise~2 h 30 min at the stop
Two and a half hours on the Peel estuary and canals: bottlenose dolphins and Seba's Song, a recycled-timber giant by Danish artist Thomas Dambo that faces the water, so its front is only visible by boat.
Worth knowing: Mandurah has five Dambo giants plus one in Subiaco; the secret one, Jyttes Hytte, is revealed only by an online code-breaker.
Tip: Departs 11am from the Mandurah Cruises jetty, Mandjar Square (in front of the Performing Arts Centre); arrive 15 minutes early and check operating days on the booking calendar. With small kids pick the Dolphin Cruise & Views instead: 1 h 15 min, daily at 10am, 11:30am, 1:30pm and 3pm, with a Dolphin Guarantee (free rebooking if none are seen).
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 2 min · 0.1 km
- Lunch
4. Cicerello's Mandurah~1 h at the stop
The waterfront outpost of the Fremantle fish-and-chips institution: classic fish and chips, grilled fish and local seafood including crabs, crayfish and prawns, with homemade ice cream and waffles for dessert.
Worth knowing: Cicerello's traces its roots to 1903 and a family of fishing pioneers.
Tip: Open daily 10:15am–8pm. Mandurah is famous for blue manna crabs, so ask if they're on today. Take an ice cream to go for the pool.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 7 min · 0.5 km
- Swim
5. Kwillena Gabi Pool~45 min at the stop
A circular estuary pool made of floating pontoons, with a wheelchair ramp. There are no nets, so dolphins sometimes swim through; the Noongar name means 'dolphin waters'.
Tip: Free. Depth reaches almost 4.5 m and lifeguards are not on regular duty: kids only with an adult, in vests if not strong swimmers. In October the water is cool, so just walk the pontoons.
Open on the map ↗↓ walk · 6 min · 0.5 km
6. Mandjar Square and the bay at sunset~30 min at the stop
The square by the Performing Arts Centre on Mandjar Bay: pelicans on the jetties, yachts and the sunset over the water, with buses 588 and 589 back to the station.
Tip: Check return train times in the Transperth Journey Planner; Sunday travel is free with SmartRider or contactless.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.