Your Ultimate Guide To Seeing The Giants Of Mandurah And More

Seaside getaways are a dime a dozen in Western Australia. But none have quite the same charm as Mandurah.

Mandurah is an outer-metro region rippled with canals, wetlands, and gaping bays. The lifestyle here is unhurried, with visitors and residents leaning heavily into boating, camping, and fishing. It feels nostalgic, reminiscent of those ice cream-filled family getaways of your childhood – and it’s become famous for the incredible Giants of Mandurah .

Mandurah aerial — Relax into the laid-back lifestyle on Mandurah. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Danish recycle artist Thomas Dambo has installed five large-scale art pieces – known as the Giants of Mandurah – around the region (and one more in Subiaco) in an Australian-first outdoor exhibition. Heading out on the interactive trail to find them is a great excuse to get out and about in the city, exploring the natural landscapes and many meandering waterways.

How to get to Mandurah:

Mandurah is just 70km south of the Perth CBD, a 50-minute drive along the Kwinana Freeway or a 55-minute train from the Perth Underground Train Station. It’s ideally located en route to the Margaret River Region.

Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone Giant, giants of mandurah — Marvel at the Giants of Mandurah, like Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone Giant. (Image: Visit Mandurah)

If you have one day:

Twenty-four hours mightn’t seem so long, but there’s plenty you can pack in on a one-dayer. Start with the hunt for Giants of Mandurah, ticking off two of the most easily accessible installations, Santi Ikto and Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone.

The bushy-bearded Santi Ikto sits cross-legged at Halls Head, a 10-minute drive from the Mandurah Visitor Centre and your starting point on the Giant hunt. Follow the bitumen path from the car park and through the dunes to find him, enjoying the coastal wildflowers and ocean views as you wander.

Santi Ikto Giant, giants of mandurah — Find Santi Ikto Giant at Halls Head. (Image: Visit Mandurah)

Another 10 minutes in the car, and you’ll be at Coodanup Foreshore, where the friendly-faced Yaburgurt Winjan Cirkelstone lies, the newest of the five pieces. It’s just around the corner from the 29-hectare Creery Wetlands: a marshy habitat for some 22 species of migratory shorebirds and native quendas.

Cycling between the Giants is also an option, just hire an e-bike or electric scooter from The Bike Kiosk , also conveniently located at the Mandurah Visitor Centre. Book in on their three-hour Ride the Giants or 4.5-hour Big Kahuna tour, and you’ll get the lay of the land as you go.

The Bike Kiosk e-bike tour, Mandurah — Book a three-hour Ride the Giants tour with The Bike Kiosk. (Images: Visit Mandurah)

If you’re hoping to see more in a day, hop aboard a coach tour to see all five giants without the need to navigate for yourself. There are several options, which you can find here .

Drop the bikes back, or farewell your bus tour, and make a beeline for dinner at Boundary Island Brewery . Keep it light with a chorizo and squid duo and some local chilli mussels to share. Or, dive straight into their extensive pizza menu and a pint of one of their Australian International Beer Award -winning brews.

If you have two days:

Ramp up the giant hunt and add another two to the list for your second day in Mandurah. Finding Little Lui will take you to swampland at Marlee Reserve, 10 minutes north of town. Head off in the early morning, parking in the small carpark off Marlee Road and following the signposted track 20 minutes into the heart of the reserve to the seated Giant. He’s propped up against a naturally fallen tree, the roots of which make up part of his unruly mane.

Little Lui, giants of mandurah — Wander through Marlee Reserve to find Little Lui. (Image: Visit Mandurah)

Rather than walking out to see Seba’s Song perched on the rocky Wannanup/Dawesville Channel Groyne, join a Soulmate Charters’ Scenic Cruise and see it from the water. It’s the only way to get a front-on view of the installation. The cruise leaves from the Port Bouvard Marina each hour, making its way up the Port Bouvard Channel, to the giant and back, in 45 minutes.

Seba's Song, giants of mandurah — Join a Soulmate Charters’ Scenic Cruise to spot Seba’s Song. (Image: Visit Mandurah)

For a longer, more sumptuous day on the water, hop aboard Mandurah Cruises’ Wild Seafood Experience , which meanders through Mandurah’s inland waterways for 3.5 hours. As you cruise, Howard Park sparkling in hand, no less than seven blue manna crab and crayfish-laden courses will be served, the menu designed by ex-Cape Lodge chef Tony Howell.

If you’re still hungry after seven courses, stop in at Brewvino – home of Mandurah’s best steaks – for one last dinner. Dine on a grass-fed beef rib eye, or a loaded seafood linguine with unparalleled views of Mandjar Bay.

If you have three days:

Start the morning gently with an hour on Mandurah’s glassy waterways. A pitstop at the WA Gold Plate Award-winning Wood & Stone Cafe for a bacon, chilli, and mushroom scramble or their delectable pancakes is the perfect precursor to your Mandurah Cruises Dolphin Cruise embarkation at 10.00am. It’s a succinct tour, but dolphin sightings are almost immediate, the experienced guides heading straight out to the regular hotspots.

Wood & Stone Cafe, mandurah — Fuel up for the day at Wood & Stone Cafe. (Image: Visit Mandurah)

If you’d prefer to be your own skipper, hire a vessel or kayak from Mandurah Boat Hire to navigate the canals. Another option is having a unique houseboat holiday (with a minimum hire of three days and two nights) and call the Murray River home.

Those heading onwards to Margaret River after Mandurah can see the fifth and final Giant on the way down. Jyttes Hytte and his spear stand guard at a secret location in the Yalgorup National Park, the Swan Coastal Plain’s largest national park, just a half-hour drive south of Mandurah. But don’t just make a beeline for Jyttes, there’s plenty to be seen in and around this 12,888-hectare RAMSAR-recognised wetland system.

Jyttes Hytte, giants of mandurah — Seek out Jyttes Hytte standing guard at a secret location. (Image: Visit Mandurah)

Some 10 lakes span the national park, a thriving natural habitat for migratory waterbirds, kangaroos, and wallabies. The most renowned lake, Lake Clifton, is home to a more unique species: the otherworldly thrombolites. Follow the boardwalk out atop the 2,000-year-old living rocks and marvel at their form before stopping in at the nearby Thorny Devil Brewery for a sampler of their Kakadu Plum sour or Choc-Maple imperial stout. It makes for a fitting finale to your time in Mandurah.

Lake Clifton, Yalgorup National Park — Take your time to enjoy Yalgorup National Park. (Image: Visit Mandurah)

WA might be enormous, but the right insider knowledge brings its mysteries a whole lot closer.

“Western Australia is a land of record-breakers,” says Carolyn Tipper, a Travel Director working on AAT Kings Western Australia tours. “It has the second-longest fault line, the second-largest meteorite crater, the second-fastest flowing river—it just keeps surprising you. And every area has its charm.”

From tropics to deserts, Australia’s largest state is a land of extremes. You can’t see all of Western Australia in a lifetime, but with the right guide, you can discover its hidden pockets of magic.

Carolyn wishes to reach her guests’ hearts. “I want them to enjoy and be in awe,” she says. “I want them to have the holiday of a lifetime.”

1. Mimbi Caves

You wouldn’t expect a Great Barrier Reef in the outback – but that’s what you’ll find at Mimbi Caves. Once part of a 350-million-year-old reef, these caves hold marine fossils, ancient Indigenous rock art, and Dreamtime stories shared by a Gooniyandi guide.

“That’s when the real connection happens,” says Carolyn, who has taken guests through on the AAT Kings Wonders of the West Coast and Kimberley tour . “When guests connect, not just with the land, but with the people who have called it home for tens of thousands of years.”

Eye-level view of traveller exploring Mimbi Caves. — Walk through ancient limestone passages. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

2. Kalbarri National Park

Nothing prepares you for the Kalbarri Skywalk: a 25-metre platform jutting over Murchison Gorge, 100 metres above the red cliffs and river below. From July to October, join the AAT Kings Untamed Pilbara and West Coast tour to see over 1000 wildflower species paint the park, and listen as an Indigenous guide shares their uses, bush foods and medicine plants.

“I want our guests to have an emotional experience,” says Carolyn. “It’s not just about seeing the land, it’s about stepping into the stories.”

An aerial view of the Kalbarri Skywalk, one of the secret places in Western Australia, with visitors on the edge. — Stand on the Kalbarri Skywalk in Western Australia. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

3. Hamelin Bay Wines

Margaret River isn’t just a top wine region – it’s a winner in every category. Where the Indian and Southern Oceans collide, granite cliffs rise, limestone caves sprawl and Karri forests tower. It almost distracts from the world-class Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

Almost.

Out of over 100 cellar doors, AAT Kings pick Hamelin Bay Wines as a favourite. Hosted tastings of small-batch wines on the Western Wonderland tour end with a group meal. The menu shifting with the seasons.

“Get off the beaten track to one of WA’s most relaxed venues for some amazing red and white signature wines,” explains Carolyn, “accompanied with upmarket pub food.”

Spectacular views.

A person raising a glass of Chardonnay against a glowing Western Australia sunset. — Sip world-class wines at Hamelin Bay in Western Australia. (Image: Getty)

4. Wildflower Guided Walk, Kings Park

Western Australia is home to 12,000 native plant species – 3000 bloom in Kings Park’s Botanic Garden. Stroll past Kangaroo Paw, Banksia and blooms from the Goldfields, Stirling Ranges and Kimberley. “The diversity of Western Australia is immense,” says Carolyn, who leads guests through on the South Western Escape tour .

Couple enjoying the view from the Lotterywest Federation walkway at Kings Park and Botanical Garden. — Wander among thousands of native plant species. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

5. Hoochery Distillery

Did you know that between Kununurra and Emma Gorge lies the state’s oldest continuously operating distillery? Well, the oldest legal one. Set on a family farm, Hoochery Distillery was hand-built using materials found on the property, conjuring up award-winning rum from local sugarcane, wet season rainwater and yeast.

Today, visitors can sample a hearty nip of rum, along with whiskies and gins – all crafted using traditional, labour-intensive methods. It’s the ideal way to soak up the ‘spirit’ of the Kimberley on the AAT Kings’ Untamed Kimberley tour .

People enjoying a rum tasting at one of the secret places in Western Australia. — Sample award-winning rum. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

6. Geraldton

The wildflowers of the Midwest will make your heart blossom. In Geraldton, the Helen Ansell Art Gallery brings the region’s botanicals to life in vivid colour and intricate detail. In nearby Mullewa, wander bushland trails lined with everlastings and native blooms. Further afield, Coalseam Conservation Park bursts into carpets of pink, white, and yellow each spring. Do it all on the Wildflower Wanderer tour with AAT Kings.

woman walking through Wildflowers, Coalseam Conservation Park — Chase vibrant wildflower trails. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

7. El Questro

Wake up after a night under the stars at Emma Gorge Resort, ready to explore the mighty beauty of the El Questro Wilderness Park. With deep gorges, thermal springs, and cascading waterfalls, time slows here.

Join the AAT Kings’ Wonders of the West Coast and Kimberley tour to drift through Chamberlain Gorge, where sheer sandstone walls glow burnt orange in the sun, archer fish flick at the surface, and rock wallabies peer down from ledges above. Then, step into Zebedee Springs, a secret oasis of warm, crystal-clear pools among prehistoric Livistona palms – a moment of pure, wild stillness.

Emma Gorge Resort at El Questro. — Wake to adventure at Emma Gorge Resort. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

8. Lake Argyle

Once vast cattle country, Lake Argyle now sprawls like an inland sea – Western Australia’s largest freshwater lake, created by the damming of the Ord River. Scattered with over 70 islands, its glassy waters teem with life, like freshwater crocodiles, barramundi, bony bream, sleepy cod and over 240 bird species. That’s nearly a third of Australia’s avian population.

Glide across the lake’s surface on a cruise as part of AAT Kings’ Untamed Kimberley tour , where the silence is only broken by the splash of fish and the call of birds. For Carolyn, this place is a perfect example of how WA’s landscapes surprise visitors. “Lake Argyle is a big puddle of water that became a game-changer,” she says. “Seeing it from a boat, coach, and plane is mind-blowing. It puts time, isolation and the sheer scale into perspective.”

Aerial View of Triple J Tours on the Ord River, near Kununurra. — Glide past islands on Western Australia’s largest freshwater lake. (Image: Western Australia)

Discover more of Western Australia’s hidden gems and book your tour at aatkings.com.

Your ultimate guide to seeing the Giants of Mandurah and more