Setting off early on the Kwinana Freeway south from Perth, allow at least 45 minutes for the journey to Rockingham, so you arrive in time for a dolphin swim or watching tour from the jetty. Tours depart daily from September to early June, and are from three to six hours, depending on dolphin activity and sightings on the day. With a string of cafes and restaurants lining Rockingham’s waterfront, lunch or afternoon tea is just a short stroll from the jetty. For more marine encounters, take the short drive south to Shoalwater Islands Marine Park. Ferries and wildlife cruises to Penguin Island operate daily between 10am and 3pm (September to June), introducing you to Western Australia’s largest colony of little penguins, as well as rare Australian sea lions and a variety of seabirds. Or, make the 20-minute drive south to Mandurah, where wild dolphins are frequently spotted year-round in the calm blue-green waters of Mandurah’s bay and connecting waterways. You can also encounter them on a short dolphin cruise. Spend the rest of your afternoon browsing the shops, galleries and cultural centres that line the city’s shoreline, or enjoy some of the many other water-based activities on offer – crabbing, fishing, swimming, kayaking, boating, bird watching... the list goes on. Dine out at a waterfront cafe or restaurant, or in true local style, tuck in to a fresh feast of fish and chips on the manicured lawns of Mandurah’s foreshore and don’t forget to keep your eye out for more dolphins in the bay. Join the Kwinana Freeway heading north from Mandurah and you’ll be back in Perth within an hour.