Gascoyne tourism experiences named among best in Australia-wide under 13’s travel bucket list

Just a week ahead of the winter school holidays, two Gascoyne tourism experiences have been named among the best in the country for those under the age of 13.

Announced on Tuesday, the inaugural Wotif Aussie kids bucket list revealed children from across Australia consider swimming with whale sharks in Ningaloo and meeting the dolphins in Monkey Mia were among the definitive list of 13 things to do before you turn 13.

After polling close to 2000 nominations from children, the Australian travel site released the bucket list to inspire families as they plan their next trip.

Monkey Mia reserve officer Amy Trezona said it came as little surprise the Shark Bay tourism experience was a favourite for the nation’s children.

“It’s such a unique and personal experience for people to get up close with wildlife in their natural environment,” she said.

“There’s not many places in the world you can experience something like this.”

She said the dolphin experience operators were proud to offers people to meet and learn about the incredible mammals and was a great educational tool.

“We’ve had a fantastic start to the tourism season here, Shark Bay is buzzing and with the easing COVID-19 restrictions, every tourism operator is able to show the best of this World Heritage Area,” she said.

Wotif managing director Daniel Finch said the results showed Australia’s children looking for the adventurous, quirky and educational experiences.

“We want to inspire families to get exploring and look for education outside of the classroom,” he said.

“Australia has some of the world’s best wildlife experiences and Western Australia offers some of the most incredible wildlife encounters in the country — whether it’s swimming with whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef, meeting the Quokkas on Rottnest and dolphins in Monkey Mia — people from all over the world come to see these incredible experiences.”