There’s something special about spring down south. The air’s got that gentle warmth, the kind that makes you want to wind the windows down and chase the horizon, and that’s exactly what we did for the October school holidays. Bags packed, kids buzzing, coffee in hand — Busselton, here we come.

We based ourselves in the Busselton–Dunsborough region, one of those rare places that feels equal parts adventure and calm. The days were long, golden, and full of the kind of family moments that remind you why you hit pause in the first place.

Our first stop? Getting thoroughly lost in the best way possible inside a giant maze. The boys thought it was the greatest thing ever, darting ahead while Lisa and I played the classic “pretend we know where we’re going” game. From there, it was onto a round of mini-golf, where the competition got surprisingly serious (let’s just say, there were claims of “unfair wind conditions”).

But the real highlight came out on the open water. We joined a whale-watching tour, not expecting much more than a distant glimpse or two… and ended up witnessing an hour-long show. A pod of whales decided it was their time to shine, inverted pec slapping, breaching, tail flicks, one after another, like they were putting on a private performance. Even the crew said it was rare to see that much action in one trip. We were absolutely mesmerised and honestly, a little spoiled for future tours.

As if that wasn’t enough marine magic, later that afternoon we stumbled upon our own private wildlife encounter. A spontaneous walk to a quiet beach alcove led us to a dolphin feeding right by the shore; just us, some gulls, and this incredible creature herding a school of fish in the shallows. The boys stood there in silence (a rare moment), wide-eyed and grinning.

Between all the adventures, we found time to indulge in a few local gems – some seriously underrated restaurants dishing out spectacular meals that deserved far more attention than they get. Good food, happy kids, tired smiles. That’s pretty much the recipe for a perfect family getaway.

By the end of the trip, we’d packed in mini-golf, mazes, whales, dolphins, beaches, and way too many ice creams. But more than anything, we came home full – of laughter, stories, and those small, quiet moments that make you realise these really are the good old days in the making.