Places to explore by mobility scooter around Mandurah

Mandurah changes quite a bit depending on when you visit. A weekday morning on the foreshore can be quiet enough for coffee and a slow trip along the estuary. Come back in December and the city is full of Christmas lights and evening cruises. In March, Crab Fest takes over the waterfront.

That variety is part of Mandurah's appeal. You don't need to travel far between a café, the marina, wildlife, a cruise or somewhere quieter beside the estuary — and a surprising amount of it is accessible by mobility scooter.

For an easy morning: Eastern Foreshore and Mandjar Bay

For a first outing, I'd start on Mandurah Terrace.

Wood and Stone Café sits opposite the Eastern Foreshore and is a good breakfast or coffee stop before heading along the water. Visit Mandurah lists it as accessible, with easy entry and suitable table heights.

From there, the Eastern Foreshore has smooth paths along Mandjar Bay, shaded seating, lawns and plenty of places to stop. At the northern end, the route continues towards the Boardwalk and marina, so you can make it a short coffee outing or keep going if you feel like it.

There are also some unusually useful facilities for mobility scooter users here. The southern end of the foreshore has a mobility scooter charging point — bring your own charging lead — and there is an accessible toilet and Changing Places facility nearby.

And keep an eye on Mandjar Bay. Dolphins live throughout Mandurah's waterways, so they aren't something you only see on a dedicated wildlife tour.

For lunch and a longer wander: the marina

Continue north and the foreshore eventually gives way to the marina.

Dolphin Quay is better suited to a slow browse than a quick visit. The boardwalk wraps around the marina, with cafés, restaurants, shops and seating overlooking the boats. The boardwalks are wheelchair-friendly and there is an accessible toilet inside the markets.

This is where I'd stop for lunch rather than trying to pack another attraction into the day. There are plenty of choices around the marina; if you want something simple, fish and chips by the water fits Mandurah particularly well.

It's also a good starting point if you want to see more of the waterways themselves.

Mandurah Cruises runs dolphin and sightseeing cruises from Mandjar Square. Its Mandjar and Dancing Dolphin vessels accommodate wheelchairs and walking frames, although you need to advise them when booking so the appropriate vessel can be arranged.

For someone who knows Mandurah mainly from the road, a cruise is worth doing once. The canals, estuary, wetlands and waterfront homes make much more sense when you see how interconnected the waterways really are.

For something longer: stay on the water

You don't have to explore Mandurah's waterways in a couple of hours. Mandurah Houseboats has a wheelchair-friendly houseboat, Emily Louise, designed for people with reduced mobility. No Skipper’s Ticket or previous boating experience is required, with boat-specific tuition and a familiarisation trip provided before departure.

It has ramp access, wide passageways, an accessible bathroom with a wheel-in shower, and even a helm designed so a wheelchair user can steer the boat.

Hiring a houseboat turns the waterways into the holiday rather than just part of it. You can spend a few days cruising the estuary and river, stop for fishing or crabbing, cook on board and wake up somewhere different the next morning.

If you're travelling with a mobility scooter rather than a wheelchair, I would check its dimensions and weight with the operator before booking rather than assuming every scooter can be taken aboard.

Go back in December for the Christmas lights

If I had to choose one time to show someone Mandurah after dark, it would be December.

The Mandurah Christmas Lights Trail runs through the city centre, Eastern Foreshore and Ocean Marina. For 2026 it runs from 4 December to 3 January, with more than 30 light installations spread through the precinct. Because much of it follows the same central waterfront area, a mobility scooter is a practical way to see more of the displays without covering the distance on foot.

The other Mandurah Christmas tradition is seeing the decorated canal homes from the water. Christmas Lights Cruises operate from late November into early January, and accessible sailings are available on Mandjar and Dancing Dolphin. There is also a sensory-friendly sailing with reduced passenger numbers, dimmer onboard lighting and no music.

This is an outing I'd book ahead rather than leave to chance. Have an early dinner around the waterfront, then take the later cruise once the lights are properly visible.

For somewhere quieter: Coodanup and Yaburgurt Cirkelstone

When the city centre feels too busy, Coodanup gives you a completely different version of Mandurah.

The foreshore here looks across the Peel-Harvey Estuary and wetlands rather than cafés and marinas. It is also home to Yaburgurt Cirkelstone, one of Thomas Dambo's Giants of Mandurah.

Of the Giants, this is the shortest and flattest trail. It is only about 500 metres return, has no slopes and is officially graded easy. The surface is crushed limestone, so I would still consider the scooter, tyre size and recent weather before setting off — particularly after rain.

Coodanup works well when the Giant is the reason to go, rather than the whole outing. See the sculpture, spend some time beside the estuary and watch the birdlife before heading back towards town.

If you want another relatively accessible Giant, Seba's Song at Wannanup has a 1.2 km return Grade 1 trail combining bitumen and crushed limestone, with no slopes.

If you like a crowd: Crab Fest

Crab Fest is not the weekend to choose if you want a quiet trip along the foreshore.

It is, however, one of the best times to see Mandurah at full pace.

The Channel 7 Mandurah Crab Fest returns on 13–14 March 2027, bringing seafood, cooking, markets, live entertainment and activities across the waterfront. The event attracts more than 100,000 people each year, so for a mobility scooter user I'd plan the visit rather than simply arrive in the middle of the busiest period.

An early start makes sense. You get more room to move, cooler temperatures and time to stop for food before the main crowds arrive.

Crab Fest is also a good reminder that crabbing isn't just a festival theme here. Blue swimmer crabs are part of Mandurah's summer culture, and during the season you'll regularly see people crabbing along the estuary.

If you want the beach without taking your scooter onto the sand

Mandurah isn't only estuary and canals.

The ocean side is worth exploring too, but a standard mobility scooter should stay off sand. Instead, Mandurah has several locations where you can get close to the beach and use purpose-designed access equipment if needed.

At Keith Holmes Reserve, near Dolphin Quay, the City provides beach wheelchairs and a beach walker free to borrow with advance booking. Seasonal beach matting is also installed there between November and April. The Eastern Foreshore has separate aquatic and beach wheelchairs for use around Kwillena Gabi Estuary Pool.

That makes it possible for a group to spend time by the water without everyone having to use the same mobility equipment or do the same activity.

When would I go?

For a regular foreshore or marina outing, spring and autumn are hard to beat: warm enough to sit outside without the full heat of summer.

For something distinctly Mandurah, choose December for the Christmas lights or March for Crab Fest. Summer also brings more activity around the water, while a winter weekday can be surprisingly good if what you want is a quieter waterfront, coffee and lunch rather than an event.

The other thing worth knowing is that Mandurah has invested heavily in accessible facilities. There are mobility scooter recharge points around the central area, Changing Places facilities, accessible beach equipment and accessible water-based experiences.

So rather than asking simply “Where can I take a mobility scooter?”, Mandurah gives you quite a few choices depending on what kind of day you actually want.

Planning your own outings

Different mobility scooters suit different distances and surfaces. A scooter used mainly around the foreshore, marina and shops may have very different requirements from one expected to tackle longer outings or compacted trails. To learn more about different types of scooters and which best suits your lifestyle and needs, read our mobility scooter buyer's guide.

If you'd like to compare your options, visit Motobility Mandurah and tell our team where you actually want to go. We can help you find a scooter that suits the way you plan to use it.