Check out Seal Bay Conservation Park during your trip to Kangaroo Island. Photo / Tourism Australia
Check out Seal Bay Conservation Park during your trip to Kangaroo Island. Photo / Tourism Australia
Impressing your kids doesn’t have to mean jetting off to a distant locale — in fact, planning the ultimate family holiday can mean staying much closer to home than you think, writes Jessica Wynne Lockhart
Here are 10 destinations across New Zealand and Australia that are redefining family vacations and making sure your next holiday will be one that won’t soon be forgotten.
Great Ocean Road, Victoria
This is the ultimate Australian road trip, but make no mistake: The 243km-long Great Ocean Road is about adventuring — not about being cooped up in a car. Stretching from Torquay to Allansford, it offers plenty of opportunities to get out and meet the locals — like the koalas at Kennett River or the wild emus that wander through the extinct volcanic crater of Tower Hill. Required watching before you arrive in Warrnambool is Oddball. Based on a true story, it’s a film about the exploits of a mischievous dog who saves the town’s population of Little Blue Penguins. Although you can’t visit the penguins, you can visit filming sites from the movie, including the family-friendly Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village.
Stop by Surfworld Museum in Torquay before hitting the Great Ocean Road. Photo / Visit Victoria
The Ruapehu region may be renowned for its winter skiing and summer cycling, but even if you arrive during the shoulder season or aren’t athletically inclined, it offers up surprises to delight visitors of all ages, with plenty of free activities. Your first stop should be at Ohakune’s Carrot Adventure Park. The world’s tallest carrot and the brand-new carrot rocket (also the world’s largest) will capture your kids’ attention, but they’ll want to stay to zoom on scooters along the walking trails, play on the assault course, or whiz down the flying fox. Then, head over to Nevalea Alpacas to picnic with or pat the alpacas or book a horse ride with views of the mountains at Ruapehu Homestead. Add in world-class walking and cycling tracks, canoe and jetboat adventures, and two national parks to explore, and you’ll have a tough time deciding exactly how to spend the rest of your holiday.
Get up close with the alpacas at Nevalea Alpacas. Photo / Visit Ruapehu
Darwin, Northern Territory
If you’re looking for a midwinter getaway, don’t look any further than Darwin, where the weather is tropical and balmy all year round, and there’s a rich combination of nature, intercultural experiences, and fun attractions to be found. Although the population of resident crocodiles mean you won’t be diving into the ocean, they won’t put a damper on your beach vacay. It simply means you’ll be cooling off in the 4000sq m Wave Pool on Darwin’s waterfront — or admiring the beasts themselves at Crocosaurus Cove, home to the world’s largest display of Australian reptiles. Brave parents and older kids can come face-to-face with the fearsome creatures in “The Cage of Death”, where they’ll spend 15 minutes in an underwater pen with an adult crocodile. Reptile-loving kids will also be thrilled to witness flatback and Olive Ridley sea turtles digging their nests at Bare Sand Island — or spotting snakes and lizards in the wild on a day trip to Litchfield National Park, which also boasts thundering waterfalls, swimmable waterholes, and enormous termite mounds.
Catch a wave at Darwin's coolest Waterfront attraction: the Wave Pool. Photo / Tourism NT
Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Looking for all the sand and sunshine that the Gold Coast has to offer — but theme parks just aren’t your thing? Look no further (north) than the Sunshine Coast. Known for its affordable beachside holiday rentals, this stretch of South East Queensland also has plenty to keep your family entertained on rainy days, with attractions for all ages, from the camel cuddles at QCamel, to train rides at Yandina’s Ginger Factory. Meanwhile, even teens love Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo, which is home to the new Crocodile Hunter Lodge, with its family-friendly rustic cabins and 25-metre infinity pool. And if the kids do beg you to go to a theme park, there’s always Aussie World. Although it’s far less flashy than its southern neighbours, it’s also more affordable — and its compact size means you can let kids run amok without losing sight of them.
Check out the Crocodile Hunter Lodge at Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo. Photo / Australia Zoo
Nelson, New Zealand
You might think Nelson is all very adult, with its wine-tasting and art galleries. Think again. Case in point is Tasman’s Jester House Cafe. Entering its garden will have you exercising your childhood muscles; you’ll feel the long-forgotten but familiar tingle of your imagination igniting as you wander through a menagerie of animals carved in wood, or gaze at the giant boot just beyond. But that’s not where the fairytale adventures end in this sunny region: In Nelson, there’s Pic’s Peanut Butter World (where you can take a free factory tour geared to families), Cable Bay Adventure Park (home to the World’s Largest Flying Fox) and the Nelson Fun Park (with bumper boats, a hydroslide, and mini golf).
Get your thirlls at Cable Bay Adventure Park. Photo / nelsontasman.nz
Gold Coast, Queensland
A holiday to the Gold Coast is a no-brainer, which is probably why it’s remained such a firm family favourite for decades. First off, it’s just a 3.5-hour non-stop flight from Auckland. Second, it has some of the best beaches in Australia, with 70 kilometres of golden-hued sand lapped by turquoise waters to explore, much of it patrolled by lifeguards. Then there are the theme parks: Sea World, Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World, and WhiteWater World. Finding a place to stay is easy, too, with resorts and holiday parks catering well for young families with a range of budgets. As if that isn’t enough, those looking for a more laid-back nature experience will find it high in the hinterlands at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park. Children will delight as king parrots and crimson rosellas land on their head — a photo you’ll likely want to frame. From the beach to the bush and back again, you’ll find it all on the Gold Coast.
Discover nature high in the hinterlands at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park. Photo / Destination Gold Coast
Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Another sure-to-please destination for your critter-obsessed kids is Kangaroo Island, which accurately bills itself as a zoo without fences. There are no bells and whistle here — this is simply a chance to spot all your favourite Australian species in the wild, and maybe some you didn’t even know existed. Although the island was ravaged by fire in 2020, it has demonstrated its resilience in both the regrowth and resurgence of its plant and animal life. As you drive across the island, you’ll see mobs of kangaroos and wallabies hopping across fields or soaking in the sun. At Seal Bay, you’ll witness one of the country’s largest breeding colonies of Australian sea lions. Even koalas, echidnas, and platypus reside here. Bring your binoculars — not that you’ll need them.
Check out Seal Bay Conservation Park during your trip to Kangaroo Island. Photo / Tourism Australia
Ōamaru, New Zealand
Want to take the kids to Europe, but not willing to brave the multi-day trip to get there? We don’t blame you. Luckily, a little slice of the Old World can be found right in New Zealand, just 90 minutes out of Dunedin. Enter Oamaru’s Victorian Precinct and you’ll be transported across the ocean — or back in time, depending on how you look at it. Kids can play dress-ups at Whitestone City, where they’ll be outfitted in a costume of the era, or drop a couple of gold coins into the massive mechanical sculptures outside the Steampunk HQ and watch them come to life. In Friendly Bay, you’ll find one of the coolest playgrounds in the country, with its futuristic slide, penny-farthing swings, and elephant slide. Friendly Bay is also home to the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony, whose cute inhabitants return to their homes at night after a day at sea. There’s no question: Oamaru serves up its history with a serious side of fun.
Little penguins/Kororā arrive ashore at dusk at the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony. Photo / Supplied.
Magnetic Island, Queensland
Queensland is renowned for its island resorts — but there’s one that’s probably not on your radar. An Australian family go-to for decades, Magnetic (“Maggie”) Island is just a 20-minute ferry ride off the coast of Townsville. An accessible and affordable oasis, the island has 23 beaches, plenty of self-contained accommodation and heaps of wildlife. If your kids love all things furry and cute, they’ll find it here. Rock wallabies are known to frequent the old barge jetty at Arcadia Bay, koalas sleep in the gum trees high above, humpback whales can be seen swimming past, and butterflies can be found along the easy 15-minute Butterfly Walk. And that’s not even making mention of the beginner-friendly snorkelling trail, where you have the chance of spotting sea turtles amongst the colourful coral.
Blue Mountains, New South Wales
For families who love the outdoors and nature, the Blue Mountains is an idyllic destination just a two-hour train ride from Sydney. In addition to the countless free bushwalks — where you’re likely to hear lyrebirds calling — the quaint mountain villages of Katoomba and Leura and their surrounds have a range of attractions for all ages. Adventurous kids will love exploring the depths of the Jenolan caves, or riding along the cable car at Scenic World, the world’s steepest passenger railway. Late in 2023, the ancient rainforest it travels above will also become home to prehistoric creatures, when Dinosaur Valley returns to the park. Kids will have the opportunity to dig up fossils, play on the Jurassic Jungle Gym, boogie in a dino disco, or marvel at the life-sized dinosaurs hidden along Fossil Alley.
