Summer is just around the corner - time to activate some serious holiday planning for your family.
Being such a big country, Australia is filled with amazing family-friendly holiday destinations worth exploring.
Whether you’re a family of hikers, swimmers, beach-lovers or adrenaline seekers, there are hundreds of destinations to spend your summer holidays at this year. To inspire some early trip-planning, here are seven to get you started.
7 aussie Holiday destinations Worth Locking in FOR Summer
If your family loves getting out and exploring nature, then Victoria’s Grampians National Park is one of the best family-friendly holiday destinations in Australia.
Located three hours east of Melbourne, a popular spot to camp is Halls Gap, a gateway village offering prime access to the very best of this famous park.
5 of the Best Hikes in the Grampians
Although the Grampians are huge - no matter how long you stay you’ll never cover the entire area - there are still plenty of places you can tick off within a few days.
Most notably, the Grampians is blessed with hiking trails suited to all levels, and better yet, wandering through The Grampians will put you amongst the natural habitat of a large population of kangaroos, emus and koalas - not to mention a number of Australia's most spectacular cascading waterfalls and panoramic lookouts.
Try these hikes out for size:
Distance: 2.1km
Duration: 45 minutes to 1 hour
Difficulty: Medium
Distance: 2.4km
Duration: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Hollow Mountain is a popular spot for walkers. Credit: Parks Victoria
Distance: 2.3km
Duration: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 1km from the carpark
Duration: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Distance: 2.2km
Duration: 2 hours
Difficulty: Medium - Hard
No list of Australian summer holiday destinations would be complete without Australia’s most famous strip of beach - the Gold Coast.
With golden sand that stretches for miles, accented by high rise apartment blocks, famous theme parks and glorious hinterland walks inland, there are many reasons so many families flock to south east Queensland every summer.
Currumbin Wildlife sanctuary is full of surprises. Credit: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
By basing yourself in Nobby Beach, you can hire a car and explore the very best of what the Gold Coast has to offer.
5 family-friendly things to do on the Gold Coast
● Discover famous local beaches like Burleigh Heads, Tallebudgera Creek and Broadbeach
● Get your adrenaline-fix at Dreamworld, Warner Bros. Movie World, Sea World or Wet'n'Wild
● Explore World Heritage-listed rainforests all over the Gold Coast hinterland
● Meet native animals at a Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
● Wander through one of several beachfront markets on the weekend
Discovery - Rottnest Island is an award-winning escape from the mainland. Credit: @4boysandacaravan
25-minutes by ferry from Perth in Western Australia, Rottnest Island is one of the best family holidays to book at any time of year.
With one of Australia’s best glamping experiences on the island, you can spend days exploring what Rottnest has to offer.
Although ‘Rotto,’ as it is affectionately known, may be close to Perth, arriving here feels worlds away, even if you've been before. With white sand beaches, glistening turquoise waters and cute, friendly quokkas, there's a lot to love about Rottnest.
5 family-friendly things to do on Rottnest Island
● Hire bikes and cycle around the island
● Explore over 60 beaches and bays on glass bottom kayaks
● Meet the Quokkas
● Swim and snorkel at The Basin
● Play on the water at the Aquaplay Kids Club
Escaping from the Sydney CBD is easy with G'day.
Another one of the best family holidays to lock in this summer is a trip to arguably Australia’s most beautiful capital, Sydney.
There are a few reasons why so many families head to the east coast capital for a summer holiday, and two of the best are because Sydney is a cosmopolitan capital city and a beach town wrapped into one.
By basing yourself close to the CBD (but well away from the most intense hustle) you can spend days exploring the city streets, visiting Sydney's most famous landmarks and then head to the coast to explore popular beaches like Bondi, Bronte or Manly.
5 family-friendly things to do in Sydney
● Spot wildlife at the famous Taronga Zoo
● Enjoy the roller coasters and rides at the iconic Luna Park
● Hop on the scenic Sydney Harbour to Manly ferry
● Spend the day at one of the world's most famous beaches, Bondi
● Let the kids splash around at the Darling Quarter Playground
Tasmania has everything you could ask for in a family holiday, with dramatic landscapes, beautiful beaches, and an amazing food and wine scene.
There are so many places to stay in Tasmania, and given it’s small size, you can hire a car here and explore virtually the whole island - making it one of the best family-friendly summer holiday destinations in Australia.
5 family-friendly things to do in Tasmania
● Soak up the stunning views atop Mount Wellington
● Explore Bruny Island for the day
● Beach hop in Freycinet National Park
● Experience the majesty of Cradle Mountain
● Swim at the Bay of Fires
Reachable by ferry off the coast of South Australia, Kangaroo Island is one of the best places for a family summer holiday. especially if your crew loves wildlife.
Literally a natural playground that’s home to stunning scenery and easily accessible nature, what makes Kangaroo Island one of Australia's most underated family-friendly holiday destinations is the amount of raw wildlife on its doorstep.
For example, you’re likely to see more kangaroos and koalas than cars on Kangaroo Island; the local penguin and seal populations are thriving, and 'KI's' remote location means a wide variety of bird life calls it home.
5 family-friendly things to do on Kangaroo IslanD
● Wander Seal Bay where sea lions sleep
● Hop on a tour to swim with wild dolphins
● Glide down the sand dunes of Little Sahara
● Visit Emu Bay Lavender farm
● Stargaze in Flinders Chase National Park
Perhaps one of the more off-the-radar family holiday destinations to visit this summer is Wye River in Victoria.
Although the nearest G’day Park is at Kennett River, the seven-minute drive along the Great Ocean Road to Wye River is one of the most beautiful short drives in the country. The coastal town of Wye River has long been considered a treasure in summer, and copntinues to draw visitors from all over the country.
Surrounded by the Great Otway National Park, Wye River is a great place for families to enjoy the beach and the national park, while remaining close to the sea.
5 family-friendly things to do in Wye River
● Otway Fly Tree-Top walk, the world’s highest elevated walkway of its kind
● Visit Hopetoun and Triplet Falls
● Drive the Great Ocean Road
● Enjoy unforgettable food and wine experiences
● Explore the Wye River beach rock pools
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