Australia family-friendly travel guide

The best time to visit is largely dependent on the region you are travelling to.

High Season is the summer, between November and February. This is the time of local summer holidays, busy beaches and cricket (and also wet season in the Top End). You’ll find heaps to do in terms of music and film festivals, plus heaps of kid-friendly events running through this period. Big-city accommodation is considerably more expensive in this time.

Shoulder Season (Mar−May & Sep−Nov) generally experiences amiable weather and considerably shorter queues and lower prices. The Easter holidays in late March/ early April are a peak period, with Australian holidays in this period. In Autumn, beautiful tones of warm reds and oranges abound in Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia in particular.

Low Season is winter, between June and August. Further south it is noticably colder during this period, so if you’re looking for the classic Australian sun, better head north. You’ll get the best prices in the off season, particularly for popular experiences like scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef or visiting the Gold Coast’s theme parks. If your family like a ski and snowboard holiday, you can head to New South Wales or Victoria during this period – Mount Buller, Thredbo, Mount Hotham and Perisher are some local favourites.

There are a few different visas available for travelling to Australia. You can find out more information about which might be best for you here.

There are international airports in Australian major cities including Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin and Cairns, and many of smaller regional areas are serviced by domestic flights.

Taxis are widely available in Australian cities.

Metropolitan areas are usually serviced by a range of public transport options including trains, buses and trams. Regional trains cover many more rural destinations, as do some buses. Each state caters to its own public transport services.

Australia’s dining is as diverse as its various regions. A range of fine and casual dining, all the way to accessible chain restaurants, are available in major cities around the country. In Victoria’s capital of Melbourne, hidden side streets are a maze of endless trendy cafes with great food and drink for kids and adults alike. In Sydney, head to its quirky inner-west to find a range of chic cafes such as local favourite West Juliette or hit the Bondi Markets for some fresh local produce.

Australia-wide, support local farmers with the added benefit of getting some of the region’s freshest, locally sourced produce at regular farmers’ markets.

Enjoy everything from expansive malls boasting well-known retail giants to small, local boutiques around Australia. Most cities and towns have artists’ markets throughout the year, where you can pick up cool locally handcrafted wares to take home as souvenirs.

Indigenous art in particular is a favourite keepsake for visitors in Australia, but unfortunately cheap knock-offs exploit this ancient culture and ultimately do harm to the local communities. You can make efforts to support real artists and authentic wares by checking the origins of your Indigenous art and choosing not to buy mass-produced items from cheap souvenir shops.

Tipping is appreciated, but not expected in Australia.

In warmer months, Australia can be very warm. Pack thongs, singlets, and swimmers! If visiting in winter, be sure to pack a few warmer layers. In general, cultural customs are pretty laid back in Australia and don’t have strict guidelines on clothing.

Australia is renowned for its laid-back, egalitarian culture. By and large, friendliness is equated with good manners. Smile, say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and locals will usually be happy.

If you’re visiting Indigenous cultures, it is best to check the individual customs of the region as Australia’s many cultures can vary greatly.

Mains voltage in Australia is 230V AC, 50Hz. Use a three-pin adaptor (different to British three-pin adaptors).

No special immunisations or vaccinations are required to visit Australia unless you have come from, or have visited, a yellow fever infected country within six days of your arrival. However, regulations and medical advice can change at short notice, so check with your doctor and the Australian Department of Health before you leave home.

Tap water is generally safe to drink in Australian cities.

Natural disasters include heatwaves, bushfires, droughts and floods, and in some tropical regions, tropical cyclones or earthquakes. These are not dangerously frequent in most areas.

The only way is up for thrill seekers who take on the BridgeClimb Sydney or the city’s highest point at Sydney Tower Eye and Skywalk, both of which make for a great sky-high photo-op. Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House are among Sydney’s most famous attractions.

Uluru is world-famous and a piece of ancient Australian history. No trip to the Northern Territory is complete without an Instagram sunrise or sunset photo of this magnificent red rock surrounded by the changing colours of the vast outback skies.

Byron Bay’s popularity is timeless, long a favourite for travellers searching for the ultimate beach getaway. Its quirky cafes and shops have become something of an Australian icon, and the surf – well, we probably don’t need to tell you.

If you’re lucky enough to experience a helicopter or seaplane ride over the Great Barrier Reef, make sure to take your camera along to capture amazing shots from the air. In particular, look out for the famous Heart Reef.

The coastline along the Great Ocean Road the a jewel in Victoria’s crown, with natural and spectacular attractions such as the Twelve Apostles, London Bridge and Loch Ard Gorge. Kids will love the wild surf, rugged cliffs and pretty beaches, with plenty of photo opportunities for the family album.

Famous the world over for its crescent-shaped golden shoreline, Bondi Beach is the perfect day out for families. Only eight kilometres from Sydney’s city centre, Bondi offers great waves, kid-friendly saltwater sea baths and an array of hip cafes, markets and shopping.

If visiting in October and November you can join the crowds perusing Sculpture by the Sea, an outdoor exhibition of artworks stretching two kilometres along the coastline between Bondi and Coogee.

The curiously shaped coastline at Wineglass Bay is a magnet for photographers and a must on anyone’s Tasmanian itinerary. The best views are from Wineglass Bay Lookout and Mount Amos.