So you’ve decided to go on holiday in Australia and you know you don’t want to break the bank doing it. Next step: choosing which resort is best for you and your family. Read our list of the best family resorts in Australia four stars and under to help decide!
So you’ve decided to go on holiday in Australia and you know you don’t want to break the bank doing it. Next step: choosing which resort is best for you and your family. Read our list of the best family resorts in Australia four stars and under to help decide!
It’s been nine years since Paradise Resort first took the title of number one in this category, and it’s taken the cake every year since. And it’s no surprise, really, as it’s the only family resort in the Land Down Under where you’ll find a water park, ice rink, laser tag and kids’ club. And as if that wasn’t enough, the rooms (of which there are 359, catering for families of up to six children) are just a few minutes’ walk from the beach. For parents, cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, trivia and live music mean that nobody will get bored.
The mantra of any good real estate agent is “location, location, location,” and the The Reef View Hotel has this in spades. Shooting up from fourth place last year, the hotel’s biggest drawcard is undoubtedly the to-die-for views over the Coral Sea that most rooms boast. And, while you’re staying on Hamilton Island, it’d be a shame not to get in the water as much as you can, whether in the hotel’s 35-metre swimming pool or one of the island’s many beaches, the closest of which is just a few minutes’ walk away.
What’s not to love about Oaks Oasis Resort? From the water park and putt putt golf course to the climbing frame and the pool, the kids won’t know where to go first. The kids-eat-free policy for MyOaks Members means that bringing the little ones away on holidays is easier on the wallet, too. While the kids are off having the time of their life, parents can let their troubles float away in the heated pool and Jacuzzi, or soak up some rays on the nearby Golden Beach. Accommodation options abound, from studio rooms to truly palatial three-bedroom villas.
Set between ocean and river, Novotel Sunshine Coast Resort will have the little ones positively prune-fingered from long days spent in the water. Kidz Cove will keep children up to 12 entertained with a range of activities such as sand art, face painting, cooking classes and crazy hair, while parents can enjoy the best of the sun and the sea on the 18-hole golf course. And if you still have room for more, Activity Central is free for guests with fish feeding, kayaking and mini golfing all on the agenda.
If there are some little eco-warriors in your family, then a stay at Kingfisher Bay Resort is the perfect choice. Running every school holidays, the property’s Junior Eco Rangers Program provides interactive wildlife experiences for kids aged five to 12, for a small added fee. With programs running in both the morning and evening and activities such as fishing frenzies, scavenger hunts, bush walks, stargazing, and campfires with stories, songs and marshmallows, kids will have an unforgettable wildlife whirlwind. Parents, meanwhile, can relax at the Island Day Spa or explore the tastes of Australia with Bushtucker Talk & Taste.
Relax with a glass of wine in hand knowing the kids are also having a holiday to remember at Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley, located two hours north of Sydney. The Water Dragons Kids Club, operating over the school holidays, is a mini resort for children aged three to 12, while a teen lounge, games room and outdoor heated swimming pool provide year-round fun. Join in on the kids’ fun and hitch a ride on the colourful toy train that rolls through the streets of the resort, or a go for a spin on the merry-go-round.
Whether your family prefers a holiday on skis, in hiking boots, on bikes or simply with their feet up, Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa offers an escape that can be as fast-paced or relaxed as you want it to be. It’s located just 15 minutes from Thredbo and Perisher, which means you can play the day away in the snow in winter or explore 25 kilometres of mountain biking and bushwalking trails in the summer months. Trampolines, archery, a low-ropes course and a nine-hole disc-golf course will also keep the kids busy while you enjoy the peace and quiet of the Snowy Mountains region.
Centrally located just a short drive to Noosa Beach, The Islander Noosa Resort offers a riverside retreat tucked away in more than 1.5 hectares of tropical gardens. Take a plunge in one of three outdoor pools or relax in a steamy spa or sauna. A day exploring the beach and foreshore can end with a barbecue by the river or dinner at one of the resort’s many restaurants.
Forget VIP – Crowne Plaza Terrigal Pacific is all about VIK. Kids can enjoy the pool, table tennis and arcade games in Florida Beach Bar by day, and settle in for their very own happy hour with a free poolside ice block. During the school holidays, Boredom Buster activities include cupcake and pizza making, arts and crafts, and family stretch time. The kid-centric celebrations continue into the night at the Kids’ Zone, where movies, games and karaoke disco nights are on offer during school holidays.
Pint-sized pirates will feel at home poolside at Mantra Crown Towers, where the pirate ship, sandy beach and waterslide offer hours of water-fuelled wonder. With one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, the resort guarantees that families of all sizes can catch a good night’s sleep before heading down to Surfers Paradise beach, just 100 metres away.
It’s a tremendous achievement to have your property recognised by the people who matter most: the families who stay there. We love seeing how many wonderful options there are for travellers with kids in tow all across the world, and every year the list is expanding.
As you can probably imagine, it’s a massive job to compile the Top 10 each year, and the Holidays with Kids team has been hard at work for the last few months compiling all the survey responses and sorting them into categories.
Holidays with Kids was the first travel magazine in Australia to do readers’ choice awards all the way back in 2001, our editors are pretty much certified experts in this field.
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