Each of these parks have incredible family-friendly facilities and activities, they could have the best water parks, resort-style swimming pools, giant jumping pillows and kids’ clubs. Start planning your next family holiday at one of these award winning resorts.
Families, thrillseekers and everyone in between, if you’re itching for your next adrenaline-filled day out, these Australian theme parks are the best of the best! From the dolphins of Sea World to the water slides of Wet’n’Wild, we’ve got the ultimate guide for you.
Theme parks and fun go hand in hand. Packed with electrifying rides, amusing games, carnival-like entertainment and finger-licking food, it’s no surprise that all ages enjoy a visit to these whimsical wonderlands. With little ones smiling from ear to ear and tired out by the end of the day (and hopefully peacefully snoozing by bedtime that night), it’s a win win for parents too. Have a hard-to-please teen with you? Then the dizzying heights and heart-stopping speeds on offer will be sure to exhilarate even the most family-fun resistant youngster.
Taking out first place for the second year in a row, this sprawling aquatic theme park is a longstanding Aussie favourite. With polar bears, rays, penguins and turtles galore, budding marine biologists will be in heaven, with opportunities to meet seals and dolphins up close and even spot sharks from a glass-bottomed boat. There are also Nickelodeon character meet-and-greets, extreme jet stunt displays and eight amazing rides and precincts. Little adventurers should make time to visit Castaway Bay, to climb and crawl through sky-high rope bridges.
For little cinephiles, the highlight of a day spent is being immersed in Hollywood at Warner Bros. Movie World and experiencing the Streets Star Parade, where kids can meet their favourite characters such as Batman, Scooby-Doo, Wonder Woman and the Looney Tunes gang. Thrillseeking teens will find some of Australia’s most heart-stopping rides, including the DC Rivals Hypercoaster, the tallest, longest and fastest hypercoaster in the Southern Hemisphere. There’s also an epic Hollywood Stunt Driver 2 experience, where you can see exclusive behind-the-scenes action and even ride one of the high-speed cars.
The biggest of Gold Coast’s theme parks, Dreamworld boasts a perfect location within easy reach of Surfers Paradise and is packed to the rafters with fun for families. Visit Tiger Island to come face-to-face with the animal kingdom’s largest cats and hit the Big 9 Thrill Rides, which twist and turn through the air at exhilarating speeds. For littlies, there are a number of low-key rides including the Mad Jungle Jam and Dreamworld Express, and be sure to keep an eye out for the new Sky Voyager, coming summer 2019.
Slide into a whole lot of fun at this watery wonderland, only 22 minutes out of Surfers Paradise. For families looking for a thrill, take a spin on the Tornado, which sees you and three others fly up the walls of a huge funnel, spinning around in an inflatable tube reaching 40 kilometres an hour. For the littlies, head over to the slides in Wet’n’Wild Junior or brave the raft ride at Mammoth Falls. For something a little more low-key, relax at Calypso beach while the kids have a play or grab a bite at the Bombara Burger Bar.
Just a 20-minute drive south of Perth’s CBD, Adventure World has a mix of rides, from water rafting to rollercoasters and go-karting. Thrillseekers will love the Goliath, a huge pendulum that swings at 17.8 metres per second at an exhilarating 120-degree angle, or the Abyss rollercoaster reaching speeds of 85 kilometres per hour. On hot days, water rides like the Kraken or Tidal Wave are a huge hit. For something a little more chilled, let the kids have a run around at Kahuna Falls, which features the favourite giant tipping bucket.
This iconic amusement park is a must-do when visiting Melbourne. Situated in the beach suburb of St Kilda, it’s hard to miss with its huge, clown-face entrance and 20-metre-high ferris wheel. The theme park doesn’t only have stacks of rides, but also a huge range of carnival games to keep you and the kids occupied for hours. Some of the classics include the Laughing Clowns, High Striker, Lucky Ducks and Knockems. Bang-for-buck is optimal, as you will only need to pay for the rides you choose: park entry is only $2 for adults and free for under-threes.
Join the fun at the Jamberoo Action Park down on the New South Wales South Coast, just outside of Kiama. Drop by funnel-shaped ride The Perfect Storm, which claims the title of tallest and longest ride of its kind in the world. Youngsters will the love the Jamberoo Express, the fun multi-coloured train that takes guests around the park (and conveniently saves a lot of walking out in the midday sun). The park is open from 10am to 5pm every day.
Victoria’s biggest theme park, Adventure Park in Geelong has a wealth of excitement to offer families. Get your heart rate up on the Tornado waterslide, indulge a little healthy competition on the Aqua Racer, have a swing on the Wave Swinger or take a ride on the Grand Carousel. After all the thrills, VIP Cabanas and sunbeds can be hired in five different locations throughout the park for a whole day, so parents can rest tired feet whenever they need to.
Say ‘g’day’ to the Australian-themed amusement park that has everything you need for a bit of Aussie fun. With traditional rides such as the Giant Slide and Space Shaker Swinging Ship still a hit, the park has a variety of attractions and shows on offer for kids and adults alike. Spend some time at the Platypus Ponds mini-golf course or Leak’n Logs with the kids and then pop into the pub to grab a steak or classic Aussie pie.
With three world record-holding rides, Melbourne’s hottest new water park should be on your list. One of the record-holders is the Kraken Racer, the world’s longest Proslide Kraken Racer and the first of its kind in Australia. The new Volcano Beach wave pool is a great place to hang with the kids, and you can grab a bite here to eat to keep the energy going. The park also caters for birthday parties, school groups and functions for an extra-special day.
Luna Park Sydney
Sovereign Hill
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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