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.
For little movie buffs, Warner Bros. Movie World will feel like home – so good luck dragging them away from it! Everyone from Road Runner to Batman gets their moment of fame here, and with 29 rides and a heap of character-packed attractions, the kids are sure to find all their favourites. Adrenaline junkies need to check out the DC Rivals Hypercoaster, the longest, tallest and fastest coaster in the Southern Hemisphere. This 1.4-kilometre ride hits speeds of up to 115 kilometres per hour, and those who really want to commit to the experience can opt to face backwards.
Part theme park, part marine sanctuary, Sea World offers visitors the best of both worlds. Budding marine biologists will be in awe of the huge array of marine animals, from polar bears and penguins to rays, that the park’s team looks after, as well as the opportunities to meet seals and dolphins up close. And spotting sharks from a glassbottomed boat will get a grin out of even the most stoic kid. It’s not all animals and education though – kids can meet their favourite Nickelodeon characters, and thrill-seekers can take their pick of 18 rides and precincts, ranging in thrill level from ‘mild’ to ‘max’.
Dreamworld is the biggest of the Gold Coast’s theme parks. Visitors can come face to face with the jungle’s most fearsome predator on Tiger Island, and meet Javi and Zakari, the park’s newest tiger cubs. The park also offers rides galore including the thrill rides, which will have you spinning, dropping and speeding through the air. Sky Voyager is Dreamworld’s newest ride and the Southern Hemisphere’s first flying theatre will have you soaring away across 12 of Australia’s most exciting regions using immersive special effects.
When it comes to water parks, the bigger the better, so why not make your next trip to the biggest water park in Australia? Wet’n’Wild Gold Coast is home to six thrill rides and slides, as well as four precincts to splash into and start having a ball. Jump on the Kamikaze for the ultimate adrenaline rush, with an almost-11-metre vertical drop, and your two-person tube will reach up to 50 kilometres per hour!
Hanging out in the famous Melburnian suburb of St Kilda, Luna Park is a historic theme park that still packs a punch. Operating for over 100 years, from the moment you step through Mr. Moon’s mouth you are greeted by a world of wonder, from attractions that shoot you into the sky to carousels that leave you dizzy. Overlooking Port Phillip Bay, The Great Scenic Railway coaster is still one of the most popular rides in the park, despite being the oldest continually operating wooden rollercoasters in the world.
Home to thrills, chills and everything in between, Adventure World is Perth’s only water park-theme park and has over 25 attractions to enjoy. From the scream-inducing Goliath to the favourite of tiny tots, the Kahuna Falls splash park, there’s something for everyone at the entertainment extravaganza awaiting guests of this extraordinary theme park.
Only an hour from Melbourne, Adventure Park Geelong has all the ingredients for a fabulous family day out. Drift down the lazy river, hit the mini-golf course for a hole-in-one or rip down The Tsunami, the park’s new four-million-dollar water slide. At an incredible 7.5 storeys high and 172 metres in length, we can guarantee you’ve never seen a triple funnel water slide like this monster before.
The perfect place for a summer splash, Raging Waters is Sydney’s biggest water park and a favourite for water-babies and sunshine searchers. Turn around and upside down on The Cyclone, face your fears in the T5 or whizz down the one-of-a-kind Whirlwind slide to satisfy the need for speed. Littlies looking for less thrill and more chill can head to Nickelodeon Beach, which features mini versions of the park’s most famous rides among their 10 rides, as well as a kid-friendly Dinosaur Lagoon.
When you visit Funfields Theme Park, you go to a whole new world – or two, or three, or four! The newly opened Mystic Kingdom should be the first stop on your list, with the magical Pony Xpress Carousel twist on the classic funfair ride and the Dragon’s Revenge Ride to send you soaring skywards.
A staple along the Sydney Harbour, Luna Park Sydney is just as fantastic as its older sister in Melbourne. Based on the original Luna Park in New York City, the park was first opened in 1935. After a long closure and plenty of back and forth, the Sydney property reopened in 2004 to the joy of Sydney residents. Favourite rides include the timeless Rotor, the Tango Train and the old-school funhouse, Coney Island.
Aussie World Sunshine Coast
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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