From the world’s most famous reef, the largest sand island and rich Indigenous history that dates back over 60,000 years, there is so much to delight families on a holiday in Queensland.
Whether you’re after a relaxing break or a wild adventure, Port Douglas and Cairns, with their city conveniences and laid-back village vibe, offer a perfect holiday haven where rainforest and reef collide.
With one of the world’s natural wonders on its doorstep, Tropical North Queensland not only offers the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef but the path to a treasure trove of cultural riches.
Read: Why you need to visit Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef in summer
Fraser Island has officially been restored to its Aboriginal name K’Gari, meaning ‘paradise’ in the local Butchulla language.
K’Gari is the world’s largest sand island, but its not all blue water and long beaches, you’ll find unique wildlife, epic dunes, lush rainforests, freshwater lakes and creeks. This Queensland holiday destination is UNESCO World Heritage-listed.
A highlight is 4WDing along 75 Mile Beach is a must. It is officially designated a national highway and an aircraft runway. One of the must-stop sites is the rusted, russet skeleton of the SS Maheno, a former passenger ship that was commissioned as a hospital ship during World War I and sent to aid the mounting casualties at Gallipoli.
K’Gari is located south of the Great Barrier Reef’s coral cays, about 250 kilometres north of Brisbane or a 30-minute ferry ride from the shores of Hervey Bay
The Whitsunday Islands boast an incomparable beauty. Starting with the soft silica sands (the purest in the world) and Tiffany-blue waters of Whitehaven Beach. Then to Bowen’s gorgeous beaches and the tiny wisps of sand hidden away on secluded islands.
Located in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef – the largest living organism on Earth – its 50 mesmerising shades of blue are filled with pretty living corals, lavishly-hued fish, marine turtles and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins.
There’s everything from catamarans, tall ships and speedboats to helicopters and seaplanes to take you out to explore. Visitors are spoiled for choice on how to experience it.
Mainland Airlie Beach is the gateway to the islands and the reef. It also has excellent accommodation for families, including the feature-packed BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort. If you’d rather an island idyll, Daydream Island Resort & Living Reef provides a perfect playground for families.
Synonymous with Aussie family holidays, the Sunshine Coast’s superb beaches and fertile hinterland have long been a favourite destination for Aussie kids. Little groms will want to flock to south-facing Kings Beach and Caloundra’s Happy Valley for epic waves, while littlies might prefer the calmer waters of Mooloolaba and Noosa Main Beach.
If you’d rather explore than swim, the dreamy coloured sands of pretty Rainbow Beach might be a better pick. There’s an embarrassing amount of national parks. Family favourites are Noosa National Park, Great Sandy National Park and the volcanic peaks of Glass House Mountains National Park.
Make sure you visit the feathered, furry and fearsome inhabitants of Australia Zoo will have the kids roaring with laughter as they happily snap selfies with Skippy, cuddle koalas and chat with the cockatoos at the interactive wildlife conservation facility.
If it’s epic adventure and attractions your family is craving for your holiday in Queensland, the Gold Coast is on overload. Its thrilling, chilling and water-spilling theme parks are a rite of passage for Australian school kids.
Dreamworld has action-packed, adrenaline-pumping thrill rides. While WhiteWater World has slides to cool you down. From the Hollywood highs of Movie World and fishy fun of Sea World, kids can slide, ride, coast and splash their way through their holiday.
If your family prefers to get its thrills from Mother Nature, there’s an overload of that too. With endless stretches of stunning beaches, incredible animal experiences and the lush rainforest of the hinterland.
The Gold Coast Hinterland has rolling roads leading past farmland, vineyards and charming mountain villages to spectacular subtropical rainforest.
Discover waterfalls, swimming holes and trails winding through eucalypt forest, salt marsh and mangrove habitats. It is the place to commune with nature and take a break from the bustle of the city.
Enjoy a little alpaca action with a side of vino at Mountview Alpaca Farm, located at O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards. Or dig in at Thunderbird Park, where a collection of unique attractions includes a high ropes course, ziplining and fossicking for prehistoric thundereggs.
The Gold Coast Hinterland is just 40 minutes beyond the Gold Coast’s beaches and big thrill rides.
Hervey Bay is the jewel in Queensland’s whale-watching crown. Humpbacks holiday here in sheltered waters to rest and play from mid-July until late November.
For days out on the water, Fraser Island Boat Charters is a luxurious catamaran that takes you to the protected waters of the Great Sandy Strait, one of Queensland’s hottest sailing destinations. If you prefer to DIY, you can nix the guide and play skipper for a day (or several) exploring the pristine beaches and islands on a bareboat self-drive charter – no experience or qualifications required.
After exploring the seas watch the sunrise over historic Urangan Pier. Stretching out into the sea, it’s one of the longest in Australia. You’ll also get to see the other early risers: a fisherman, pelicans and perhaps a pod of dolphins.
With kids so fixated on the indoors and devices, Jarramali Rock Art Tours is a way to connect with the land and its traditional owners. Your family (kids over three are welcome) can head into Quinkan country with owner and host Johnny Murison.
You’ll sleep in tents or under the stars in beautiful bushland by the side of a spectacular gorge. Johnny is a Kuku-Yalanji man who is determined to educate visitors about the Indigenous history here. He finds plants used for bush medicine and bush tucker as well as giving a history of the land and his family. A highlight is visiting the Magnificent Gallery, which features 450 paintings done by Johnny’s ancestors. Or listening to Johnny play his didgeridoo by the fire.
With its epic landscapes, rugged roads, pioneering history and fair dinkum friendly locals, Outback Queensland is a magical place for adventurous families.
Get dusty shearing sheep or mustering cattle, or dirty digging deep for gold, gemstones and even 20 million-year-old dinosaur bones. Little palaeontologists can follow the Dinosaur Trail between Winton and Hughenden to see real dinosaur fossils at Winton’s Australian Age of Dinosaurs and life-size bronze dino replicas at Dinosaur Canyon.
Wannabe astronauts might prefer to catch a shooting star and gaze in wonder at the star-studded outback sky at Charleville Cosmos Centre. Come back to Earth at Longreach to hear the real stories of the outback at the Stockman’s Hall of Fame, fly into the award-winning Qantas Founders Museum and switch the kids on to rural history at the Longreach Powerhouse and Historical Museum.
With palm tree-lined city streets surrounded by inviting inland waterways, 32 incredible coastal beaches, fish-filled reefs, eight wildlife-packed national parks and sprawling sugar cane farms – not to mention enticing weather all year round – Mackay is one of those totally wild destinations where reality exceeds expectations for nature-loving families.
A visit to Cape Hillsborough is a must. It is about a 45-minute drive from Mackay. Cape Hillsborough is strewn with creeks, beaches, waterfalls and rocky outcrops and an embarrassment of native wildlife. Its star attraction is the megastar mob of agile wallabies and a couple of headline-hogging kangaroos. They can be found at Casuarina Beach every morning to graze on seaweed and seed pods as the sun rises.
Local secret: Hidden among the lush rainforest of Eungella National Park is Camerons Pocket. A vast boulder-strewn place to swim that is irresistibly inviting.
Townsville is the best place to get out and enjoy outback Australia while being by the beach.
Sunny Townsville has an average of 320 days of sunshine a year. Pack your hat and sunscreen and get ready to explore the best things to do in Townsville with kids.
We asked Narelle Bouveng, born and raised in Townsville, the tropical capital of North Queensland for her best local secrets. Check them out here.
Just one and a half hours from Brisbane, the gorgeous Queensland town of Toowoomba is best known for its vibrant gardens and colourful Carnival of Flowers. But there’s so much more for families to explore in this friendly, multicultural destination that is equal parts country charm and dynamic city.
From immaculately preserved 19th-century architecture to the ultramodern street art installations, a wander around Toowoomba’s CBD feels a little like time travel. History buffs will love the hands-on Cobb & Co Museum, home to the National Carriage Collection and its vast range of beautifully preserved horse-drawn vehicles, from farm wagons to carriages fit for a queen.
Fans of the outdoors will no doubt appreciate the region’s more than 100 council parks and gardens, boasting a wealth of state-of-the-art contraptions to climb, bounce, play, slide and swing on, plus views that take in mountains and valleys.
This article originally appeared in Holidays with Kids magazine. To subscribe to the latest issue, click here.
Keep reading:
The small seaside town of Palm Cove is somewhere between Cairns and Port Douglas and it’s unlike...
Read More
Whether you are looking to brush up on your Canadian history or learn about dinosaurs, these are...
Read MoreBrowse our selection of great family accommodation options around the world
