Ready to swap the school run for a road trip, beach holiday, city break or overseas adventure?
We’ve rounded up some of our favourite family-friendly travel destinations across Australia and beyond. These are places we think are genuinely worth adding to your family holiday list, with plenty to see and do for kids, great places to stay and experiences the whole family can enjoy.
Whether you’re looking for an easy weekend escape, an Australian road trip, somewhere warm to escape the Adelaide winter or a bigger international adventure, you’ll find plenty of inspiration below.
Want to know what family holidays we’ve loved with our kids this year, take a read below.
Darwin with Kids
A holiday in Darwin will meet all your family holiday needs. We would go there very year if we could! There’s relaxation, adventure, yummy restaurants, cold beer and beautiful swimming holes. July is a great time to visit with the cooler weather at night, and the lovely hot days. We have visited Darwin as a family in the October school holidays and the weather is certainly much more humid, with the nighttime temperature rarely dropping below 24 degrees. We love it at that time of year as there are less tourists, the travel is cheaper and you can pack light!
We have enjoyed staying close to the Marina or the Esplanade in Darwin. This allows for easy walks to restaurants, supermarkets and the closer sightseeing highlights. The Esplanade is a shady, peaceful place to walk and there is a fun playground area we always end up spending hours at. We loved eating at the restaurants in the Marina and in Cullen Bay (a short drive from Darwin). Mindil Beach Sunset Markets have delicious food and loads of stalls for the kids to enjoy. The sunset over the water is a highlight, and these markets are a bustling hive of activity.
Aquascene is an easy, fun way to spend a few hours in the afternoon feeding fish up close. The kids love this and always end up very wet! It’s right next to the Esplanade in Darwin too, which makes it very convenient. ALL of the museums are fantastic and learning about the war history and Cyclone Tracy were highlights for the kids. Our favourite museums were probably the Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory and the Darwin Aviation Museum. The Military Museum had lots of unique parts to visit and explore too. There is one section in the Military Museum about the Holocaust that is not recommended for children. If you’re looking for something unique, you can explore the WW2 underground tunnels. These are right near the Marina in Darwin.
If you’re looking for water park fun, then head to the Marina where you can enjoy the HUGE inflatable obstacle course, swim in the lagoon or enjoy the wave pool. We spent lots of time here and had plenty of big stacks on the obstacle course. Lots of fun, but don’t forget your sunscreen! If you head out of town to Litchfield National Park, you can spend the day swimming in lush water holes and enjoying the beautiful surrounds with a picnic. Read the signs carefully and always be croc safe. One of our favourite things to do was to float down the stream on pool noodles at Berry Springs Nature Park You can buy pool noodles there or take your own. This is pure bliss and has all the facilities you need such as picnic benches, toilets, grassy areas and a kiosk. Berry Springs Nature Park is about a 45-minute drive from Darwin.
Right down the road from Berry Springs Nature Park is the Territory Wildlife Park. This is a place worth spending at least half a day exploring. There are so many animals to check out, plus great zookeeper talks to listen to. We usually spend the whole day here and we all absolutely love it. Beware: lots of ice blocks may be consumed!
For some more animal adventure, there is Crocosaurus Cove right in the centre of Darwin. This is actually very good, and the tours provide lots of information. There is even cage swimming with crocodiles for the brave (or silly). You could not pay me enough money to do this! Crocodylus Park has lots of Australian native animals to see, plus a boat cruise where you can watch the crocodiles being fed close up. This is a great way to get a very healthy respect (ie. fear) of crocodiles!
The whole family will love heading to the outdoor movies at Deckchair Cinema, and you will start googling property prices in Darwin when you lounge back in bliss staring up at the incredible Darwin night sky. There are lots of boat cruises to enjoy in Darwin too, and you can learn a lot about the history of the city, including the impact of war and Cyclone Tracy. Or just close your eyes behind your sunglasses for a while and let the warm weather wash over you while your family enjoy the sights. If you have time, I’d recommend visiting the Botanic Gardens one morning. This is a beautiful location to enjoy, and there are lovely shaded pathways with lush scenery surrounds. There is also a fab playground.
Darwin is a very easy place to visit and there is so much to do. The best thing about Darwin is its languid pace and relaxed vibe. Oh- and the weather!
Hobart with Kids
Hobart is one of those places you can’t help but fall in love with. It’s a stunning city and, in my opinion, the best thing about it is that it’s completely walkable. If you’re looking for a long weekend away with friends or your partner, then Hobart is your best bet. There are so many great hotels and apartments to stay in, and I personally love staying in Battery Point. It’s a short walk from the famous Salamanca Markets, which operate over 300 stalls every Saturdays and are hugely popular.
From the town centre, walk along the meandering path next to the Hobart Rivulet towards the Cascade Female Factory and spend time learning the history of the women transported to Australia in the 1830’s. This World Heritage Site is truly remarkable and will give you goosebumps, and probably a few tears too. After your visit, continue walking towards the Cascade Brewery for lunch and a beverage. The gardens here are so lush and the food is fab. You can tour the old brewery too!
A boat cruise along the Hobart River allows you views of the city and surrounds, with local knowledge and historic facts to keep you entertained. We enjoyed visiting the Hobart Penitentiary too, and there were a range of tours we could choose from. Some parts were very spooky! Catching a bus up to the top of Mt Wellington was an experience. 20 degrees at the bottom of the hill and snow on the top of the hill! The views are to die for, and we hopped off the bus about halfway down, hiking the rest of the way through gorgeous forest, passing by waterfalls and soaking up incredible views.
MONA is a must-visit when heading to Hobart but beware of some exhibits if you are taking your children along as some are definitely not G-rated. Catching the ferry to MONA is an experience in itself and, once there, the layout, the art, the food and the vibe are what makes MONA even more special.
Further afield are Port Arthur and Wineglass Bay, but you will require a longer stay for these tours. They are well worth it though. Hobart is a city full of history, great food and LOADS of places to visit and explore. It’s so close to Adelaide too. Go get it!
Cairns with Kids
Cairns is an incredible destination for any family, but it can be hard to know how much to cram into your stay. We recently visited for 10 days and managed to fit in way more than we ever thought we could. From swimming in the Great Barrier Reef, to cable cars, to riding in army tanks, it was a memorable family holiday.
We booked our accommodation in Palm Cove, which is a cute little town nestled just 30 minutes north of Cairns. We picked there because of its access to a beautiful beach, large family apartments and easy walking to restaurants. It is also a very convenient gateway to the Daintree Rainforest, which is about 3 hours drive north of Palm Cove (3.5 hours from Cairns). The Daintree has lots of incredible walks (short and long) and viewing platforms. Make sure you stop at the Daintree Visitor Centre for loads of information and exploring. We loved visiting Cow Bay with its rope swings and the rainforest surrounds. Beware of the signs though: absolutely no swimming in these areas due to crocodiles.
Just a short drive north of Palm Cove (around 15 minutes) is the incredible Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures. This facility has hands-down the best crocodile show we’ve ever seen, and we’ve seen quite a lot in Broome and Darwin! The information on the tours, the close encounter opportunities and the education from the keepers was fascinating. This place is well worth a visit.
Of course, you can’t go to Cairns without heading out for a snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. There are loads of different options, but we chose one that took us out to a large pontoon for the day. We snorkelled the outer reef for hours, had a buffet lunch, checked out the underwater observatory and toured in the glass-bottom boat. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Although we had smooth sailing, I would recommend travel sickness medication just in case. Our trip out to the pontoon was 90 minutes one-way.
Some of our other favourite things were the Cairns Aquarium, the Cairns Night Markets, the Kuranda Sky Rail and Kuranda Rainforest Markets. Off the beaten track, we also loved the Australian Armour and Artillery Museum, especially as you can ride in an actual tank! There is plenty of fun to fill 10 days in Cairns easily, including waterfalls and days lazing by the pool. Cairns is an ideal destination for a relaxing kid-free escape, or a fun-filled family holiday.
Broome with Kids
Weather wise, the best time to visit Broome is between May and September. But we ventured north in October to enjoy the cheaper flights, the serious humidity of the wet season build-up, and some more affordable accommodation. Plus, it wasn’t as busy, which we love. It was well worth the trip- we had a blast! There is so much to do in Broome, and, if you have long enough, a trip up north to Cape Leveque, or across the Gibb River Road to Kununurra is well worth it. For us, we stuck to Broome and loved every minute!
To keep cool we spent time at the stunning Cable Beach, swimming in the Indian Ocean and hiring sand toys, boogie boards, an umbrella and chairs. We could’ve spent every day there! Our hotel pool also got a very decent work out. We visited the Town Beach water park, which is great for younger kids, and- together with the playground- this was a fun way to spend an afternoon. When we weren’t in the water, we made sure we were very hydrated as the weather was hot and humid in October.
Our favourite places to visit included: seeing the dinosaur footprints at Gantheaume Point, visiting the Broome Markets at the Courthouse for mango and banana smoothies, the Town Beach Night Markets for delicious food and cool jewellery, Broome Museum and, of course, the Malcolm Douglas Crocodile Park. These are SERIOUS saltwater crocodiles!
The kids adored going to the movies at Sun Pictures, especially when a plane flew straight over the top of us (the airport is right near the cinemas). It was so close we felt like we could touch it. Their experience riding camels at sunset on the beach was unreal. We also got to feed the camels as they walked past Spinifex Brewery on their way back home. The food and drink at Spinifex, plus the large grassed area and big movie screen, made it the perfect place for a family to chill out after a day in the Broome heat.
Other places we enjoyed eating were the iconic Matso’s Brewery, and Cable Beach House, which has great views of Cable Beach and the incredible sunsets. One thing we would highly recommend is a tour at Willie Creek Pearl Farm. We drove out to the farm and loved hearing about the pearl industry from engaging, enthusiastic staff. The boat tour over the turquoise water was incredible and the pearl reveal at the end was really fun.
Broome is a very easy place to get around. There are buses that run regularly around town and to Cable Beach, however we found it easier to hire a car, especially as it was so hot in October. This is a great place to visit for a family trip, a romantic getaway or a parents’ weekend away. There’s something about the red dirt and golden sands that will make you fall in love with this beautiful place.
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