Make Queensland your next big family holiday

What do you look for when planning that big family holiday? Connecting with ancient cultures? Learning about the world’s natural wonders up close? Quality time together while clocking a lot of beach hours? There’s a destination that ticks all these boxes: right here in Queensland.

If you're in need of a real escape, a family holiday in Queensland will be the trip you and your kids talk about for years to come. Where to start? We’ve got you covered with some of our favourites.  

Escape to an island for an education under the sea

Lady Elliot redefines the family holiday. More like a hands-on classroom than island getaway, the whole family will be inspired by this immersive eco-experience. This coral cay is nestled into a highly protected green zone, and it’s home to 1,200 marine species including manta rays, dolphins, humpback whales and turtles – which you can spot nesting and hatching each year from November to March.

Spend your days snorkelling the reef, exploring the island on foot (you can circumnavigate it in under an hour), and discovering tidal pools. Take behind-the-scenes tours, learn from the resident marine biologist in a Junior Rangers program, and sleep in cabins just steps from the beach. There’ll be no complaints about the lack of WiFi or TV here – only more reasons to return.  

Do things usually get wild on a family holiday? The Sunshine State is known for its curious creatures, from cute and cuddly to scaly and slippery. With world-class zoos and sanctuaries across the state, take your pick of places to meet those locals who have a little more hair on their chest, and learn about their unique habitats. Cuddle koalas at Brisbane’s Lone Pine Sanctuary, say g’day to kangaroos and native birds at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, feed wild dolphins at Moreton Island’s Tangalooma Resort, or get a real taste of farm life with an overnight stay at Paradise Country on the Gold Coast.

Here’s a few other farm stays that will impress the kids.

Take the coastal road trip of a lifetime

Nothing says 'family holiday' like a road trip up the coast: and this is your chance to experience the best of Queensland’s southern stretch from the Gold Coast to Gladstone. With so much to do along the way, you’ll never hear I’m bored, especially when you can stretch your legs on family favourite beaches during pit stops.

Here it’s not just the journey, but the destinations. Along the way, you can race through theme parks, be captivated by the croc show at Australia Zoo, horse ride along Rainbow Beach, taste ginger beer from its source in Bundaberg (and perhaps even watch baby turtles hatch by night), and get amphibious on a thrilling Larc tour once you reach 1770. If you can stretch it a little further north to Yeppoon, don’t miss a day trip or overnight stay on Great Keppel Island. Bring the caravan or book cabins at some of these holiday parks on the way.

Dial up the action on the Gold Coast

It’s a quintessential Queensland family holiday for a reason. From a glistening coastline packed with beaches to a thrillseeker paradise as Australia’s theme park capital, the Gold Coast takes the trophy for family fun that’ll put a smile on everyone’s face.

This year, make a big splash. Up the ante and learn to surf together, or find out who can conquer heights by climbing 270m above the streets at Skypoint. Hit the water with some throttle on a jet boat ride, tackle the fastest rollercoasters, learn about indigenous culture with Jellurgal, and head for the hills to waterfall-chase and explore above the treetops.

Be enchanted by the Reef

Who needs fairy tales when real magic lies just below the surface? The Great Barrier Reef is so big you can see it from space: but on a family holiday Daydream Island you can do more than just look.

Relaxation meets education at this world-class resort: it has everything you want in a family holiday with a few stunning extras. Screen time looks a little different in front of the Living Reef, a 1.5million litre coral lagoon full of marine life to discover, touch and learn with marine biologists. Sign the kids up for the Reef Rangers program, spend a day out on the reef, and take a trip to Whitehaven Beach. 

Explore and learn on Magnetic Island

Marine education continues a little further north in Townsville, where you can hit the water with Aquascene Charters. There’s no better way to experience beauty of Magnetic Island than with this local family, who’ll take you to secluded coves to snorkel, safely interact with marine life, and expand young minds with a Master Reef Guide on board to answer those curious questions.

For more acction, dive into an underwater art museum and work your way through the best things to do in the region with the kids. 

Let every day fill you with wonder in The Whitsundays

Dreamed of showing your kids the special kaleidoscope of colours that makes up The Whitsundays? From the swirls of Hill Inlet to Whitehaven’s iconic white silica sands, they’ll be wide-eyed with wonder.

This year, it’s time to tackle those bucket list adventures you’ve been dreaming of. Get a bird’s eye view with a scenic flight, or discover the wild side of the Whitsundays with Ocean Rafting, the fast jet zooming you through the islands to snorkel sites, Whitehaven Beach and guided walks in the national park. You could even sleep on the reef, dining by starlight and waking up to the serenity of the marine world coming alive.

Kick start your holiday planning with this itinerary.

Reconnect with quality time on the Sunshine Coast

Remember that laidback, barefoot beach holiday from your childhood? It still exists, and you’ll find it on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. It might have a few more bells and whistles these days, but spend a week here and you’ll see natural beauty is still the star of the show.

Land in quiet Coolum and enrol your grommets in surf school, or base yourselves in Noosa for café-hopping, calm coves to swim in and national park walks. Have a junior wildlife warrior in your midst? You can’t miss a day at Australia Zoo (home to one of the world’s largest wildlife hospitals) or the chance to canoe through one of only two everglades systems on earth.  

Visiting through school holidays? Here’s a few more things to experience together plus how to do it on a budget.  

Witness turtles hatching on the beach

There’s plenty of reasons to book a family holiday in Bundaberg: but from January – March there’s one you can’t miss: watching baby turtles hatch and take their first scurries into the ocean. Mon Repos Turtle Centre offers families this once-in-a-lifetime after dark experience, with a museum where you can learn even more about turtles, and how to protect them.

While you’re here, spend a day snorkelling through Great Barrier Reef beauty at Lady Musgrave Island on a luxury catamaran, and work your way through these kid-approved activities.  

Soak up peace and quiet on your own private island

Why cram the extended family into the spare room when you can spread out on your own island, rented all to yourselves? Holiday stress will be a distant memory on Pumpkin Island, with seven eco-friendly bungalows sleeping up to 34 people. Add catering from a local restaurant that you can collect as you depart the mainland, and everything is just too easy. Fill your days with beachcombing, snorkelling and kayaking, and your evenings all together around the barbeque, with a front row seat to the Southern Great Barrier Reef’s best sunsets.

Get off the grid on the world's largest sand island

If an outdoor spirit runs through your family, get yourselves to K'gari (formerly Fraser Island). K'gari means 'paradise' in the Butchalla language, and it’s easy to see why. Step onto the sand and you’ll feel an instant shift into holiday mode.

Camp on the beach or stay at Kingfisher Bay Resort. Either way, get ready for a huge week of huge World Heritage listed sights: splash in the waters of Lake McKenzie, float down Eli Creek, explore shipwrecks and spot dingoes as the sun sets. The must-book tours in this playground? 4WD along 75 Mile Beach or see it from the air on a scenic flight. 

Get a taste of country life

Things are a little simpler in the country: the air feels fresher, the night skies are brighter, and the damper comes hot from the campfire. Give the family a real taste of country living at Bestbrook Mountain Farmstay in Queensland's southern countryside. Book a rustic cabin, and spend your days feeding the animals, horse riding, and learning the craft of the perfect billy tea. You’ll also have a 30ha playground at your doorstep: Main Range National Park.  

Get adventurous in the tropics

Cairns and Great Barrier Reef is known for its endless summer. Winter offers clear skies and sunshine, while summertime is ideal for witnessing waterfalls in all their raging glory.  

Fitzroy Island is one of the best islands to take the kids: a short ferry ride from Cairns, all the action is at your fingertips including stand-up paddle boarding, glass bottom boat tours, snorkelling and visits to the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre.

Adventures continue on and off the mainland. Glide over World Heritage Wet Tropics on Kuranda Skyrail, or a heli ride to a secluded sand cay where ocean blues stretch to the horizon. Either way, you’ll have a family holiday that scores perfect tens across the board.  

A city and sand escape that will please the whole family

When you’ve got a beach in the middle of the city and islands on its doorstep, it makes sense to explore Queensland's capital city with the whole family in tow. A truly outdoor city, Brisbane’s life is on the river, and it has a little something for everyone. Kayak, ride the big wheel, explore South Bank, and expand young minds with hands-on art experiences at QAGOMA.

Once you’ve had your fill of the city, jump on the ferry or a day tour to Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) for a different type of action. Here, peak hour is schools of fish swimming through the Wrecks, your transport is quad bikes across the dunes, and a family sandboarding comp is your after-school sport. Settle in at Tangalooma Island Resort and you’ll even have the chance to feed wild dolphins who venture here each evening to say hello. Here's how to tackle city and sand in a week. 

Looking for even more inspiration for family holidays in Queensland? Head here.