Sydney - Jervis Bay
Two and a half hours car drive or train ride south of Sydney, the NSW coastal region of Jervis Bay is beloved of locals, interstate visitors and international tourists alike. The reason? Not least the plethora of year-round family-friendly activities, including dolphin and whale watching, sailing, swimming, fishing, bush and beach walks, jet-ski hire, sunbaking and scuba diving.
It’s also home to the Jervis Bay Marine Park, one of only two marine parks in NSW, boasting white sandy beaches and unspoilt bushland, with some patches of rainforest just 200m from the shore. It’s also a kids’ paradise – go kangaroo spotting on deserted stretches of sand and dolphin watching on even the busiest of beaches.
When you’ve had enough ocean, head to the two small rivers that feed the bay - shrouded by mangroves and sea grass, large black stingrays can be seen gliding along the waterways. Then, when the rain hits, go to Lilliputland, an indoor miniature world based around a model railway. At Marayong Park Emu Farm you can check out the emu incubation room, brooder area and chick-rearing shed. And, at Nowra Animal Park, your kids can walk amongst kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, dingoes and emus.
Adelaide - Kangaroo Island
Australia’s third-largest island, Kangaroo Island is 112km southwest of Adelaide and 13km offshore from the Fleurieu Peninsula, or just a short ferry ride from the mainland. It’s big, diverse and a natural wonderland for children – across its 155km length you’ll find towering cliffs, dense forest, huge sand dunes, wetlands and beautiful stretches of white sandy beaches.
Children will love to stay at a bush campsite teeming with wildlife, while mums and dads might like to try out a deserted lighthouse cottage or a newly built house that can accommodate 12 for family gatherings. The island also boasts great weather for kids - daily temperatures average 23 degrees during summer - meaning it won’t get too hot for the younger members of the clan.
Your kids will also learn more than any nature lesson at school – they’ll get to see seals in the wild, with guided ranger walks at Seal Bay meandering through basking Australian sea lions. Kangaroos and wallabies can be spotted at dawn and dusk and baby koalas, wallabies and goannas are all being born during the summer months.
Brisbane - Stradbroke Island
Known by sun-loving locals as ‘Straddie’, Stradbroke Island is around 38 km long and 11 km wide – even better is that it only takes just over an hour to reach from Brisbane.
With north Stradbroke Island the second largest sand island in the world, families from around Australia head here for the swimming, surfing, fishing and whale watching. Dolphins, turtles and manta rays can be spotted from the northern tip and the island has been listed as one of the world’s most ecologically important wetlands.
North Stradbroke Island is also one of the world’s best places for beach camping with sites set near white sandy beaches perfect for swimming and surfing. Remember that you’ll need a four-wheel-drive car to access most beachfront sites and to organise a four-wheel-drive permit before you go. Kids will love the four-wheel-drive safaris across the dunes, whilst fishing charters are good for dad and sea kayaking tours perfect for active mums. Just as reliable is the weather – the climate is subtropical, with sunshine almost all year round. If you’re staying on Straddie between June and November each year, be sure to look out for the majestic humpback whales that swim through on their annual migration from Antarctica to their calving grounds near the Great Barrier Reef.
Melbourne - Port Phillip Bay
Just a 40-minute train ride from Melbourne city centre, families flock to the sandy shores of Port Phillip Bay, boasting everything you might need for a fun day out. Families congregate at a central gazebo, there’s a huge playground for the kids and a kiosk for when you feel like hot chips and chicken salt or an ice cream.
Head out on the walking or cycling track for kids who love bike riding, fire up a barbecue by the sea, knock out a game of volleyball with your rellies or have a game of cricket on the sand.
A great way to get some exercise – and get close to the creatures of Port Phillip Bay – is to go sea kayaking with your kids. There’s a a three-hour sea kayak adventure that leaves from Portsea, where you’ll see penguins, dolphins and fur seals, and special one-hour kayak tours designed especially for parents with young children. When you’ve had enough of the water, hire a bike and ride the stunning coastline of Point Nepean National Park, with its rugged bushland and amazing naval history, from tunnels, lookouts and fortifications, it’s a holiday and a history lesson in one. What more could you wish for?
