Australia’s Top 5 Kid-Friendly Destinations

When the kids are on school break, whether it’s for vacation, Easter week, or a long holiday weekend, they tend to get cabin fever—so why not take them on a trip they’ll remember forever? Australia combines outdoor adventure with kid-friendly amusement. What kid would ever turn down the chance to see a kangaroo in person? Below are five kid-friendly vacation destinations in Australia.

Kangaroo Island

You are probably picturing a Disney-like, man-made spectacle of exotic wildlife and extravagant displays of beauty. Kangaroo Island is definitely a majestic wonder, but everything is alive and real. Known as Australia’s premier wildlife destination, Kangaroo Island is a natural habitat for exotic animals like kangaroos, wallabies, seals, koalas, penguins, and other unusual creatures.

Children can play on the beach, wade in the water, or search for shells. Explore Flinders Chase National Park or meander through a colony of sea lions at the Seal Bay Conservation Park. Little penguins parade from the coastal waters to their burrows every night. It’s more enlightening than the local zoo, that’s for sure. Kangaroo Island is not all about the rugged outdoors, either. The small towns offer a rich history, delicious food and wine, and unique art.

 Zagame’s Paradise Resort

This resort on Australia’s Gold Coast was created with families in mind. The junior bunkhouse rooms are guest rooms designed for kids, with brightly painted bunk beds, play areas, and gaming systems. Other rooms are connected so that families can stay together (and parents can keep an eye on the kids).

What can you do at Paradise Resort when you’re not sleeping? The resort offers free activities all day, every day. Trivia competitions, arts and crafts, pool activities, music and snorkeling lessons are available at no extra charge. Families can also have fun at theme parks such as the Warner Bros. Movie World, Wet ‘N’ Wild Water World, the Australia Zoo, and the Dreamworld amusement park.

Coober Pedy

At first glance, this opal-mining town does not look very inviting. In one of the most arid parts of Australia, Coober Pedy is hot and desolate-looking, at least when viewed from above. The underground caves, accommodations and unusual attractions are what draw people to the area. Because the climate is so hot, many homes and even hotels are dug out of the sandstone earth. The kids will love exploring the unique underground shops and churches. There are even underground swimming pools and camping facilities.

Kuranda

Kuranda is known as the “Village in the Rainforest.” It’s a beautiful mountain retreat in the rainforest. Once a Mecca for people seeking an alternative lifestyle, Kuranda is now a popular tourist attraction filled with art, culture, and wildlife. Families can see the sights via the Kuranda Scenic Railway or take a tour over the rainforest canopy in the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. They can learn about indigenous culture by watching boomerang-throwing and didgeridoo performances or shop for souvenirs at a local market.

Victoria

Nature parks, playgrounds, and other kid-friendly activities ensure that kids won’t get bored in Victoria. Possibly the best playground in Australia is the SPC Ardmona KidsTown. It features amazing outdoor play equipment such as huge slides, tree houses, mazes, and a miniature railway. If you are looking for a bigger railroad, families can travel on the Puffing Billy Railway, one of the best-preserved steam trains in the world. About an hour and a half from Melbourne are the Phillips Island Nature Parks, where kids can get up close with nature.

Whether you’re looking for nature, a resort, a theme park, or an urban adventure, you can find it in Australia. Grab the kids, pack up their stuff, and go somewhere exceptional. Visiting Australia is a once-in-a-lifetime experience filled with imagination and discovery.

Photos credits: Knuddel, Kangaroo Island by safaris/flickr; Junior Bunkhouse room/paradiseresort.com.au; Coober Pedy – Downtoerth.com.au underground bed and breakfast;  Koalas in Kuranda rainforest by vaka0627/flickr; Puffing Billy steam locomotive by Les Chatfield/flickr.

Anthony Jefferies is fitness instructor who also works with parents groups and contributes content for playground equipment companies providing imaginative structures for kids, so they can spend more time outdoors in active play.

Australia Australia, kid-friendly, play equipment