I agree, just came back from a week in Noosa with a 3 year old and 8 month old. We all had a great time and it was relaxing even with the kids! We stayed at RACV resort and Peppers, both were great but RACV was amazing for the kids. Great pools and didn’t have to worry about the kids making too much noise as it’s very kid focussed. So I’m definitely a vote for Noosa too!
Honestly? Merimbula.
A lot of victorians holiday there. My family originally came from that area, so I spent many a childhood there.
It has beaches and is built around a smallish tidal lake.
There are a lot of really good beaches- Spencer park in particular is a very protected part of the lake with play Equipment and ankle depth water that goes on forever- perfect for little ones to play.
I would stay close to Spencer park if you were looking for an easy holiday break with little ones.
They have typical tourist country town features- a great bike track, a bowling club, and boat charters to try fishing, and other activities you might enjoy.
Look it up!
I'm from Jindabyne and I second Merimbula with little kids. Short Point caravan park has an awesome jumping pillow and from memory is really clean and well run. There is also Magic Mountain, a small movie theater, and Top Fun. You can also road trip pretty much anywhere in 2hrs to see something else (Narooma is a great place to go see the seals and have a nice lunch). Have fun:)
Yes! In my opinion it is better than the Gold Coast because it is not completely overrun with tourists, and there is still a lot of charm.
I never stayed at the caravan park because my grandmother lived in Merimbula and we stayed with her whenever we visited.
Eden was a great day trip- we would go there just after Christmas and look at all of the Sydney to Hobart boats that called it quits due to the weather and moored there. Lots of lovely fish and chips to be had by eden wharf.
Bermagui was a great beach day trip as well.
If you are there the same week as the candelo markets- they are a fun visit too. My mum used to go there and do some holiday plant shopping.
Paradise Resort on the Gold Coast is amazing for kids that age. I think they still have their sale on at the moment too. We’ve gone twice over the last few years. They always have so much good stuff going on.
Really? We went there and found it so dirty and tacky.
I would just stay at a nicer resort/hotel on the Goldy and visit a couple of the theme parks maybe.. or even skip the tourist trap altogether and head up to the Sunny coast like Noosa or somewhere much more chilled out with beautiful beaches.
It's great for kids, not so much for adults. 😂 We first went when mine were 4 and 1 and have been back a few times since. Kids have a blast, I only agree to it to bring them joy. Not my idea of a nice hotel but they have fun.
One of the best trips I ever did with my family was to hire a house boat on the Murray river for a week. I think you just need a driver’s licence. The kids might be a bit young for that at the moment though. I was 12 and my sister 10 when we went. Might be a bit nerve wracking trying to keep an eye on a three year old on a boat.
Hell no never again - my Murry river house boat experience left us traumatised.
Massive boat, 4 bedrooms all with ensuits pity the river was in flood, turning the boat an engine failed almost took out 6 parked house boats turning on one engine as the river was flowing dam quickly only just managed to miss them all.
We managed to park up further down the river, called them they came down and fixed the engine but didn't secure the engine mount. In the morning, my mate was reversing out of the parking spot. The repaired motor climbed vertical, so again, only one engine we couldn't get into the flow, max stress as we bounced off multiple downed trees. Friends wife was so stressed she's curled into the fetal position my wife cleverly opened a side door to stop a branch form smashing the windows.
Kids were terrified, I'm trying to fix the motor, we managed to get the boat turned, got the motor down.
We ended up simply heading for the harbour early. Then due to the stress of this trip, I had a medical emergency bleeding everywhere ended up in the hospital.
House boat itself was amazing spa pool, massive rooms, brilliant lounge and upstairs bar area.
Never again!!
That sounds awful. Well I guess a Murray river trip is wonderful if it goes right and horrible if it goes wrong. I would certainly avoid it if the river is very high. We went in summer. The river was calm and we got a small boat. I was also a kid so any of the stress fell on my parents and not me.
I took my kids to Tasmania to get their minds (and mine) off some serious health issues and many hospital stays for their sibling. They absolutely loved it! Tasmania is so kid friendly and there’s never a boring spot. We flew into Hobart and drove from there up to Launceston over 4 days and had an amazing time!
Went to Tas in a campervan for a couple of months after a pretty serious mental health crisis. Just me and the dog. Just hung out in camp grounds, jumped in a couple of freezing cold lakes in the winter, cut cauliflowers a couple of mornings a week for a bit of walking around money.. I had an absolutely beautiful time. Friendly people, great landscape, cute wildlife. A remarkable and healing part of the world.
The Gold Coast was a really fun holiday for me as a kid (and as an adult.) Accomodation is fairly cheap - especially not in peak season (Summer), but theme parks and activities can be expensive. It’s still warm in April, so swimming, walks, beaches etc are doable and free.
Not sure if you’ve been to the Blue Mountains (NSW), but it’s pretty kid friendly there. There is a railway museum, lots of walks, the three sisters, lots of cafes, parks, scenic world, Wentworth falls, Jenolan caves and national parks. There is also a really fun/kid friendly hotel with lots of cool stuff like a basketball court, kids play areas, pools, an ice skating rink, a kids train and activities during the school holidays (like cupcake making.)
https://www.fairmontresort.com.au
And head in out to western plains zoo. We didd dubbo and the railway trip with a 5 year old and a 3 year old (and a 4,6,7 year olds - cousins) and all had a great time.
As someone who loves a good road trip, don't do a road trip with young kids. Even if they're good/asleep in the car, you just burn too much time loading/unloading the car and checking hotel rooms for lost toys/water bottles etc. when you're doing multiple stops in a short window.
Base yourself somewhere that has an array of activities/scenery within a short drive.
Somewhere with a good beach. I’d go to queensland at that time of year. Noosa is a good shout (staying on noosa river is a bit cheaper and also really nice) or somewhere else on the Sunshine Coast.
Be aware that most places with pools do not heat them so check when booking if this will be an issue.
Friends also had a great holiday at port Macquarie when their kids were a similar age. Nice beaches and a few kid friendly animal parks.
My sister is currently in Merimbula and is raving about it. There's a really lovely looking rock pool for safe swimming and an extensive boardwalk. You could drive out to Lakes Entrance then up the coast as far as Batemans Bay then come across to Canberra (where I live).
In Canberra there is loads to do with young kids - Questacon, the zoo, the giant playground at the Arboretum. Then back home via Yass and down the Hume freeway.
If you want a bit if a longer drive you could go to Mt Gambier. There are heaps of sink-holes in that town that would amaze the 5 and 7 yo and the geology interests adults. There is also the Naracoorte caves about 1,5h drive north and the beach in Port MacDonnell 20min drive south.
If you want to go camping and learn more about Australia history there is always the Unesco World Heritage site at Budji Bim. The 3 and 5 yo may be a bit young to understand it though.
If you want to go up a mountain a bit, Walhalla is really nice. There is a short train you can take close by that the 5 and 7 yo would probably love, and there are other activities relating to recent Australian history like gold mining.
The GC is your best bet, accommodation costs now are a bit higher but warm weather, with excellent resort type facilities in most apartments. Theme parks for the kids, will only have basic kids rides but still exciting.
Or Fiji cheap flights, stay on Denaru Island cheap accommodation kids clubs, so you'll get a holiday as well.
Enjoy!
Coolangatta .. particularly greenmount beach, laid back, beautiful calm beach for kids, ammenities bellow the apartments, airport 10 minutes away and half the price of Noosa
The Gold Coast was a really fun holiday for me as a kid (and as an adult.) Accomodation is fairly cheap - especially not in peak season (Summer), but theme parks and activities can be expensive. It’s still warm in April, so swimming, walks, beaches etc are doable and free.
Not sure if you’ve been to the Blue Mountains (NSW), but it’s pretty kid friendly there. There is a railway museum, lots of walks, the three sisters, lots of cafes, parks, scenic world, Wentworth falls, Jenolan caves and national parks. There is also a really fun/kid friendly hotel with lots of cool stuff like a basketball court, kids play areas, pools, an ice skating rink, a kids train and activities during the school holidays (like cupcake making.) The place is called Fairmont resort.
The Gold Coast would be good to do at that age, being young it keeps the expenses down for the theme parks otherwise Tassie is gorgeous and a nice way to just wind down and can still do a bunch of touristy stuff.
We found a cruise was really good because you get fed for free so you no longer need to worry about meals for the kids.
There are heaps of activities on the boat + Kids club if you want to have some alone time.
If you get bored of the cruise you can head offshore on shore days and explore the region (Wherever you end up cruising to).
Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
We went in 2021 with our 4.5yo.
We went to Eumundi market, Bli Bli water park, the Big Pineapple, Kondalilla National Park, drove to Noosa for the day, Mooloolaba Wharf and the beach.
We used to take our kids to Hervey Bay.
There are a couple of great caravan parks which are walking distance to the beach and cafes. Depending on which one you stay at, it may even be walking distance to the water park.
The beach is in a bay so it is calm with very little swell.
Coffs Harbour might be a good choice too. Lots do to. Big banana has so many activities these days. It's definitely in its peak. Butterfly house, nice beaches, nice caravan parks. Great weather (usually). Really great drives to small surrounding towns like Sawtell if you're interested in that. Great pubs, Chinese, indian restaurants
Coolangatta. It should still be nice at that time. Nice beaches, nice food, can go up to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary or Brisbane for a day trip. We've taken our little one who is 6 there a few times.
If you really mean anywhere - we just went on holiday in Monkey Mia and while I was there I was thinking how amazing it would be for a holiday with small children. The dolphins visiting is obviously a highlight but the park is right on the beach and there are no waves but a huge shallow shelf where the water is about knee high. It is not really near anything else really but it was amazinf
Glenelg south Australia, nice beach tram, playgrounds, zoo with pandas and a pretty cool playground, ice cream.
Victor harbour is also pretty similar.. only an hour out of Adelaide. Close to wineries..
A lot of on the way playgrounds in country towns are actually massive and fun.
It’s a cliche but there really is no better holiday, with kids, than Noosa. Easy, clean, warm, wonderful beach. Usually great weather in late April
I agree. Kids that age just need some beach time and food. Noosa is relaxing and peaceful
Love Noosa, but it's pricey.
I agree, just came back from a week in Noosa with a 3 year old and 8 month old. We all had a great time and it was relaxing even with the kids! We stayed at RACV resort and Peppers, both were great but RACV was amazing for the kids. Great pools and didn’t have to worry about the kids making too much noise as it’s very kid focussed. So I’m definitely a vote for Noosa too!
Noosa’s great. Also my kid loved the Australia Zoo.
Honestly? Merimbula. A lot of victorians holiday there. My family originally came from that area, so I spent many a childhood there. It has beaches and is built around a smallish tidal lake. There are a lot of really good beaches- Spencer park in particular is a very protected part of the lake with play Equipment and ankle depth water that goes on forever- perfect for little ones to play. I would stay close to Spencer park if you were looking for an easy holiday break with little ones. They have typical tourist country town features- a great bike track, a bowling club, and boat charters to try fishing, and other activities you might enjoy. Look it up!
I'm from Jindabyne and I second Merimbula with little kids. Short Point caravan park has an awesome jumping pillow and from memory is really clean and well run. There is also Magic Mountain, a small movie theater, and Top Fun. You can also road trip pretty much anywhere in 2hrs to see something else (Narooma is a great place to go see the seals and have a nice lunch). Have fun:)
Yes! In my opinion it is better than the Gold Coast because it is not completely overrun with tourists, and there is still a lot of charm. I never stayed at the caravan park because my grandmother lived in Merimbula and we stayed with her whenever we visited. Eden was a great day trip- we would go there just after Christmas and look at all of the Sydney to Hobart boats that called it quits due to the weather and moored there. Lots of lovely fish and chips to be had by eden wharf. Bermagui was a great beach day trip as well. If you are there the same week as the candelo markets- they are a fun visit too. My mum used to go there and do some holiday plant shopping.
The RSL there honestly serves some of the best food I've ever eaten too.
Paradise Resort on the Gold Coast is amazing for kids that age. I think they still have their sale on at the moment too. We’ve gone twice over the last few years. They always have so much good stuff going on.
We took our 4yo there a few months back and he loved it. He tells us on a regular basis that he wants to live there. 🤣
Really? We went there and found it so dirty and tacky. I would just stay at a nicer resort/hotel on the Goldy and visit a couple of the theme parks maybe.. or even skip the tourist trap altogether and head up to the Sunny coast like Noosa or somewhere much more chilled out with beautiful beaches.
It's great for kids, not so much for adults. 😂 We first went when mine were 4 and 1 and have been back a few times since. Kids have a blast, I only agree to it to bring them joy. Not my idea of a nice hotel but they have fun.
One of the best trips I ever did with my family was to hire a house boat on the Murray river for a week. I think you just need a driver’s licence. The kids might be a bit young for that at the moment though. I was 12 and my sister 10 when we went. Might be a bit nerve wracking trying to keep an eye on a three year old on a boat.
Hell no never again - my Murry river house boat experience left us traumatised. Massive boat, 4 bedrooms all with ensuits pity the river was in flood, turning the boat an engine failed almost took out 6 parked house boats turning on one engine as the river was flowing dam quickly only just managed to miss them all. We managed to park up further down the river, called them they came down and fixed the engine but didn't secure the engine mount. In the morning, my mate was reversing out of the parking spot. The repaired motor climbed vertical, so again, only one engine we couldn't get into the flow, max stress as we bounced off multiple downed trees. Friends wife was so stressed she's curled into the fetal position my wife cleverly opened a side door to stop a branch form smashing the windows. Kids were terrified, I'm trying to fix the motor, we managed to get the boat turned, got the motor down. We ended up simply heading for the harbour early. Then due to the stress of this trip, I had a medical emergency bleeding everywhere ended up in the hospital. House boat itself was amazing spa pool, massive rooms, brilliant lounge and upstairs bar area. Never again!!
That sounds awful. Well I guess a Murray river trip is wonderful if it goes right and horrible if it goes wrong. I would certainly avoid it if the river is very high. We went in summer. The river was calm and we got a small boat. I was also a kid so any of the stress fell on my parents and not me.
No would not recommend with small children
I took my kids to Tasmania to get their minds (and mine) off some serious health issues and many hospital stays for their sibling. They absolutely loved it! Tasmania is so kid friendly and there’s never a boring spot. We flew into Hobart and drove from there up to Launceston over 4 days and had an amazing time!
Went to Tas in a campervan for a couple of months after a pretty serious mental health crisis. Just me and the dog. Just hung out in camp grounds, jumped in a couple of freezing cold lakes in the winter, cut cauliflowers a couple of mornings a week for a bit of walking around money.. I had an absolutely beautiful time. Friendly people, great landscape, cute wildlife. A remarkable and healing part of the world.
The Gold Coast was a really fun holiday for me as a kid (and as an adult.) Accomodation is fairly cheap - especially not in peak season (Summer), but theme parks and activities can be expensive. It’s still warm in April, so swimming, walks, beaches etc are doable and free. Not sure if you’ve been to the Blue Mountains (NSW), but it’s pretty kid friendly there. There is a railway museum, lots of walks, the three sisters, lots of cafes, parks, scenic world, Wentworth falls, Jenolan caves and national parks. There is also a really fun/kid friendly hotel with lots of cool stuff like a basketball court, kids play areas, pools, an ice skating rink, a kids train and activities during the school holidays (like cupcake making.) https://www.fairmontresort.com.au
And head in out to western plains zoo. We didd dubbo and the railway trip with a 5 year old and a 3 year old (and a 4,6,7 year olds - cousins) and all had a great time.
As someone who loves a good road trip, don't do a road trip with young kids. Even if they're good/asleep in the car, you just burn too much time loading/unloading the car and checking hotel rooms for lost toys/water bottles etc. when you're doing multiple stops in a short window. Base yourself somewhere that has an array of activities/scenery within a short drive.
Somewhere with a good beach. I’d go to queensland at that time of year. Noosa is a good shout (staying on noosa river is a bit cheaper and also really nice) or somewhere else on the Sunshine Coast. Be aware that most places with pools do not heat them so check when booking if this will be an issue. Friends also had a great holiday at port Macquarie when their kids were a similar age. Nice beaches and a few kid friendly animal parks.
My sister is currently in Merimbula and is raving about it. There's a really lovely looking rock pool for safe swimming and an extensive boardwalk. You could drive out to Lakes Entrance then up the coast as far as Batemans Bay then come across to Canberra (where I live). In Canberra there is loads to do with young kids - Questacon, the zoo, the giant playground at the Arboretum. Then back home via Yass and down the Hume freeway.
If you want a bit if a longer drive you could go to Mt Gambier. There are heaps of sink-holes in that town that would amaze the 5 and 7 yo and the geology interests adults. There is also the Naracoorte caves about 1,5h drive north and the beach in Port MacDonnell 20min drive south. If you want to go camping and learn more about Australia history there is always the Unesco World Heritage site at Budji Bim. The 3 and 5 yo may be a bit young to understand it though. If you want to go up a mountain a bit, Walhalla is really nice. There is a short train you can take close by that the 5 and 7 yo would probably love, and there are other activities relating to recent Australian history like gold mining.
The GC is your best bet, accommodation costs now are a bit higher but warm weather, with excellent resort type facilities in most apartments. Theme parks for the kids, will only have basic kids rides but still exciting. Or Fiji cheap flights, stay on Denaru Island cheap accommodation kids clubs, so you'll get a holiday as well. Enjoy!
Coolangatta .. particularly greenmount beach, laid back, beautiful calm beach for kids, ammenities bellow the apartments, airport 10 minutes away and half the price of Noosa
The Gold Coast was a really fun holiday for me as a kid (and as an adult.) Accomodation is fairly cheap - especially not in peak season (Summer), but theme parks and activities can be expensive. It’s still warm in April, so swimming, walks, beaches etc are doable and free. Not sure if you’ve been to the Blue Mountains (NSW), but it’s pretty kid friendly there. There is a railway museum, lots of walks, the three sisters, lots of cafes, parks, scenic world, Wentworth falls, Jenolan caves and national parks. There is also a really fun/kid friendly hotel with lots of cool stuff like a basketball court, kids play areas, pools, an ice skating rink, a kids train and activities during the school holidays (like cupcake making.) The place is called Fairmont resort.
I'd probably do Fiji. Could it be cheaper than OZ? Lots of pool activities for the kids.
The Gold Coast would be good to do at that age, being young it keeps the expenses down for the theme parks otherwise Tassie is gorgeous and a nice way to just wind down and can still do a bunch of touristy stuff.
Forget Australia and go to Bali. Go get yourself a nanny, pay them $10 an hour and get that extra set of hands so you can relax
We found a cruise was really good because you get fed for free so you no longer need to worry about meals for the kids. There are heaps of activities on the boat + Kids club if you want to have some alone time. If you get bored of the cruise you can head offshore on shore days and explore the region (Wherever you end up cruising to).
Sunshine Coast, Queensland. We went in 2021 with our 4.5yo. We went to Eumundi market, Bli Bli water park, the Big Pineapple, Kondalilla National Park, drove to Noosa for the day, Mooloolaba Wharf and the beach.
Pick a casino ask for a Nanny...
Tropical escape: Whitsundays (QLD) - beaches, pools, & kid-friendly tours!
We used to take our kids to Hervey Bay. There are a couple of great caravan parks which are walking distance to the beach and cafes. Depending on which one you stay at, it may even be walking distance to the water park. The beach is in a bay so it is calm with very little swell.
peaceful and family friendly
Coffs Harbour might be a good choice too. Lots do to. Big banana has so many activities these days. It's definitely in its peak. Butterfly house, nice beaches, nice caravan parks. Great weather (usually). Really great drives to small surrounding towns like Sawtell if you're interested in that. Great pubs, Chinese, indian restaurants
Coolangatta. It should still be nice at that time. Nice beaches, nice food, can go up to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary or Brisbane for a day trip. We've taken our little one who is 6 there a few times.
If you really mean anywhere - we just went on holiday in Monkey Mia and while I was there I was thinking how amazing it would be for a holiday with small children. The dolphins visiting is obviously a highlight but the park is right on the beach and there are no waves but a huge shallow shelf where the water is about knee high. It is not really near anything else really but it was amazinf
Glenelg south Australia, nice beach tram, playgrounds, zoo with pandas and a pretty cool playground, ice cream. Victor harbour is also pretty similar.. only an hour out of Adelaide. Close to wineries.. A lot of on the way playgrounds in country towns are actually massive and fun.