Full of wide-open spaces and a surprise at every corner, Australia is the perfect place to let your kids explore and see what our beautiful country has to offer beyond their own backyards.
From tropical reefs and surf beaches to snowy valleys and mountain tops, it’s an amazing place to teach your kids first-hand about nature, travel and Australian culture.
While it’s true that the sometimes vast distances between point A and point B are enough to drive parents a little bit batty, traveling with your camper trailer really is the best way to soak it all in and get the most well-rounded experiences for both you and your kids.
A camper trailer is comfortable, it’s hassle-free and it comes with just about anything and everything you could need while you’re on the road, your kitchen, storage, plenty of space for the whole family to sleep and the likes. But that’s enough about camper trailers– we’re sure you already know this.
Since you have your accommodation under control, now we can launch in to a new list of where you will be traveling next, or add some of these destinations to your bucket list.
Traveling with kids comes with a whole new set of things to consider, such as quick and easy meals, lots of fun activities and a ton of other things which you can read about here.
However, with some savvy planning and a knowledge of which locations are awesome for families, you can bet that you, your kids and your camper trailer will be a dream team in no time.
Here’s our list of our top 6 family-friendly locations around the great land of Aus. To help suit everyone, we’ve tried to cover different parts of the city and the country, ensuring if you have three days or three weeks available to head away there’s an option for you.
Despite being our nation’s capital, the ACT and Canberra are always being left behind when it comes to travel plans. It’s a great place to take the kids, and as an added bonus, a lot of the tourist attractions in Canberra are free.
It may even come as a surprise to lots of parents that the National Gallery of Australia and Old Parliament House have things to keep the little ones entertained so you can brush up on your art or history for a few hours if that’s what floats your boat.
Besides Canberra, there’s plenty to do and see in the ACT. Many of Canberra’s attractions are dotted around Lake Burley Griffin, and others are just a short drive from the lake and lots of caravan parks.
The capital’s tranquil, leafy suburbs and parks surrounding the city centre, combined with gorgeous blue skies year-round, make it the perfect place to explore the outdoors. Hire a paddleboat or a family bike to get a different view of the lake and explore Canberra’s nature parks, reserves and playgrounds.
If you have been to Darwin, you’ll know that its out of this world hot. This means that swimming is a daily ritual here, so not all bad news. If you have stopped and set up in Darwin itself, dunk the kids in the Wave Lagoon at the waterfront precinct. Down the road, you’ll find the Lichfield National Park, complete with waterfalls perfect for a dip.
Kakadu is a must if you’re heading that direction, and it comes with some remote swimming holes. But the park’s primary lures are its eye-opening indigenous rock-art galleries and its wildlife– think snapping crocs and beautiful flapping birds.
Further south is Nitmiluk National Park, where you can swim and kayak around gorgeous Katherine Gorge. If you didn’t spy a croc in Kakadu, Crocosaurus Cove in downtown Darwin will get you far closer to one than seems sensible. Hold on to your kiddos!
We’re normally all about finding the hidden gems and taking the road less travelled, but there’s no denying that Aussie kids (and big kids) love a good day out at the theme parks. The Gold Coast and its surrounding areas are home to a heap of campgrounds backed onto stunning beaches and national parks, so the short drive to a theme park for the day shouldn’t eat into your holiday time too much.
There are five humongous theme parks here: Dreamworld, Sea World, Movie World, Wet’n’Wild and WhiteWater World. Get wet on a muggy Queensland afternoon or lose your lunch on a rollercoaster. Alternatively, the much-hyped Australia Zoo is two hours north (and it actually lives up to the hype).
The Gold Coast’s beach suburbs are kid-centric too, with surf lessons, jet-skiing, sea-kayaking, whale-watching … you name it.
Not far from Adelaide, but remote enough to be out of the city, Kangaroo Island is an underrated slice of heaven. Big-ticket winners for kids here include the awesome looking sea lions at the Seal Bay Conservation Park and the appropriately named Remarkable Rocks in Flinders Chase National Park.
In between, you’ll find sand dunes (take your best shot at sandboarding), surf beaches, pelican-feeding sessions, honey farms, fishing jetties, caves and wildlife parks – plenty of kiddie distractions until it’s time for some fish and chips and wine at the pub in Kingscote.
We know we harp on about this place a lot, but it’s simply somewhere that you can’t miss. Especially for the kids, seeing the reef and all the wonderful parks of nature here is second to none. Here’s our recommended itinerary.
Launch your Great Barrier Reef expedition from Cairns or Port Douglas, with a high-speed catamaran trip to an inner-reef atoll or an extended day trip to the pristine outer reef. Either way, snorkelling over this hyper-coloured world is mind-blowing. Scuba diving is an option for teens, while a sail in a glass-bottom boat will help the little ones see into the sea.
Back on dry land, far north Queensland caravan parks are geared for families, with structured activities, pools and the likes.
For a bit of a change of pace, try Victoria’s High Country. Given that the rest of the country is more or less known for scorching temperatures, tropical rainforests and wide open outback, the quality skiing options in Victoria’s High Country may come as a surprise. The
big resorts here – Mt Buller, Falls Creek and Mt Hotham – are riddled with runs for everyone from teeny tiny snow bunnies to teen-scene snowboarders.
It can be a pricey exercise getting here from Melbourne, but the payoff is a unique Australian family experience. Come back in summer for mountain biking, camping, bushwalking and assessing the bakeries in fetching high-country towns such as Beechworth, Mansfield and Bright.
Now that you have your destination checklist sorted, make sure your camper trailer is in tip-top shape to fit in your growing family. Do you need an upgrade? Check out our range, or get in contact with us at Mars Campers with any queries.