by Loreena Walsh | NSW Destinations & Activities
What if you discovered that travelling to Port Macquarie for holidays wasn’t just about beaches? Port Macquarie is a well known family holiday destination, mostly due to it’s amazing beaches and relaxed lifestyle and atmosphere. While this stunning coastal stretch is what brings tourists flocking to the region each year, there is so much more to the Hastings Region than many people ever discover, which is a shame in many ways.
Think shimmering, emerald green rainforests, breathtaking waterfalls, bushwalks for all abilities, kayaking along stretches of river that seem almost untouched, sleepy villages with customer service that leaves you smiling for days, stepping back into the simplicity, away from the crazy, busy life we lead, and you’ll have uncovered just some of what this amazing region has to offer.
Sure, don’t forget the beaches, a visit to the region wouldn’t be the same without them, but don’t base your entire holiday on them. If you do, you’re truly missing out on the spectacular!
Best Shopping Around Port Macquarie Region?
While in Port you’ll find the best of what the major chain stores has to offer, head 15 minutes west toward Wauchope and you’ll uncover a treasure trove of unique clothing boutiques, gorgeous homewares and cute cafe’s with great coffee. The best part is you won’t be fighting holiday makers for the privilege of discovering unique products and clothing with customer service second to none. When you’re finished in Wauchope, head down to Laurieton where you’ll find the same boutique shopping experience. On the third Sunday of each month, you’re in for a wonderful treat with Laurieton Riverwalk Markets offering an array of goods from hand crafted specialties to organic products and local meat and veg.
Best Family Attractions Around Port Macquarie Region?
There’s a stack of thing to do in Port Macquarie to keep the kids entertained, but by dragging them away from the lure of the ocean won’t be a problem once they start discovering all the other great things to do in the region.
- Billabong Zoo – Just west of Port Macquarie along the Oxley Highway
- Timbertown – On the western side of Wauchope
- Ricardoes Tomatoes – At Telegraph Point
- Bellrowan Horseriding – Based near Wauchope
- Laurieton Movie Theatre
- Wauchope Pool – With a big slippery slide that’s a favourite with the kids, a great spot to visit
- Wiseman’s Ferry Reserve, Wauchope – BBQ’s, swings and giant slide for the kids, have a swim in the river, go fishing or watch the boats drive by.
Best Day Trips Around Port Macquarie Region?
For spectacular day trips, head up into the hills. The mountain regions west or Port Macquarie offer a nature’s wonderland of camping, waterfalls, bush walks, rainforest walks and swimming holes.
Ellenborough Nature Reserve – On the Oxley Highway – Offers free camping, access to the river for kayaking and lots of relaxing fun in nature.
Wilsons River Reserve – Off Cobrabald Road Telegraph Point – Offers BBQ’s, tables and chairs, shallow water and a bridge for the kids, rainforest bushwalks that lead to a stunning waterfall and swimming hole
Kendall – This village offers unique cafe’s and a gorgeous road trip for the afternoon to discover the surrounding hills, taking in the farm lands and natural landscapes of the region.
Comboyne – Discover local art, amazing coffee and breathtaking scenery when you visit this sleepy little town.
It pays to think outside the square when visiting a region, and the Hastings Region is no different. There’s so much to be discovered, that you’ll wonder what all the fuss is over the beaches by the time you finish exploring all the tucked away goodness that surrounds Port Macquarie.
by Loreena Walsh | NT Destinations & Activities, Slider Features
We’re going to take a look at Kakadu and it’s suitability for a family holiday destination. It’s a place I would encourage everyone to visit once in their lifetime. Seeing rock art that is centuries old gives you a real vision into just how small our part in this world is, and how important it is that we care for this land like the generations of people who lived here for centuries before us. If your family has any love of the great outdoors, then definitely it’s a must see. Kakadu left us changed, taught us about the true history of Australia, and left us in awe of the Aboriginal culture and it’s depth and importance when it comes to the future of the environment in Australia.
Where is Kakadu National Park Located?
Kakadu National Park is situated around 250kms from Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. When travelling South of Darwin, it is accessed by turning off the Stuart Highway, onto the Arnhem highway toward Humpty Doo, alternatively, by exiting the Stuart Highway near Pine Creek and turning onto the Arnhem Highway when travelling from further inland NT.
It’s important to note that travelling at dawn, dusk or night in the Northern Territory, or anywhere outside Australian cities, presents a higher risk of wildlife being injured. If you need to travel at these times, it’s important to travel slowly to ensure you’re able to reduce the risk of hitting wildlife and causing injury to both the wildlife and your vehicle. Keep this in mind when planning your travel itinerary.
The road into the park is all bitumen, so the main tourist areas are accessible via 2wd. There are some camp grounds and walk areas that are often only 4wd accessible. For travelling with younger kids, the shorter, more accessible walks and tours will provide a great experience, so a 4wd is definitely not necessary.
View Kakadu in a larger map
Activities for Kids in Kakadu
Mamukala Wetlands: Stop in at Mamukala Wetlands for a spectacular view, with great signage and lots of bird life!
Ubirr Rock Art Site in Kakadu: Without a doubt, one of the greatest attractions for visiting Kakadu is to see Aboriginal Rock Art up close. Ubirr is an easily accessible area that offers wonderful rock art sites, and the opportunity to climb to the very top for spectacular views across the National Park. It’s a great idea to tag along on a ranger talk about the rock art, but if you’re there at other times there are great signs that tell the stories of the art as you walk around.
There are several options for taking in the sights around Ubirr. These include a wheelchair accessible route to take in much of the rock art sites, right through to the climb up to the Nadab lookout for spectacular views.
Note for experiencing Ubirr with kids: Take plenty of water and snacks, wear hats and sunscreen, be sure to have comfy shoes that won’t give blisters, and are suitable for walking the rock climb if going to the top lookout. Our children were 5, 3 and 1 when we did the climb to the lookout and were comfortable doing the entire walk. It’s VERY important to watch children closely when climbing to the lookout and while on the top, it’s a natural environment and does not provide child safe barriers (that would ruin the view). It’s perfectly find for families who feel comfortable tackling something like this, but extra care should definitely be taken with young children.
(Angbangbang) Nourlangie and Nanguluwur art sites: These sites offer a spectacular gallery of Aboriginal Art, and are definitely not to be missed. There’s plenty of walking, but we found it fairly easy so if your kids are up to the challenge, then this nature wonderland is a spectacular walk with art that you won’t forget!
Yellow Water: The aboriginal name for Yellow Water is Ngurrungurrudjba. This is a spectacular place for a family to take a Yellow Water cruise and see an abundance of Kakadu wildlife up close. See huge crocs sunning themselves and a wide range of birdlife as you cruise the Kakadu wetlands.
There are a range of boardwalks to take in the world renowned wetlands, or a range of cruise options that run all day. Cruises give you a chance to not only see wildlife up close, but to learn more about the region, history and wildlife from highly experienced guides.
Have you been to Kakadu with kids? Are you planning to go? Got any questions? Feel free to comment below or drop us a line 🙂
by Loreena Walsh | NSW Destinations & Activities
It can seem like an impossible task to come up with kids activities for school holidays during winter, but what better time to get out and enjoy nature as family by getting involved with NSW National Parks for an adventure like no other.
NSW National Parks offer much more than just pretty views and a great place for picnics, they offer a wonderland of school holiday adventure for kids of all ages, both young and old.
There are hundreds of National Parks in NSW, that encompass a huge range of diversity, from rugged outback, to succulent rainforests, to amazing ocean views watching whales play in the ocean. So here’s our guide to planning family activities for the school holidays.
School Holiday Programs in NSW National Parks.
What to do in National Parks over the School Holidays?
- Camping
- Bike Riding
- Culture talks
- Culture workshops
- Ocean discovery workshops
- Junior Ranger days
- Guided Tours
- Fishing
- Whale Watching
- Bird watching
- Wilderquest tours and workshops
- lots, lots more.
No matter where you are in Australia, it’s more than likely you’ll have a national park close by that has a range of activities on offer over the school holidays. For NSW residents, you’re now spoilt with the convenience of National Parks and Wildlife developing an amazing new website called Wild Wild World, which allows you to search for great activities available within NSW National Parks.
Activities that are listed on the Wild Wild World website are able to be sorted by region, specific parks, activity level, interests, and specific dates. Perfect if you’re wanting to plan a school holiday activity for the kids and want to make the most of any available activities that may be on offer over their time off school.
How to Plan School Holiday Activities in a NSW National Park?
1. The best bet is to head over to their website http://www.wildwildworld.com.au
2. Search for National Parks that are available in the region you’ll be travelling.
3. Narrow down by suitable activities for your family interests, ages and activity levels.
4. Be prepared for your travels – be sure to research any national parks passes you may require, as well as weather forecasts, availability of facilites and any other information you may need. If you’re going to be camping take a look at our guide to camping with kids
5. Remember not to bring pets to National Parks and leave the park the same way (or better) than it was when you arrived. This means taking any rubbish with you, not feeding native wildlife, and helping by picking up anything left behind by others.
6. Have a great time, enjoy the great outdoors and the wonderful country that we have.
Do you have a favourite NSW National Park? Or a favourite activity in National Parks? Let us know in the comments below.
by Loreena Walsh | TAS Destinations & Activities
As we discovered previously there are plenty of wonderful Tasmanian experiences for families to keep you going all year round. Now it’s time to take a closer look at some of the regions and attractions in Tasmania and the great things it has to offer for an adventurous family holiday that is unique within Australia. Let’s take a look at Cradle Mountain.
About the Cradle Mountain Region:
Cradle Mountain is a famous icon of Tasmania’s World Heritage Wilderness and resides in the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park, north-west of Tasmania. The region is a great family destination as it offers unspoilt and magnificent natural beauty with jagged peaks, rainforests, alpine woodland and an abundance of flora and fauna. Numerous day walks exist in the area around the mountain and is the starting point for the world-famous Overland Track which is a scenic six day walk that is regularly climbed by tourists, almost all year round.
Family Activities in Cradle Mountain:
- Ranger led Activities: An array of activities including slideshows, walks and informational talks exist for people of all ages, including adults and children throughout the year. They are run by the rangers and are educational, fun and a great opportunity to learn more about Tasmania’s national parks, cultural heritage, and wildlife.
- Sightseeing: For a bird’s eye view of the Cradle Mountain region and an all encompassing view of the stunning scenery, take a 30 minutes scenic flight with the family. It will be an experience you and your family will never forget!
- Fishing: The Cradle Mountain region has numerous lakes and rivers where you can go fishing with the family. Trout fishing is very popular so why not relax and drop in a line.
- Cradle Mountain Day Tour Adventures: Take a tour to explore the beautiful scenery of the World Heritage National Park. Waterfalls, rainforests, glacial lakes and thousands of year old King Billy pine forests are some of the sights that you will see. Try and spot some native wild life including wombats and wallabies with the children. Visit the interesting town murals of Sheffield and end the tour with a visit to Ashgrove Cheese Farm.
- Tasmanian Devil Sanctuary: Located close to the entrance to Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park is Devils @ Cradle, which looks after the conservation of the Tasmanian Devil, Spotted-tail Quoll and Eastern Quoll. Tours are offered daily where you can learn more about the world’s largest carnivorous marsupial, the Tasmanian Devil, and even get up and personal with one! Night Feeding Tours are also available where you can see the nocturnal habits of the Tasmanian Devil feeding in a group. You and your family wouldn’t want to miss out on this unique opportunity to see the endangered Tasmania Devil.
Getting to Cradle Mountain:
Fly to Launceston or Hobart and drive two hours or four and a half hours to Cradle Mountain respectively. If you choose to take the Spirit of Tasmania ferry to Devonport, it is only a one and a half hour’s drive from Devonport to Cradle Mountain.
Have you visted Cradle Mountain region with kids? We’d love to hear your stories, feel free to comment below.
by Loreena Walsh | VIC Accommodation, VIC Destinations & Activities
The Great Ocean Road offers a special road trip opportunity, that allows families to make the most of some of Australia’s most unique landscapes and stunning coastline delivering a wilderness playground right at their fingertips.
Our feature series on the family travel along the Great Ocean Road began with a general introduction, and now continues on to some great budget family camping and cheap family accommodation ideas for a fulfilling family road trip adventure.
While it’s not possible to go Free Camping along the entire Great Ocean Road journey, it is possible to plan your trip to make the most of the options that are available. If you’re not familiar with some of the considerations that are important when free camping, then don’t forget to take a look at our free camping tips.
Due to the large number of sites and camping options to cover, we’re breaking down our coverage into a couple of posts to make it easier to read through. The first is covering:
Free Camping Along the Great Ocean Road…. Part 1 Torquay to Lorne:
Free Camping from Torquay to Anglesea
The council has ruled that there is no Free camping within residential or commercial areas along The “Surf Coast” of Victoria, which encompasses the beginning of the Great Ocean Road near Torquay right through to the Lorne area, also taking in the towns of Anglesea and Aireys Inlet. The region has quite strict rules when it comes to free camping, and has ruled that the only Free Camps are within National Parks across the region.
Camping is only allowed in allocated camp zones, and these are few and far between. For the most part, camping near Torquay, right thorugh to Aireys Inlet will need to be done within caravan parks. If you choose to take the risk to free camp, you can expect a $125 fine from the council rangers.
Major caravan parks in the region are:
Torquay Campgrounds: Torquay Holiday Park, Torquay Foreshore Caravan Park and Jan Juc Holiday Park. Pricing starts at around $25 off peak/mid week for 2 adults. Basing on an average of 2 adults and 2 children for families, you can expect to pay from $40 to $70+ per night for a powered campsite. Unpowered sites are mainly offered during Peak seasons, but are available at some parks.
Anglesea Campgrounds: Anglesea Beachfront Family Caravan Park with sites starting from around $31 – $71 depending on the season for a powered site with 2 people with extra charge for children. Big 4 Anglesea with family camping at powered sites costing from around $60+ per night
Tip: If you’re starting your Great Ocean Road travels from Late December right through January, then Barwon Heads which is not far from Torquay, offers Riverside camping with over 220 unpowered sites at a great price of only $220 per week for 2 adults and children included. This option is great for peak season travellers who are on a budget and are self sufficient.
Free Camping from Aireys Inlet to Lorne
As we move down the Great Ocean Road toward National Park areas, free camping sites start to arise. These great spots are most commonly within National Parks, so will often be some way from the main road, and will generally require some level of self sufficiency whilst camping. Please be sure to take your own drinking water into these campgrounds.
Aireys Inlet Paid Campgrounds: Major park is: Aireys Inlet Holiday Park which offers camping for families around $40+ a night for 2 adults/2 Children in a powered campsite depending on the season.
Free Camping Near Aireys Inlet: Hammonds Road Campground (Great Otway National Park) is around 10kms from Aireys Inlet. There is around 9km of dirt road, offering 10 tent sites and 5 caravan and camper sites, it is open all year around and has a 4wd recommendation. It offers drop toilets.
Lorne Paid Campgrounds: Lorne Foreshore Caravan Parks are 5 parks offering a range of camping options, all looked after from the same office. All camp sites are powered and range from around $43 + depending on the season for 2 adults and 2 children.
Free Camping Near Lorne: Big Hill Track (Great Otway National Park: Around 12 kms on the Lorne-Deans Marsh Rd . 20 campsites with access for caravans, campers in dry weather, and tents. Toilets available. Closed from June to end of October. Cora Lynn: Erskine Falls Road – Required to walk in approx 1km via Cora Lynn Cascades Foot track to 2 small camp spaces. Allenvale Mill Site: Allenvale Rd (Great Otway National Park): 20 campsites in forest beside creek, a short walk from car park, open year round, toilets available. Sharps Track – Via Allenvale Rd, turn onto Garvey track, then Sharps Track. No toilets, 8 camping spaces available, Access to Kalimna Falls, but no toilets are available here.
Just down the road from Lorne is Cumberland River Holiday Park – Paid camping sites for a family of 4 range from around $55 off peak, variable depending on the season.
Jamiesons Track is on the way South of Lorne and offers bush camping, without facilities. It’s accessible only by 4wd, subject to seasonal access.
View Great Ocean Road Camping for Little Aussie Travellers in a larger map
Use the map above to take a look at the locations for the camp grounds we’ve mentioned. The $ signs are paid campsites and the tent symbols offer free camping options.
It becomes quite obvious, that the more self sufficient you are as a camping family, the easier it is to find camping areas along this route. While some of the caravan parks along the way are pet friendly, it’s important to remember that travelling with dogs or other pets into the National Park is illegal, so it will make it impossible to camp there without making other arrangements for any pets you may be travelling with.
Next up we’ll be covering free and budget camping from Wye River, right through to Port Campbell. (We’ll update the post when it’s finished)
by Loreena Walsh | TAS Destinations & Activities
Tasmania offers a natural wonderland of exploration for families looking to enjoy travel and holidays not available on the Australian Mainland. The Bass Strait separates this gem of an island from the mainland of Australia, making it the most southern state of Australia. Renowned for its beautiful natural beauty, around a third of Tasmania made up of national parks and reserves. Unsurprisingly, Tasmania has been bestowed the honour of having the cleanest air in the world! If you’re looking to escape to a peaceful and serene holiday location then Tasmania is the place for you.
Family Activities in Tasmania for All Seasons:
No matter when you choose to visit Tasmania, there are various activities and events that parents and children can enjoy throughout the year.
- Summer, lasting from December to February, is the peak time for tourism with numerous festivals held including the Festivale in Launceston, Taste of Tasmania and MONA FOMA, both held in Hobart. The famous Sydney to Hobart Yacht race is on every summer whereas every second year, the festival, Ten Days on the Island, is held throughout Tasmania offering countless events and performances to marvel at.
- Autumn, lasting from March to May, starts to cool down which makes it ideal to sample delicious fresh Tasmania produce at Savour Tasmania in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie and to warm the soul at the Red Wine Weekend.
- Winter, lasting from June to August, is the time to snuggle up with your close ones by a log fire. Fill your belly up at the Tastings at the Top at Cradle Mountain – Lake St. Clair National Park and listen to the incredible vocalists at Hobart’s Festival of the Voices. For chocolate lovers, the Chocolate Winterfest, in Latrobe (not far from Devonport) is the place to be.
- Spring, lasting from September to November, marks the appearance of a stunning array of flowers. Blooming Tasmania features floral displays state wide, the Daffodil & Spring Flower Show is held in Sheffield and Bloomin’ Tulips is held in Wynyard.
Climate for Tasmanian Holidays:
When packing for Tasmanian holidays, remember that Tasmania has a cooler climate than mainland Australia as it’s located closer to Antarctica than the rest of the country. The state has average summer temperatures of around 24˚C. Autumn often experiences unsettled weather and spring is generally windy. The winter months are often the wettest and coolest months of the year with some areas even receiving snowfall!
Getting to Tasmania:
- By Air: The quickest way to reach Tasmania is by air with direct flights from Melbourne and Sydney to Hobart or Launceston. Qantas, Jetstar &Virgin Australia service these routes. An airport shuttle is available to take you directly from the airport into the centre of town.
- By Sea: Alternatively, you can choose a more leisurely experience and travel by ship on the Spirit of Tasmania, departing from Melbourne (Port Melbourne) to Devonport. Sailings are overnight with additional day sailings between December and April. Travel options range from Ocean Recliners to Deluxe Cabins. Various dining and entertainment options are available on board including a restaurant, cafe, a cinema and a kids’ playroom. You can take your own vehicle, trailer, caravan, bike and even your pets!
Stick around, as we guide you through all that Tasmania has to offer you for the family holiday of a lifetime.
