How to get the most out of Queensland's school holidays

Where to go: Currumbin, Gold Coast

Want your kids to experience the idyllic, quiet beach escape just like your own childhood holidays? You can find it on the southern end of the Gold Coast, in the community coastal neighbourhood of Currumbin.

Currumbin Creek waterway links the ocean through to the rainforest, making it the perfect base for both coastal and hinterland adventures. Have a family SUP session in Currumbin Creek, or battle it out with beach cricket. Head into the hinterland to explore the waterfalls and walking trails of Springbrook National Park, or meet the friendly animals and manoeuvre the Treetop Challenge at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

If you want to make your family holiday action-packed, check out this guide of things to do on the Gold Coast with kids. 

Here's a few more ideas for holidays that will slow you down.

March to April: get adventurous

Where to go: Outback Queensland

Pack the family into the car for an epic road trip west. Don’t fret, the Easter Bunny will still be able to find the kids in Outback Queensland, and he may even pop into the Charleville Bilby Centre to say G’day to his bilby mates.

Take the Dinosaur Trail through the outback to dig for dinosaur bones, learn from paleontologists and fossick for gems. Explore incredible gorges and lava caves through North West Queensland, or stargaze at Charleville's Cosmos Centre. 

Where to go: Mulgumpin (Moreton Island)

The Easter break is also a great time to soak up the Queensland sunshine before the mercury drops. Head to Mulgumpin (Moreton Island) for a family holiday adventure on the third largest sand island in the world.

Only a 75-minute catamaran cruise from Brisbane, your family can explore this nature theme park on a Quad Bike Tour, fly down the sand dunes on a toboggan or snorkel the sunken shipwrecks off the island. Friendly wild dolphins make an appearance almost every night at the shore of Tangalooma Island Resort where you can exchange a fish for a photo op with these beautiful creatures, under the guide of wildlife rangers.

June to July: soak up island time

Where to go: Hamilton Island

Activate island mode these holidays and fly directly into Hamilton Island (from Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne). Perfect for kids, the island is dotted with family-friendly activities in every direction your golf buggy can take you.

Think kid’s club, mini golf course, bowling alley, go-kart track, watersports and a tennis court all on one self-contained island. And, of course, tours by boat, plane or helicopter to neighbouring islands in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef - including Whitehaven Beach. Many accommodations provide ‘kids stay and eat free’ options which makes an escape here more wallet-friendly. 

Where to go: K'gari 

Looking for an island escape that's a little more rugged? Take the beach highway and set up camp on world heritage-listed K'gari (formerly Fraser Island). Only a 45-minute ferry ride from family beach haven Hervey Bay, this is your opportunity for a digital detox on the world's largest sand island. 

There's so much to explore: swim in Lake McKenzie, float down Eli Creek, wander through ancient rainforest, and 4WD along 75 Mile Beach. You won’t be the only ones here during school holidays as this is the perfect time to spot humpback whales migrating north for the winter.

If camping isn't your style, book your stay at Kingfisher Bay Resort which hosts a Junior Eco Ranger program, with interactive wildlife experiences including beach games, bushwalks, campfires and stargazing, led by the resort's expert ranger team.

Use this guide to start your planning. 

September: embrace marine life or country life

Where to go: Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

On the cusp of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites, venture to Cairns for a reef-meets-rainforest getaway.

Spend a day snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef - Sunlover Reef Cruises is a family-friendly day trip with oodles of activities from the 'marine biologist for a day' program to the thrill of a waterslide into the ocean from its pontoon base. Then, immerse yourselves in the world’s oldest surviving tropical rainforest, the Daintree. Learn about Aboriginal culture at Mossman Gorge, take the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway over Barron Gorge National Park and share serene moments at Kuranda's Butterfly Sanctuary.

Start planning with this 7-day Cairns family itinerary and our pick of the best things to do with kids in Cairns.

Where to go: farm stay in the Scenic Rim

It's time to escape the bustle and reconnect with the good ol' country life, where days are spent outdoors and evenings become a boardgame battleground.

Tommerups Dairy Farm Stay is just a 90-minute drive from Brisbane into the Scenic Rim where you can stay and play with the farm’s cows, chickens, sheep, pigs, and goats. Get your hands dirty helping the Tommerup family on the farm, then kick back and lose yourself in the country ambience. 

December: witness turtle magic

Where to go: Bundaberg

From November to January, mother loggerhead turtles come ashore to lay their eggs at Mon Repos in Bundaberg. 6-8 weeks later, these babies will hatch and make their way to the ocean in their first hours of life.

See the turtles on a twilight tour or learn about the life cycle of these gorgeous creatures at Mon Repos Turtle Centre - where you can even join a ranger-led twilight tour down to the beach to witness the magic of nesting or hatching. While you're here in Bundaberg, take the opportunity to explore the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef at eco-haven Lady Elliot Island, where the kids can become reef rangers and learn how to protect our marine environments while coming face to face with fish, turtles and mantas on snorkelling tours. 

Looking for more Queensland school holiday ideas? Head here for inspiration.