How to have a slow family holiday in Queensland
List
By Celeste Mitchell
School terms are a blur of homework, soccer training, and trying to figure out what to cook – that’s after you’ve done the job of three people at work. And it’s not just kids who are hyper connected; we’re all glued to our screens. We’re constantly operating at such a speed, that when it comes to taking some precious time off, true freedom now means standing still.
It’s why caravans are experiencing such a resurgence and demand for RVs is through the roof. Slow travel isn’t just a trendy new term, it’s about embracing the type of holiday your grandparents used to. Back then, holidays weren’t about stuffing in as many activities as possible, feeling like you’re on a race against time to tick everything off. You can do the same now by seeking out places where you can give the kids more space and let them run free.
Here are six of the best destinations in Queensland for old-school family beach and country breaks where simple pleasures reign supreme.
Go barefoot in Agnes Water and Seventeen Seventy
Photo by @theblondenomads
It’s a sign of our overscheduled reality when even most caravan parks now have an endless line-up of kids activities, water parks, and outdoor cinemas. But on the shores of the Southern Great Barrier Reef, the twin towns of Agnes Water and The Town of 1770 have kept camping firmly in the era it originated in (albeit, with modern cabins and safari tents).
It’s roughly a 5.5 hour drive north from Brisbane to Agnes Water, or you can fly to Gladstone and drive the 1.5 hours to the coast if you’d rather spend your precious time on the balcony gazing at the show-stopping view. Both Agnes Water Beach Holidays and the 1770 Camping Ground claim prime beachfront real estate and allow you to unwind from the moment you check-in – a reason many families have rolling bookings to come back year after year.
Here, days rotate between home-cooked brekkie and beachcombing, ditching the devices and learning to surf instead, hiking the real-life fairy forest Paperbark Trail and kayaking into the sunset.
Do the holiday time warp on Magnetic Island
Any adventure that starts with a ferry ride immediately allows you to switch down a gear. Jump aboard the 20-minute Sealink transfer from Townsville to Magnetic Island (Yunbenun) and you’ll discover a naturally blessed oasis with one main road, boulder-framed beaches, koalas dozing in the trees, palm trees and waterfalls.
With just over 50% of the island designated national park – and only 2107 permanent residents – there’s plenty of room to spread out and find your own groove. The best family holidays here involve accommodation where you can self-cater, your walking shoes, and a thirst for wonder. Scramble over the granite boulders to find panoramic lookouts, take a boat trip to secluded coves, and top it all off with an acai bowl from Shaka while the kids play in the playground at Nelly Bay (BYO bowl to save on disposables).
Make mindful memories in the Scenic Rim
Get back to basics and embrace the simple life during a slow holiday in the Scenic Rim. Blessed with world-class walking trails through World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforest and farm-fresh produce, it’s the ideal setting to reconnect in nature and enjoy gathering and making meals together as a family.
Book a farm stay and you’ll gain an even deeper appreciation of where the food comes from. There’s The Cottage and Homestead at sixth-generation dairy farm, Tommerups (expect to book at least four months out), or new family glamping accommodation opening soon at Towri Sheep Cheeses for a start.
Slow down in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland
Nostalgia has plenty of pull when it comes to caravanning family holidays. At the end of 2020, motorhome sharing platform Camplify saw a 154% increase in vintage van bookings built before the 1980s, compared to December 2019, with that number predicted to rise further. At Kookaburra Park, a family-friendly campground-come-animal refuge just outside Kenilworth on the Sunshine Coast, all you need to pack is your clothes when you book one of two vintage vans – Olive or Frankie.
With limited phone reception and no WiFi to distract you, you can fill your days with hikes along the Jurassic Trail, paddling the Mary River (BYO kayaks), and lawn games. Daily animal feeds are also part of the (slow) fun; the kids can help to hand feed the white and spotty deer, meet the pigs and feed the birds. If you’re bringing your own camping gear, some sites are pet-friendly, too.
Meet Mother Nature on her terms on Great Keppel Island
Live life by the sun, pump for yabbies and fish for your dinner on Great Keppel (Wop-pa) Island. This lesser-known isle was big in the ‘80s and now Millennials are rediscovering its old school vibes with their own children. A short boat transfer from Yeppoon on the Southern Great Barrier Reef, Great Keppel has 17 beaches for you to explore and snorkelling straight off the beach.
This is the setting for the kind of family holiday your kids will remember for life; barefoot, salty and full of adventure. Stay in an A-frame at Great Keppel Island Hideaway where there’s no TV and no WiFi in rooms, or in a family-sized cabin at Great Keppel Island Holiday Village. Maximise your time on the island by ordering groceries online and have them delivered to the ferry for when you arrive. You can also pre-book meals if you’re staying at Great Keppel Hideaway.
Learn from the Dreamtime on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island)
Strip things back to basics, to when there were no beach shacks, no gelato bars, and definitely no smashed avocado on Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) when you join a Mulumba Culture Walk with Quandamooka Coast. The kids will hear Minjerribah’s creation stories and learn about medicinal bush plants, trees and ochre during the one-hour tour around the Gorge Walk, providing the all-important backstory to this beautiful island – a 50-minute car ferry ride from Cleveland.
Check into one of the beach shacks at Amity Point or the recently renovated, ‘Belles on Ballow’ (formerly known as the Straddie Bungalows), or keep things really simple with a camping site at one of Minjerribah Camping’s beachfront plots.
