Explore the beauty of the Southern Great Barrier Reef with this 5-day family itinerary

While many families flock north to Cairns to explore the awe-inspiring World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef, if you venture toward the underwater wonder’s southernmost tip, you’ll be rewarded with memory-making moments with magical marine life, encounters with colourful coral and countless memories for the family photo album.

Beaming with beauty, the Southern Great Barrier Reef is bound by a coastline that is incredibly diverse – and every inch from Bundaberg in the south to Yeppoon in the north is well worth your time, especially when you’ve got the kids in tow.

Ready to dive in? Make a splash and some lifelong memories along the stunning Southern Great Barrier Reef with this action-packed five-day itinerary.

Day one – Bundaberg and magical Mon Repos

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Your adventure starts in Bundaberg, affectionately known as ‘Bundy’. Located on the doorstep of the Southern Great Barrier Reef, this bountiful region is an ideal base for accessing most of the Reef’s southern islands, and conveniently it doubles as an idyllic family-holiday spot. Here, lush sugarcane country meets a glistening turtle playground – so there’s plenty to do in and out of the water.

After an easy 4.5-hour drive from Brisbane, you’ll arrive ready to stretch the legs and just in time for lunch and a round of thickshakes at the popular Windmill in Bargara. Take a relaxing stroll along the breezy esplanade while the kids burn some energy at the Bargara Turtle Park and Playground – just be sure to make a pitstop at Tinaberries farm for their famed strawberry ice-cream (who doesn’t love a sweet treat?).

There’s plenty to choose from when it comes to comfortable, family-friendly and budget-friendly accommodation in Bundaberg and the surrounds. Rest your heads in safari tents or beach houses at the NRMA Woodgate Beach Holiday Park, beachside cabins at Big4 Breeze Holiday Park in Bargara, or an eco-villa at Kelly’s Beach Resort.

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Get to know the Bundaberg Region like a local on a half-day experience with Taribelang Bunda Cultural Tours. The family will be welcomed with open arms by local guides as you journey through time (more than 60,000 years) and learn about the region’s rich Aboriginal culture, taste bush tucker and visit sites of significance.

Stay up late for a once-in-a-lifetime experience with one of the Southern Great Barrier Reef’s most wondrous residents – the Loggerhead turtle. Book in for a ranger-guided Night Turtle Encounter at Mon Repos Conversation Park (located on a 6-km stretch of beach) for a true bucket-list moment for the whole fam! During turtle season (November to March) you’ll witness the miracle of mother turtles laying eggs, or marvel at baby turtles hatching and shuffling from the sand in their first moments of life. The kids will be in absolute awe.

Day two – From cane fields to coral cay

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Time to get wet! Leave coast for one of the Southern Great Barrier Reef’s most remote destinations, Lady Elliot Island – this remarkable coral cay is only accessible by plane. The fascinating scenic flight from Bundaberg Airport takes just 30 minutes, just enough time to soak up the incredible views (give the kids the window seat!) before you touch down.

The wondrous Lady Elliott Island is a sanctuary for more than 1,200 species of marine life, so expect the family to want to kick off the shoes and dive right in. Once everyone is kitted out in snorkel gear, explore the turquoise waters and reef fringe on the glass-bottom-boat tour to spot the island’s resident manta rays, turtles, dolphins and kaleidoscope of fish as they put on a show.

Note: day tours run regularly to Lady Elliot Island, or you can stay a few nights at Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort. Time your visit with school holidays so the kids can join the Reef Ranger program – they’ll be reef conversationists for life!

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Enjoy a buffet lunch at Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort before jumping (not literally) into a guided Reef Walking Tour, which are held on low tide. The guided walk carefully follows paths of crushed coral (yep, it’s coral, not sand!) that weave naturally through the Reef, allowing you to get up close with a whole new wave of marine creatures like starfish, coral clams, scurrying crabs and sea cucumbers. Keep the camera handy!

You’ll get one last peep at the boundless beauty of Lady Elliot Island from above before landing back in Bundaberg. A big day calls for crowd-pleasing fish and chips for dinner – so make a beeline for Grunske’s by the River.

Keen to stick around in Bundy? This family-friendly guide will help you map out an extended stay.

Day Three – The blue waters and pink boats of Agnes Water and 1770

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After an easy 1.5-hr drive north from Bundaberg, you’ll arrive in the big blue boating haven of Agnes Water and Town of 1770 – another stunning launchpad to the islands of the Southern Great Barrier Reef.

There’s plenty to do and see with the family in this relaxed reef-fringed hamlet. The Agnes Water Beach Club and the NRMA Agnes Water Holiday Park are perfect spots for family stays, so once you’ve checked in, spend the rest of the morning spotting frogs beneath the lush canopy of the seaside Paperbark Trail, before curbing those lunchtime craving at the Agnes Water Tavern.

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After a cheeky scoop from the famed 1770 Gelato Co., board the LARC! Tours’ Barbie-pink boat-on-wheels. The rip-roaring adventure will have you traversing 35-metre sand dunes, crossing sand bars and scaling the headland to the lighthouse – you can even go sandboarding down the towering Middle Island. If the kids have anything left in the tank, leave footsteps on the golden sands of the lifeguard-patrolled Agnes Water Beach, which (fun fact) is the most northern surf break in Queensland.

Day 4 – Jaw-dropping encounters at Lady Musgrave Island

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Lather on the sunscreen, whack on the hats and gear up for an action-packed day exploring turquoise reef-fringed lagoon that surrounds Lady Musgrave Island. A fun 90-minute boat ride with 1770 Great Barrier Reef Eco Tours and you’ll arrive at this turtle-spotting paradise, snorkelling with gliding manta rays and cheeky dolphins before taking to the island on foot in a guided walking tour. You’ll get around five hours to explore this magical marine haven from every angle above and below the surface, before venturing back to land.

Plot twist: feeling extra adventurous? You can stay the night on the reef! The team at The Lady Musgrave Experience has launched a new three-level pontoon and reef-sleep experience. You and the kids can spend the night in bunk beds in the underwater observatory while majestic rays, turtles and scores of inquisitive fish dart and glide above you. What a thrill!

Day 5 –  Find Great Keppel Island’s secret snorkelling spots

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Hit the road early – the chilled-out coastal enclave of Yeppoon, which lies about three hours north of Bundaberg, is calling. This jewel in the crown of the Capricorn region is the ideal family holiday destination and is loaded with things to do for all ages. The ‘beef and barra capital’ Rockhampton is but a hop, skip and jump away, too. With cabins and caravan parks to spacious waterside apartments, there are beds for every budget in Yeppoon. A family room at The Surfside Motel is a great middle-of-the-road option, and it’s right in town

But first, Great Keppel Island. The stunning white sands and captivating blue waters of Great Keppel Island sit just 18-kilometres off the coast, so adventure-filled day trips are easy with kids in tow.

Hold onto your hats after you board the Keppel Explorer. This fast and fun 12-seat vessel will circumnavigate Great Keppel Island, stopping off at the best secret snorkelling locations where you’ll bomb-dive in and share the crystal-clear water with dolphins, dugongs, shimmering fish and a colourful maze of coral.

The zippy boat will also visit secluded beaches and enchanting sea caves along the way. Great Keppel is the most iconic of the 18 islands that make up The Keppel Islands, so you’ll also be whisked around to see and explore its equally incredible neighbours, too.

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Once you’re back on the mainland, spend some time getting to know the tropical oasis of Yeppoon. The kids can keep the swimmers on and jump straight into the Yeppoon Lagoon, a spectacular public infinity pool perched right on the beachfront, or splash around in the Keppel Kraken, the zero-depth water playground on the foreshore.

The next day, the kids will be well and truly water logged, so grab a bite in town then take a hike to peep through the binoculars at Turtle Lookout. Take the adventure underground with a tour of the cathedral-like limestone caves or marvel at more than 20,000 shells on display at Shell World Yeppoon.

Got some extra time up your sleeve? Extend your Southern Great Barrier Reef adventure – there’s so much more to see, do and discover along this magnificent stretch of the Queensland coast. Here’s a tip – when you leave Bundy, detour via Gladstone, the bustling stepping stone to the turquoise-blue turtle haven of Heron Island. Well, you’ll spot more than turtles here. Strap on the snorkels or take a ride through the reef on a semi-submersible to peep manta rays, reef sharks, gropers, clown fish and even the intriguing Maori Wrasse in their island playground. Dedicate a weekend to Heron Island for the ultimate island getaway.