Winter school holiday ideas in Queensland to suit every family

Struggling for ideas to keep the kids busy when the mercury drops? Ditch the dull weather these winter school holidays and follow the sun to Queensland.

From dinosaur fossil trails and world-class surfing schools, iconic marine life sightings and unique environmentalist activities (plus all the beach time you can handle), a winter holiday to Queensland is guaranteed to keep even the busiest kids entertained when school’s out.

Check out these incredible destinations on your next family winter holiday in Queensland.

Gold Coast

With world-famous beaches, gloriously warm weather year-round, ancient hinterland and dense rainforests, plus a slew of theme parks, shopping precincts and dining options for good measure, the Gold Coast ticks all the boxes for a fun-filled school holiday this winter.

The perfect day out for families of all ages, a visit to one of the Gold Coast’s famous theme parks is a must. Sea World, Wet’n’Wild, Movie World, Dreamworld (and connecting Whitewater World) can all be found in close proximity. Meet your favourite film characters at Movie World, head straight to Wet’n’Wild and Whitewater World for a tonne of water fun or hit up Sea World for incredible encounters with some mega marine life.

Picnic on the sand at Tallebudgera Creek

Arguably one of the most tranquil spots on the southern Gold Coast, Tallebudgera Creek is made for family-friendly beach days. With crystal clear waters lapping its sandy enclaves, pitch an umbrella and let the kids play in the calm waters protected by the nearby headlands. Either BYO a picnic, or stop in the local favourite, Custard Canteen, just beyond the sand, for some of the Coast’s best coffee, sandwiches and custard tarts.

Enjoy breakfast with a koala

Start a day of Aussie animal encounters right with a delicious breakfast – and some very welcomed guests. At the southern Gold Coast’s famous Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, enjoy a gourmet set menu breakfast surrounded by koalas, have a chat with the keepers, and even enjoy a koala cuddle – all captured by a professional photographer.

Learn to surf

Earn some serious parental street cred this winter school holidays and book the kids (and maybe yourself) a surfing lesson on the Gold Coast. Its world-famous beaches, surf breaks, and year-round warm weather set the scene for a perfect fun-filled day spent on golden sand – and guarantees big smiles and tired bodies come sunset. Check out Get Wet on Main Beach, Walkin’ On Water in Coolangatta, and Surf in Paradise in Surfers Paradise, or find the best surf school for your family.

Take the kids off dry land and go whale watching in Hervey Bay; the world’s first official Whale Heritage site. Winter school holidays are the perfect time to head to the Fraser Coast to catch the annual humpback whale migration; these majestic migrating mammals head north from Antarctica between July and October – Hervey Bay their preferred warm water playground. Sightings are guaranteed, often even from dry land! There’s even a dedicated whale festival, held every year to welcome the whales to the area.

Become an island night ranger

Sign up for the Junior Ranger Program at K’Gari Beach Resort on K’gari (Fraser Island) for a night of tall tales and wildlife spotting. Ideal for kids five and over, join the island’s Head Ranger where young adventurers will learn to spot dingo tracks, listen for the chorus of frogs and find glowing scorpions, before sitting around the campfire to learn about the white spirit who became K’gari.  

Head to the world-famous Mary Poppins Festival

There’s no better time to experience Maryborough’s rich history and heritage charm than during the annual Mary Poppins Festival on 30 June 2024. Watch historic streets come alive with scenes straight out of the storybook or test your skills in the Great Nanny Challenge and the Chimney Sweep Dash. Time your visit right and you’ll also be able to savour the local fare during the annual Relish Food & Wine Festival. 

Southern Great Barrier Reef

Be a Marine Biologist for a day

Let your kids live out their marine biologist dreams on one of Queensland’s most beautiful islands, Lady Musgrave. An incredible ‘day in the life’ tour, the Lady Musgrave Experience arms young minds with important knowledge about the island’s Reef. You’ll snorkel, spot a heap of local marine life, and help collect valuable data alongside a Master Reef Guide, used by scientists to help protect the reef. For a truly unforgettable holiday these school holidays, go fully off-grid and book an overnight stay on Lady Musgrave – available from the beginning of the Easter Holidays to the following January each year.

Outback Queensland

Vast, diverse, and stunningly beautiful, a visit to Outback Queensland is a feast for the senses. From iconic road trips to ancient landscapes millions of years in the making, a little red dust adds a touch of magic to any family winter holiday.

Hunt for dinosaur fossils

Got a budding palaeontologist at home? Hit the road and follow Queensland’s infamous Dinosaur Trail, 98 million years in the making. Kronosaurus Korner in Richmond is home to the best-preserved dinosaur skeletons in the country, while a visit to the Eromanga Natural History Museum, is a must for any dinosaur enthusiast. Don’t skip the Dinosaur Stampede at Lark Quarry Conservation Park near Winton – home to the remains of the only known dinosaur stampede in the world.

SUP through Cobbold Gorge

The jewel of the Gulf Savannah, Cobbold Gorge is about as far away as you can get from civilisation – and makes for an adventurous leg of a school holiday road trip. Approximately six hours inland from Townsville and Cairns in Far North Queensland, take to the waters of this other-worldly ancient landscape on a stand-up paddleboard. Join a local guided tour and drift between the gorge’s 30-metre-high, million-year-old sandstone cliffs, as you learn a little about the orange-hued sandstone formations.

Kayak at Lara Wetlands

Aptly referred to as the ‘oasis of the outback’, no visit to the stunning Lara Wetlands will disappoint. Hidden off the highway between Blackall and Barcaldine in Outback Queensland, kayak amongst the mystic ghost gums and try your hand at spotting one of the 127 bird species that call this habitat home. Sunrise and sunsets on the water’s edge are breathtaking – so a stay at the property’s historical homestead, Lara Station, or at one of the property’s waterside camping sites, makes for memorable family holiday memories.

Dip a toe in nature’s mud spa

It may be in the middle of the outback, but make sure you BYO togs – you’ll need them to bathe in the healing mud springs at Eulo Mud Baths. A naturally occurring outdoor spa, Eulo boasts a bathing area complete with three baths and a relaxing sunset viewing area with four single tubs available. Mum and dad can soak separately to the kids, guaranteeing a relaxing, muddy good time for all.

Scenic Rim

Known locally as Brisbane’s World Heritage-listed backyard, the Scenic Rim may only be 1.5 hours from the Queensland capital – but it feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle. If your kids revel in the great outdoors – and love an animal encounter or two – spend some time breathing in the fresh, country air these school holidays.

Hit the hay at Mt Barney Lodge

Hidden deep in the hinterland of South East Queensland, think of a stay at Mt Barney Lodge as a (well-deserved) break for parents and energy-busting adventure playground for kids young and old. A Nature Play accredited provider, there’s plenty of activities on offer to inspire (and tire). Kid's Night Adventure, Bushtucker Tracker, Bush Kids, and 'Light your Fire' excursions can be booked at the lodge, while adventurous families can try their hand at rock-climbing and abseiling, enjoy a guided hike and mountain expedition, seek out one of the many beautiful watering holes in and around the World Heritage-listed Mt Barney National Park.

Muck in on a working farm

Get the kids to pitch in on working property Tommerups Dairy Farm. Located just 75 minutes from Brisbane and the Gold Coast in the picturesque Lost World region of Scenic Rim, Tommerup's Dairy Farm is heart-warming fun for children and adults alike. A 200-acre working farm, guests are encouraged to get their ‘hands dirty’, helping the property owners with daily animal feeding and egg collecting, milking the property’s cows and tendinfg to the farm’s pigs and sheep.

Cairns & Great Barrier Reef

Home to not one, but two, World Heritage sites – the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics, Queensland’s tropical north is Mother Nature’s playground. From family-friendly Cairns and the picturesque coastal town of Port Douglas, to the lush, dense Daintree rainforest and remote Far North Queensland, take the kids on an adventure they’ll never forget.

Visit a Turtle Rehab on Fitzroy Island

A world-class wildlife facility on the Great Barrier Reef, the volunteer-run, not-for-profit Turtle Rehabilitation Centre on Fitzroy Island is a place to learn and get hands-on with nature. Little ones will have the opportunity for up-close encounters with rescued Green and Hawksbill turtles, while learning about their rehabilitation journey at the centre. Book one of their daily tours and know your visit is helping one of the turtles through their six-month-long journey back to the ocean.

Soak up ancient Indigenous practices

Get to know this ancient land; grab the family and join Juan Walker on Walkabout Cultural Adventures’ Ngana Julaymba Dungay tour. Marvel at the magnificent Mossman Gorge and the southern Daintree rainforest, where you’ll learn first-hand about foods and medicines foraged from nature. Sample some bush tucker, collect shellfish and try your hand at traditional Aboriginal hunting practices – even have a go a boomerang and spear throwing!

Swim with a crocodile

There’s a plethora of adrenalin-inducing crocodile experiences to be had in Tropical North Queensland, but none more spine-tingling than swimming with a saltwater crocodile. At Wildlife Habitat in Port Douglas, you’ll come eye-to-teeth with the great Estuarine Crocodile. Offering 180-degree underwater viewing, dive into the 2.3-metre-deep enclosed pool, where you’ll be inches away from the closest living thing to a dinosaur.

Looking for more inspiration these winter school holidays? Check out all these incredible events happening right across Queensland.