While the school holidays are a great time to create happy, long-lasting memories with your kids, they can also be hard on your wallet. That’s why we’ve put together a list of school holiday ideas so that you and the kids can go on an exciting adventure–without the need for a holiday loan!
Overview
8 School holiday destinations for the family
1. Byron Bay — fun summer idea for school holidays
Sitting in the north-east area of New South Wales, Byron Bay is only a 2-hour drive from Brisbane. It’s known for its laidback lifestyle, so it’s a great school holiday destination idea for parents that want to disconnect and get the kids outside.
There are plenty of activities to do in this coastal town to get the family together, like playgrounds, waterparks, beaches, walking trails and more. Of course, there are many places to eat, boutiques to explore, and markets to browse, but it can be really easy to spend a lot in places like these! Properly manage your money while travelling by keeping a daily budget.
2. Cape Tribulation
Sitting in far north Queensland, just 2 and a half hours from Cairns, Cape Tribulation and Daintree are gorgeous gems waiting to be explored. While the road trip might be a bit long from Australia’s major cities, flights to Cairns are pretty cheap, especially if you book them during the week.
Either rent a cheap car or take a discount guided tour and discover lookouts, tree top adventures, beaches, and swimming holes. Cape Tribulation is known as the place where the “rainforest meets the reef”, so don’t forget to experience that gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.
3. Blue Mountains — best place to go on holiday with kids
It can be hard trying to find some great, budget friendly holiday ideas for the kids— but the Blue Mountains offer a range of exciting activities for the whole family to enjoy. With bus tours, star gazing, multiple lookout points, the discovery centre, and an exciting scenic skyway, the Blue Mountains have something for everyone.
You’ll find the town of Katoomba at the centre of the Blue Mountains, which is an easy two hour drive or train ride away from Sydney. Since it makes for a wonderful day trip, it’s the perfect last minute school holiday idea on a budget.
4. Darwin
With so many free things to do in Darwin, it’s a wonderful place to take the kids on holiday and check another Australian city off your bucket list. Darwin’s family activities include:
- Visiting the museums and art galleries
- Checking out the Territory Wildlife Park Hiking through the national parks with stunning walking trails
- Playing at the waterfront precinct
- Exploring the fascinating and ethereal caves
5. Surfers Paradise — best holiday idea for school leavers
Need some school holiday ideas for your child’s graduation this year? Surfers Paradise is a very popular Schoolies destination and is packed with school leavers and young people. A suburb of the Gold Coast, QLD, Surfers Paradise’s list of school holiday activities is extensive including:
- Indoor sky diving
- Fox in A Box Escape Room
- Icebar Surfer Paradise
- Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
- Mountview Alpaca Farm
- Theme parks
- Sea World
- Wet ‘n’ Wild
- DreamWorld
- Movie World
- WhiteWater World
- Paradise Country
And it doesn’t stop there, there are tonnes of free things to do in the Gold Coast too.
6. K’Gari (Fraser Island) — exciting school holiday idea for teenagers
If you want to enjoy some time outside with the kids during the school holidays, head to K’Gari, also known as Fraser Island. The island is a great place to take a tent and some BBQ food for a fun camping trip. For maximum outdoor fun, visitEli Creek for a swim and a walk or hang out on the beach and maybe spot a whale!
Catch the ferry to K’Gari from Hervey Bay, which is just a 3 and a half hour drive from Brisbane.
7. Winton
Struggling to find some interesting school holiday ideas that you haven’t thought of before. Struggling to find some interesting school holiday ideas that you haven’t thought of before? Explore the classic Queensland outback for the proper Aussie experience. Winton is a big road trip from any capital city, but there are so many one-of-a-kind experiences. So if your family loves to be on the road and take things slow, why not turn it into a caravan or camping trip? Book some caravan parks or camp sites both along the way and in Winton for the full experience.
Immerse yourself in nature and explore local attractions by checking out:
- Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum
- Excellent walking trails
- Greens Hill walk
- Swan Hall Walk
- Sculpture Walk
- Crackup Corner
- The Royal Open-Air Theatre Winton
8. Hunter Valley
If you are looking for some school holiday ideas but want to find activities for all ages, the gorgeous Hunter Valley in Queensland has everything you need. Hunter Valley is one of Australia’s best wine regions but there are also plenty of activities for the kids. For maximum fun, take the kids to the Hunter Valley for its wildlife park, aqua golf and putt putt, and go karting! There are also options to go horseback riding around the wine villas, or go on a hot air balloon ride. Over the Christmas holidays, Hunter Valley also has a Christmas Lights Spectacular event from the 7th of November to the 26th of January.
Activity ideas for school holidays
If you’re not looking for a full on holiday trip, there are still plenty of activities you can enjoy with the kids.
Local school holiday entertainment
Sometimes we just want to get out of the house for the day, especially when the kids get stir crazy at home. The summer school holidays are perfect for local events to keep the family busy. Check your local council’s community calendar to see what’s on.
Some classic school holiday tips are to check out your local library, go for a picnic at parks, mountains or bushland reserve, or take a dip at the public swimming pool.
School holiday ideas at home
Especially in the eastern states, Australia gets hit with a lot of storms over the summer. The rainy days can feel long, but there are still plenty of ways to keep the kids entertained.
Here are our favourite school holiday rainy day ideas:
- Bake and decorate cookies together
- Build a pillow fort and even turn it into an obstacle course!
- Watch a movie marathon of your favourite franchise
- Make different kinds of slime
- Put away the screens and play with physical toys like Lego or puzzles
Want some extra cash for a holiday?
Don’t want to be stressing about money over the school holidays? Swoosh has you covered. Apply now for a holiday loan to help pay for those extra activities you’ll be doing with the family. Using our easy, online application process, you’ll have the extra cash in no time!
