In many ways, Queensland can be considered the theme park of the Australian coast. You'll find so many things to do here and so many adventures to have that your QLD family holidays will be the source of stories and memories you'll carry with you for the rest of your life. Whether you want to explore the natural world with scuba diving, hiking or spelunking, or you want to have an exciting adventure with history, culture and live entertainment, you'll find all the options you need just steps away from the best family resorts in Queensland. Check out some of the ways you can explore fun and adventure on your QLD family holidays.
Explore the natural world around Queensland
Queensland is a wonderland of natural world adventures. You can go on a snorkelling or scuba adventure along a living reef ecosystem. You can wander untamed nature preserves on island paradises. You can go spelunking deep under the earth. You can walk mountain gorges and go swimming in clear river waters. With a wealth of untouched wilderness and national parks at your fingertips, it's all right here whether you want to have adventures undersea, in caves, in the rainforest or anywhere in the wilds. Take your Queensland holidays for families to the next level and go on a bushwalk in the wilds of Australia.
Go snorkelling at the Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure in the world and is made up of thousands of coral reefs with 600 reef islands and 300 cays. It's home to thousands of species of tropical fish, sea turtles, dolphins, dugongs and sharks. You could spend months exploring the reef and still not see all of it. That's why it's so popular for snorkelling and scuba diving excursions. You can book dozens of different tours to learn the skills you need for exploring the reef and tackle it with an experienced guide. Between underwater excursions, you can explore the islands with their pristine beaches and stretches of white and gold sand.
Relax at an eco resort on Fraser Island
Fraser Island is among the world's largest sand islands and is known as a premier escape in Australia. You can head for some of the best luxury family resorts in QLD here, or you can grab a campground site and pitch a tent for a few nights. This island has over 120 kilometres of red, gold, white and yellow sand beach, clear blue waters with crashing surf, inland freshwater lakes and thick, verdant rainforest. You can catch panoramic views from the sandstone cliffs. For the kids, there are lots of opportunities to slide into rock pools when the tides go out to explore for fossils or just cool off.
Go spelunking into the Capricorn Caves
Located beneath the ridges of the limestone Berserker Range, the Capricorn Caves are a vast complex accessible from a boardwalk, or you can abseil into the chambers from straight above. Cave tours are available in 3 different difficulty levels that are ideal for any ages, for those 5 and over, and for those 10 and up. The all-ages tour is also wheelchair accessible. In the end, no matter what the makeup of your family might be, the Capricorn Caves are an ideal destination for things to do on your QLD family holidays. You may even see colonies of bats while exploring the caves.
Swim and walk the rocky valleys of Mossman Gorge
Mossman Gorge is a deep valley in the heart of Daintree National Park that's strewn with boulders and cut through by the clear, clean Mossman River. This gorge in the centre of the oldest rainforest in the world provides a link to the ancient Aboriginal culture of Australia as well as how the peoples of that day and age were uniquely connected to the world around them. Here you can do a self-guided exploration or take a guided Dreamtime Walk to hear stories from the local indigenous people of the region where you can learn all about the history of this beautiful, unspoiled world.
Wander the rainforests at Mount Hypipamee National Park
Mount Hypipamee National Park is a vast swath of untamed wildlands and bushland with several different types of forest including rainforest areas. It's marked by a volcanic pipe with a green waterweed-covered natural mountain lake at its bottom. One of its more famous features is the diverse variety of possums you can see on a sojourn here. When you come here as part of your QLD family holidays, you'll follow a walking path of about 400 metres through rainforest where you'll come upon the crater, which spans 70 metres across. The possums are best seen at dusk, but feeding them is forbidden.
Dive the depths of Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park
Chillagoe-Mungana Caves National Park offers stunning natural galleries of authentic and ancient Aboriginal rock art, limestone outcrops and caves, and a historically significant mining site. Among Queensland holiday destinations for families, this park offers a rich way to experience both the natural world and indigenous cultural heritage. The caves are believed to have formed around 400 million years ago by limestone deposits on coral reefs. As you take a guided tour through the caves, you may be able to find a number of bat species roosting and breeding, including the white-rumped swiftlet. You may also see fossilized remains of the giant kangaroo and other creatures.
Learn about Queensland culture and history
Whether you're in Brisbane or Mackay, or anywhere along the Sunshine Coast, you'll find a ton of opportunities to explore Queensland culture and history. This area was originally inhabited by the Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders before its settlement by British colonials. Today it's a melting pot of indigenous, European, Chinese and many other cultures, all of which have placed an indelible stamp on this area and given it a unique culture all its own. Take some time on your QLD family holidays to visit museums, cultural sites and historic adventures from cave paintings to scenic railroads and many other options for family weekend getaways in QLD.
Take a ride on the Kuranda Scenic Railway
The Kuranda Scenic Railway departs from the town of Kuranda, a charming, folksy town that has an old-world feel and charm nestled high among the mountains. This railway takes you through the treetops of the World Heritage-listed rainforest where you can witness well over 1,000 species of flowers, trees and other flora as well as hundreds of species of native animals. You'll pass roaring waterfalls tumbling into the Barron Gorge, narrated by an expert guide and a companion guide to the railway where you can view maps, read about the history of the railway and learn about the scenery around you.
See the collections at the Queensland Cultural Centre
The Queensland Cultural Centre is a collection of 4 buildings that come together to provide a singular resource for the history and culture of the state. These include the Queensland Museum, the State Library of Queensland, the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art and the Queensland Art Gallery. Here you can view artefacts from the pre-colonial indigenous days of the region as well as historic documents, photographs and information about the early colonial times and vast collections of artwork from Aboriginal sources through to the modern era. It's an ideal destination for QLD family holidays if you're looking for an exciting and educational experience.
Scuba dive to the Tangalooma Wrecks
Located just off the shore of Moreton Island, the Tangalooma Wrecks are a series of 15 vessels that were deliberately scuttled to create a breakwall harbour for small boats on the waters. The wrecks are one of the most famed and celebrated snorkelling and wreck dive sites in the world. The dive depth is a shallow 2 to 10 metres with visibility up to 8 metres through the clear turquoise waters. Despite their shallow depth, these wrecks allow for seeing an astounding variety of colourful and enchanting marine life. It's an enchanting alien world to experience among Queensland holiday destinations for families.
See the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame
The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame and Outback Heritage Centre is a museum that pays homage and tribute to the people who pioneered the exploration of the Australian Outback, as well as the stockmen who have served as the unsung heroes of these remote regions. The museum was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1988 and is a self-funded, nonprofit company whose mission is to entertain, educate and pay tribute to the cultural heritage of the nation. Learn about cattle drives, songlines and stock routes, and see exhibits of bushcraft and a recreated pioneer's slab hut. Learn about sheep and the culture of outback towns including the festivals and events that people in these places enjoy.
See crocodiles, dingoes and wombats at the Australia Zoo
The Australia Zoo is a world-famous zoo founded by the parents of celebrity animal expert Steve Irwin in 1970 that today is owned and operated by his widow, Terri. The zoo is divided up into exhibits dedicated to specific species and landscapes. These include the Crocoseum, which is dedicated to crocodiles; the Africa region; the Tiger Temple; Elephantasia; the Rainforest Aviary; and Bindi's Island. After seeing the more than 1,200 animals on-site, you and your family can visit the Crikey Café for a drink and a bite to eat. While you're here, you'll learn all about animal rescue and rehabilitation efforts and how important they are to Australia.
Walk the streets of the Historic Village Herberton
The Historic Village Herberton is an open-air, living history museum in the town of Herberton. It opened in 1977 and is dedicated to the pioneers who settled the town hundreds of years ago. As you wander the streets, you'll see experts costumed just like their forebears, educating you on how people lived and worked many years ago. You'll see crafts, arts and trades from hundreds of years, from blacksmithing and woodturning to the creation of John Deere tractors, engines, the sawmill, printing presses, and even cars from the early 20th century. After your visit, head for the gift shop to grab a souvenir and take tea at the Bakerville Tearooms.
Experience the Jurassic period at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs
The Australian Age of Dinosaurs is a museum that holds annual dinosaur digs and oversees the most productive dinosaur fossil lab in the nation. When you visit here on your QLD family holidays, you can see how fossils are cleaned up, catalogued and prepared; see the preservation and restoration work done on fossils; visit the Collections room that houses holotype and paratype fossil specimens; and learn about what they are and what they represent on an expert-guided tour. When you're done on your journey to the past, you can head for the cafe and gift shop for a souvenir and snack.
Discover Chinese heritage at the Hou Wang Temple
The Hou Wang Temple is a heritage-listed site that is the only surviving temple of its kind in Queensland constructed of timber and iron and built in the late 19th century. Today it stands as a museum, art gallery and interpretation centre to raise awareness of Chinese culture and the influence it has had on Queensland since its earliest days. It's on the site of the former Chinatown, and it is believed that it was situated on a holy site based on the alignment of the buildings. Inside you will witness the authentic preserved setup, arrangement, art and furnishings of the original temple, and guided tours can teach you all about its history and heritage.
Experience the unexplainable at Min Min Encounter
The Min Min lights are unexplained balls of glowing light reported for decades by travellers, and the Min Min Encounter is a thrilling and wondrous experience on any Queensland holiday for families. From the very first sighting at the Cobb and Co. Staging Site to the modern day, you will meet eccentric characters like Mrs McGreal and Bluey who have had these encounters and will thrill and entrance you with their stories about the lights. When you're done, you will have to decide for yourself whether the stories are legend, myth or a real, unexplained phenomena.