Best family road trip ideas Australia: kids adventures

With so many family road trip ideas to explore, Australia offers heaps of opportunities to bundle the entire crew into a van and hit the highway for some incredible adventures together.

Plus, there’s no rushing to catch flights or toys left behind on planes - just pack the campervan or motorhome and load the tribe! If you’re looking for some great family road trip ideas, then we have you sorted. We’ve narrowed it down to the 7 best trip ideas for memories that will last a lifetime.

Best family road trip ideas in Australia: 7 kid-friendly routes you can’t miss

1. The best route through Great Ocean Road

Total distance: 373km (one way) | Recommended days: 3 to 7 days | Best time to do the route: between October and April | Route Map

The entire family will love looking out at the incredible stretches of coastline from Torquay to Warrnambool (and stopping for a dip at every opportunity). Head to Lorne, Apollo Bay, Port Campbell, Timboon & Colac, and make some great family memories together.

Do you have an avid surfer in your midst? Then make your first stop at the Australian National Surfing Museum for a little history, before hitting up the beach to put those new skills to the test. Teddy’s lookout is also a great spot for views right across the coast (perfect family photo opportunity!).

If your kids have a little adventure in them, then be sure to stop at Otway Fly Treetop Walk. This 600-metre walk takes you through the trees, 25 metres off the ground. After a day of driving, the kids will love seeing things from a whole new view.

Of course, you can’t head down the Great Ocean Road without a stop at Port Campbell to see the Twelve Apostles. You can even take another 5-minute drive to set your eyes on the famous shipwreck at Loch Ard Gorge. The kids are guaranteed to be impressed! End the trip by sampling the local wines (for the adults, of course) and cheeses in Timboon and Colac. A little something for everyone.

Want to learn more about this route? Check out our guide to the ultimate best Great Ocean road trip.

2. The best route from Adelaide to Uluru

Total distance: 1,705km | Recommended days: 4 to 7 days | Best time to do the route: between April and August | Route Map

One of the best parts about travelling is all the lessons waiting to be learned along the way. This trip to outback Australia is the perfect opportunity to open your kids’ eyes to a little culture and history in the process. Sort out your campervan hire in Adelaide, then make your way to Woomera, Coober Pedy, and end up in Uluru.

There’s nothing quite like experiencing the Australian outback firsthand. Get the kids out of the van and stretch their legs through the desert towns of Woomera and Coober Pedy. You can check out all the key features at each stop and even enjoy a working opal mine to truly immerse yourself in the culture.

Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park is a registered Aboriginal heritage park, which is well worth the visit. Enjoy the two lookout points and see the famous spot where many movies and ads have been filmed (the kids will love that).

Next stop, Painted Desert, for another great family photo opportunity before jumping in the car and heading to Uluru. It’s a great lesson about culture and respect as you and the kids view one of the greatest natural wonders of the world.

Want to learn more about this route? Check out our guide to the best road trips from Adelaide.

3. The best route around Queensland

Total distance: 4,541km | Recommended days: t3 weeks | Best time to do the route: Summer | Route Map

If you’ve got the time, then why not set aside a few weeks for the ultimate Summer adventure as a family? Soak up some sun and history, and enjoy a nice, long break from home life by hitting the road together! With so much to see and do, you won’t hear the words “I’m bored” uttered once! Sort out your campervan hire in Brisbane, then hit the road.

First stop the Sunshine Coast, followed by Gympie, Fraser Island, Townsville, Hughenden, Mount Isa, Cunnamulla, Saint George, then end the trip in Dalby. The whole family will find something they love along the way.

The kids will love the Sunshine Coast with SEA LIFE Sunshine Coast Aquarium, Noosa National Park and Aussie World to keep them busy. Not to mention all the amazing beaches, including Mooloolaba and Bulcock.

Gympie will take you into a little history with the Gympie Gold Mining and Historical Museum. Onto Fraser Island, where you need to head to the Maheno, a shipwreck off the coast, which was actually named after the survivor Eliza Fraser.

Then make your way on to Hughenden, where the kids (and big kids!) will love stepping back in time and uncovering the dinosaur fossils. You can even see a life-size replica at Flinders Discovery Centre.

Bring out their adventurous side with the sand dunes in Cunnamulla, where you can make a day of it with some outdoor activities. Finally, wrap up the trip in Dalby, exerting more of that energy on a trip to Bunya Mountains National Park.

4. The best NSW road trip from Sydney to Dubbo

Route through Dubbo Total distance: 405km | Recommended days: 5 to 7 days | Best time to do the route: Spring | Route Map

To experience one of the best family road trip ideas in Australia, be sure to put the Orana region on your list. It’s one the kids aren’t going to want to miss! Organise your campervan or motorhome hire in Sydney, then make your way through Orange, Bathurst and Dubbo for the zoo trip of a lifetime.

Orange is the perfect country town to feast on good food and wine, with plenty of events throughout the year that are worth planning your trip around, including Food Week & the Banjo Paterson Festival.

Next stop, Bathurst. If the kids are up for some outdoor fun, head over to Barcoos FarmStay for horse rides and animal feeding. They can then soak up some history at the Bathurst Railway Museum with plenty of kid-friendly activities.

Once you reach Dubbo, plan your visit. It might be best to spread it across a couple of days instead of trying to rush. Check out hundreds of rare and endangered animals in their open range sanctuary, as you make your way around on foot, bike or by car.

5. The best route from East Coast Tasmania

Total distance: 560km | Recommended days: from 7 days | Best time to do the route: between December and March | Route Map

Known for its beautiful wilderness and delicious seafood, kids will get just as much out of Tasmania as the grown-ups will. It’s a great trip to take together. Start off in Hobart, and make your way through Orford, Maria Island, Swansea, Freycinet National Park, Bicheno, St Helens and finish up in the remarkable Bay of Fires!

Take the kids for a brief hike up to Three Thumbs Lookout for some sweeping views they won’t forget anytime soon. Next, head down to Raspins Beach for a splash in some calmer waters. Next stop, Maria Island is a national park, and has plenty of history for you to take in. You can spend days bird watching, or might even spot a wombat!

Swansea is the perfect place for a dip in clear waters, or to take a wander through town. At Freycinet National Park there’s a bit of everything, from secluded bays to sandy beaches and birds galore. Check out their many trails and really immerse yourself in nature.

In Bicheno, you have the chance to jump on a glass-bottom boat and explore beneath the sea. Kids will love spotting wildlife, and you can even jump in for a snorkel and join them. There’s even more animals to see at St Helen’s Serpentarium Wildlife Park. If you’re looking to mix it up a little, you can even take a daring ride on some of the sand dunes nearby.

As you might have guessed, Bay of Fires will treat you with endless stretches of beach and water. Kids can splash about while you relax back and soak up that sun.

6. The best route from Adelaide to Kangaroo Island

Total distance: 210km (one way) | Recommended days: 5 days | Best time to do the route: Summer | Route Map

With so much wildlife around, the entire family will love a trip to Kangaroo Island. After sorting your campervan hire in Adelaide, stop off in Cape Jervis before heading across to Kangaroo Island.

Set near the picturesque Fleurieu Peninsula, Cape Jervis is a popular spot to laze on the beach while the kids enjoy a splash around you. If you’re feeling adventurous, make the walk up to Cape Jervis Lighthouse and use the moment for a photo opportunity with some stunning views in the background.

Next stop, Kangaroo Island. You don’t want to miss Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park, where you can cuddle koalas together and see more than 150 species of animals as a family. But the fun doesn’t stop there. You can go swimming with the dolphins and seals, visit the Remarkable Rocks and explore Flinders Chase National Park. There’s so much to keep you busy.

7. The best NSW road trip through the Kosciuszko Alpine Way

Total distance: 610km | Recommended days: 3 to 5 days | Best time to do the route: Winter | Route Map

If you’re looking for something a little bit different, why not bundle the kids up and take them on a Winter road trip. It’s a great chance to learn a new skill while making the most of the snow! Be sure to plan ahead so you have the right snow gear to get you through the trip. Leave Sydney behind and make the drive through to Kosciuszko National Park to the ski resorts.

When it comes to skiing, there are four resorts to choose from: Thredbo, Perisher, Charlotte Pass and Selwyn. You really can’t go wrong! Perisher and Thredbo are definitely the most well-known, but that also might mean some busier slopes.

The best thing you can do is pick a sport and base the family there, and buy some ski-school lessons to get you all on the runs and having fun!

Set off on your favourite family road trip ideas

Travelling with the kids in tow is an experience in itself, as you see the wonders of Australia through their wide eyes. It’s the perfect opportunity to spend some quality time as a family and strengthen those bonds, so fill up that tank and get packing! Choose from these seven amazing family road trip ideas and tick off that bucket list as you drive.

The kids will make the best company on those long open roads and you can make it even easier with these handy tips for long road trips with kids.

And for more information on hitting the road in your rental vehicle, check out our guide to campervan driving licence requirements.

Need some more road trip inspo? Check our road trip ideas for couplesand theseguys road trip ideas!

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