12 days in the BNE area with 2 kids - recommendations?
Aug 22, 2019, 1:27 pm
#1
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12 days in the BNE area with 2 kids - recommendations?
We're a family of 4 that will be travelling with 2 little ones (will be ages 2 and 4) in May 2020. Flying in and out of BNE. My wife and I backpacked up the East coast (Sydney to Cairns) for 7 weeks about 12 years ago so we're not first timers. Given we have 2 little ones however, we are looking to keep it simple and ideally looking to spend most of our time on or close to a beach that is within about a 3 hour drive of Brisbane. Our initial thoughts were to stay in a couple of different places in the Noosa area and maybe do a day / overnight trip to Fraser Island (renting a 4X4 ourselves), but this is based on our last trip 12 years ago involving stops in Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise, Brisbane, Noosa and Fraser Island.
Any recommendations of places that we should look to visit with kids? Ideally 1 or 2 places for the trip so that we're not constantly moving around.
thanks
Any recommendations of places that we should look to visit with kids? Ideally 1 or 2 places for the trip so that we're not constantly moving around.
thanks
Aug 22, 2019, 5:07 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2001
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I'd get over the jet lag and take the kids to the beach at Southbank first just on the other side of the river from the city centre. Easy to get to if you are staying central, free and great to tire them out so you can sleep yourself!
With kids that age, you really should take them to Lone Pine Koala sanctuary. I hadn't been in over 20 years and went earlier this year and was surprised that we spent nearly all day there doing the shows!! It's an easy drive from the city out there.
If going to the Gold Coast, you may want to stay at Main Beach. Close to Sea World and not bad a drive if you want to to the other theme parks up the M3 motorway back to Brisbane (Movieworld, Wet'n'Wild and Dreamworld). Nice beaches at Main Beach, but not as busy with bars and clubs as Surfers. You can also head into the hinterland and Tambourine Mountain. From Main Beach you can also head down the coast to other attractions like Currumbin Bird Sanctuary and then onto Byron Bay for a day trip if you want.
Remember, May is late Autumn in Australia and it may still be warm daytime weatherwise, but the waters might not be. Nights may be cool, but that may be relative to what you are used to!
With kids that age, you really should take them to Lone Pine Koala sanctuary. I hadn't been in over 20 years and went earlier this year and was surprised that we spent nearly all day there doing the shows!! It's an easy drive from the city out there.
If going to the Gold Coast, you may want to stay at Main Beach. Close to Sea World and not bad a drive if you want to to the other theme parks up the M3 motorway back to Brisbane (Movieworld, Wet'n'Wild and Dreamworld). Nice beaches at Main Beach, but not as busy with bars and clubs as Surfers. You can also head into the hinterland and Tambourine Mountain. From Main Beach you can also head down the coast to other attractions like Currumbin Bird Sanctuary and then onto Byron Bay for a day trip if you want.
Remember, May is late Autumn in Australia and it may still be warm daytime weatherwise, but the waters might not be. Nights may be cool, but that may be relative to what you are used to!
Aug 22, 2019, 8:27 pm
#3
Oz Fest organizers
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Australia
Posts: 259
We're a family of 4 that will be travelling with 2 little ones (will be ages 2 and 4) in May 2020. Flying in and out of BNE. My wife and I backpacked up the East coast (Sydney to Cairns) for 7 weeks about 12 years ago so we're not first timers. Given we have 2 little ones however, we are looking to keep it simple and ideally looking to spend most of our time on or close to a beach that is within about a 3 hour drive of Brisbane. Our initial thoughts were to stay in a couple of different places in the Noosa area and maybe do a day / overnight trip to Fraser Island (renting a 4X4 ourselves), but this is based on our last trip 12 years ago involving stops in Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise, Brisbane, Noosa and Fraser Island.
Any recommendations of places that we should look to visit with kids? Ideally 1 or 2 places for the trip so that we're not constantly moving around.
Any recommendations of places that we should look to visit with kids? Ideally 1 or 2 places for the trip so that we're not constantly moving around.
We have had little kids at Oz Fest before for some activities. They are now bigger kids so they may attend, as its in their home city this time.
Link---> Oz Fest 17 Brisbane, QLD, Australia. USA Memorial Day Weekend May 22 to May 24, 2020
If you look in the history we had Oz Fest 13 in the Gold Coast/Surfers. Visited a nature park the kids may like. Oz Fest 15 was in Noosa. Those threads have links to activities we did.
The places you visited BC* would be OK. But Byron Bay is a reasonable drive south so would give that a miss. Some place you visit by train, so may be a little easier than driving.
{ * before children }
Last edited by Oz Fest; Aug 23, 2019 at 9:13 pm
Aug 22, 2019, 8:41 pm
#4
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In addition to Lone Tree (be sure to take the river cruise, IIRC there's a combo ticket), there's a cool place on the outskirts of Brisbane (IIRC I went by local train) that specializes in sheep, with a show of herding and an opportunity to walk among the different types of sheep, pet them, etc. Another thing that might be fun for the kids is to look down into the river, for instance on the bridge to Southbank, and see all the sharks in the water.
Zoos and aquaria are typically fun in Australia, including specially the places where you walk through among the kangaroos and the places where the sharks swim over your head or you can see divers in the big fish tanks.
Zoos and aquaria are typically fun in Australia, including specially the places where you walk through among the kangaroos and the places where the sharks swim over your head or you can see divers in the big fish tanks.
Aug 30, 2019, 7:11 am
#5
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When I was in Brisbane I made the trek to Australia Zoo. It was Steve Irwin's home base. It did feel like a trek at the time but may have gotten better in the intervening years. Was well worth the trip though.