Australia with Kids ⭐ Practical Guide (2026)

If you are thinking of traveling to Australia with children, this guide is designed to help you organize it from start to finish. You will find what you really need to decide and plan: if Australia is a good family destination and how safe it really is, the requirements (visa, insurance, health), which routes to take depending on the weeks you have, the best plans with children by area, where to see kangaroos and koalas in the wild, how to get around (car, motorhome, or both combined), where to sleep, and how much it really costs.

All the info you are going to find here is shared after having spent two months traveling the East Coast of Australia as a family from the Mossman rainforest to the cliffs of the Great Ocean Road, combining a motorhome with a rental car and HomeExchange house swaps from late March to late May 2026. An unforgettable journey that was part of our big world tour with our three little ones aged 5, 7, and 9 (two of them celebrated birthdays in the middle of this oceanic adventure).

So there is no recycled information here: these are the numbers, the routes, and the advice based on my own experience. I’ll tell you what worked, what I would change, and what it really costs to make it very easy for you if you finally decide to go to Australia with kids.

Qué vas a encontrar en esta guía

Is Australia worth it for families?

Yes, without a doubt, and I have been to many destinations. Traveling with children to Australia is a great idea for many reasons but, above all, based on my 9 years of experience traveling the world with kids, because it is a destination of brutal nature and the nature-kids combo always works. Obviously, its urban part is also worth it, but what stands out most about this destination is being able to be outdoors, seeing your children play freely without having to worry about cars, or if they make too much noise… Furthermore, it is a nature of many contrasts because you have beaches, cliffs, deserts, forests, tropical rainforest…

If I had to choose just one reason to justify crossing more than half the planet to explore Australia with children, it is for its wildlife. My children’s favorite activity in this adventure was looking for animals: koalas, kangaroos, wombats, platypuses, cassowaries… The list is very long and very exotic because they are endemic species that you won’t be able to see anywhere else.

Moreover, another reason is that you can spot them in complete freedom, in a responsible way, without going to zoos or fake sanctuaries, without glass or fences. I assure you that seeing your child’s face contemplating a koala is one of those memories that justifies all the “effort” involved in traveling to Australia with kids.

Additionally, another reason is that we are talking about a country that makes it very easy for you: driving is wonderful (although on the left), everything is very well signposted, everywhere there are playgrounds with clean public toilets and barbecue areas. Added to this is that Australians are generally charming with children: in restaurants, in campsites, in any queue, they treat children with naturalness, without dirty looks, and honestly, that relaxes you quite a bit.

Finally, the adventure of exploring Australia with little ones is one of those that leave a mark because it’s not just a couple of weeks’ vacation; ideally, you should stay for at least a month because it is very, very far away, and since you are going to the middle of nowhere, you might as well make the most of it. So a long trip is a unique opportunity to share time with your loved ones, create new bonds and memories without the stress of returning home in a week.

Is it safe to travel to Australia with children?

Again, I’ll be quick and blunt in my response: Yes. Are there dangers? Of course, as in all destinations in one way or another. It’s true that here those dangers come disguised as deadly animals. In reality, in our case, we didn’t have any bad experiences. Obviously, I’m talking about our case, which might have been a matter of luck or the time of year, I don’t know.

It’s true that, for example, we didn’t see a single snake because they are most active in the middle of summer (December to February), and in autumn (March to May, our time), they go into lethargy. We did do trails where there were snake caution signs but, as I said, we never saw any.

True, I did have a small scare with a spider of respectable size that suddenly appeared, without knowing how, on my arm on a beach in Sydney. As you can see, honesty above all. Two sharks also appeared on a beach in Byron Bay where we had just been swimming. Luckily, Australia has the best lifeguard system in the world and they are constantly on alert. Patrolled beaches mark the safe swimming area with two red and yellow flags. Respect this, always watch the signs, and listen to the lifeguards.

In tropical North Queensland, in summer, there are jellyfish, but the beaches have nets to prevent them from entering. If you’re going snorkeling, for example, operators will provide you with a lycra suit for protection. In that area, there are also crocodiles, but usually, their presence is limited to estuaries and brown water rivers where swimming is not recommended.

An essential safety rule that you must tattoo into your children’s memory is that no animal should be touched, no matter how cute it seems.

Other than that, this country has very low crime rates. It’s a country where you feel safe at any time, in any town. With common sense and respecting the signs and flags, traveling with children through Australia is very safe and peaceful.

Requirements and preparations for traveling to Australia with children

Take note of everything you need to know to start preparing for your family adventure in Australia.

Visa, passport, and entry

Spanish citizens need a visa to enter Australia as tourists. It is completely free, has no cost, allows a stay of up to 3 months, and is processed online from this official website. Specifically, it is the eVisitor (subclass 651), and each family member needs their own, including babies. They are usually approved automatically in a matter of minutes or, at most, in 24-48 hours. You will receive an email with the confirmation (Visa Grant Notice). Still, just in case, I recommend applying for it between 2 and 4 weeks before the trip to avoid any oversights or last-minute stress. Be careful with this, as it can only be requested from outside the country; that is, it won’t let you apply once you have landed in Australia.

If you are traveling from another country, please check the procedures.

To travel to Australia, both children and adults need a valid passport with 6 months of validity.

Travel insurance

This country does not require travel insurance to enter, but it is certainly a must-have, especially when going with kids. Spain does not have a health agreement with Australia, and obviously, the European Health Insurance Card is useless here. Furthermore, as you can imagine, healthcare there is very expensive, and I can attest to that because at the beginning of the trip, I had very severe lower back pain; I called my Heymondo insurance for free from the app and avoided having to pay more than €400 in exchange just for the hospital consultation and pharmacy expenses for the treatment they prescribed.

But also, remember that travel insurance doesn’t just cover healthcare but many other things that you will only miss if you are unlucky enough to need them, such as a possible repatriation, theft, or the costs of having to return home early because a family member passes away or is seriously hospitalized (unfortunately, I also had to experience this during this world tour from another destination).

In the case of Heymondo, which I travel with, they also have a family policy that provides great peace of mind because it includes benefits like a pediatric chat and video consultation from the app. Imagine if something serious happens, like a hospitalization that prevents you from taking care of your children while you are there? This policy covers the transfer of a relative so they can take charge of them.

Without a doubt, taking out travel insurance before leaving is essential when organizing your trip to Australia with children, and if you do it from this link, you save 20% by traveling as a family.

Health: are vaccines needed?

As of today, Australia does not require mandatory vaccinations to enter from Spain. But don’t take my word for it, nor anyone else’s who isn’t a specialist doctor. Therefore, it is always recommended to make an appointment before the trip at the Traveling Child Unit or at the international vaccination center in your community. That will be where they give you exact information based on each person and their health circumstances, as well as the route and season. Additionally, you will get a few safety recommendations that always come in handy.

Don’t forget to bring a small basic first-aid kit. Also, pack other essentials in your backpack, like sunscreen and mosquito repellent.

How to prepare for the trip to Australia with the children

The adventure always begins before flying and, from my own experience, it will flow much better if you have made your children part of it from the beginning. There are many resources to do this that give very good results because they arrive already hooked on the destination.

Bluey (Disney+): It is the quintessential Australian series and a must-watch for the whole family. It is set in Brisbane so when you are there, you will be amazed to recognize some of the locations.
Izzy’s Koala World (Netflix): A really cool real-life docuseries. It follows a girl of about 11 (Izzy) and her veterinarian mother who rescue and heal koalas on Magnetic Island.
Some episodes of Wild Kratts, a cartoon series about two brothers who help many wild animals. Look for the episodes featuring animals from there.
Back to the Outback: My children loved this animated movie available on Netflix; they spent half the trip calling koalas by the main character’s name.
Documentaries and educational videos about Australian animals.
Look for related stories and legends. Australian Aboriginal culture is one of the richest in the world, and their nature-based stories fascinate children. I’ll leave you a couple but dive into the internet and libraries: Tiddalik the Frog and The Boomerang and the Moon.
For the little ones, sticker or coloring books with Australian motifs are already great.
If you don’t mind them being in English, there are really cool children’s guides to the country like this one

What routes to take through Australia as a family

The first thing to understand is that Australia is huge: it is practically the size of Europe. You can’t see it in one trip, or even two. So the first decision isn’t “what do I see,” it’s “how much time do I have,” and from there you choose an area and do it well, without rushing.

I’ll tell you which route we took.

Our route in two months

We were lucky enough to have two months and we did the entire East Coast, very calmly, from Mossman, near Cairns, to Melbourne. This is how we distributed it:

Pacific Coast Way: from Mossman to Brisbane.

The tropical north and the wildest nature. Take note of everything this section offers, which almost everyone usually starts in Cairns or Daintree. We dedicated 3 weeks to it:

Daintree Rainforest: an incredible tropical jungle that few associate with arid Australia. Unfortunately, we couldn’t access it or Port Douglas because we arrived just after a cyclone that had flooded the area and destroyed the ferry used for access. But we did visit Mossman Gorge, its little sister, as we stayed nearby for 6 nights in a brilliant home exchange right after landing from New Zealand.
Kuranda is one of the best things to see in Cairns with or without kids. Going up to this little village is an experience in itself. We did it on the historic wooden train passing next to waterfalls like Barron Falls. Many people go up this way and down on the cable car, or vice versa.
Etty Bay is well worth a stop to try to see the world’s most dangerous bird, the cassowary, walking along the beach.
Yungaburra on the Atherton Tablelands, a gem where we only stayed one night but long enough to discover its greatest treasure: platypuses in the wild. It also has waterfalls and giant trees like The Curtain Fig.
Magnetic Island is a perfect island for a day trip or, if you have more time, to stay overnight. It is one of the places to see koalas and also rock wallabies.

Airlie Beach from where we took the boat trip to the Whitsunday Islands and the incredible experience of flying in a small plane over the Great Barrier Reef.
Heading south, towns like Bundaberg,
Hervey Bay which serves as a base to visit the wild Fraser Island (K’gari Island) to see dingoes and brutal beaches. We missed out because this excursion was out of our price range.
Maryborough: The birthplace of the creator of Mary Poppins was a quick stop on the route, but we loved it as a visit to do with children in Australia.
Noosa with its kilometer-long beaches full of surfers and its National Park which has a beautiful coastal path.

The Legendary Pacific Coast: from Brisbane to Sydney.

Brisbane: Here we based ourselves for a week on the outskirts in an exchange house. We loved this city because it has a great vibe and is full of plans to do with children.
Gold Coast with its theme parks which we didn’t go to, but we did go to other incredible nature spots like Coombabah where you can see hundreds of kangaroos and also koalas.
Byron Bay with its bohemian, indie, and surfer atmosphere that wins you over. Golden beaches and a lighthouse that dominates the horizon and from which you can see dolphins and, with luck, whales, turtles, and manta rays.
Coffs Harbour and Port Macquarie (with its koala rescue center).
Newcastle with the sand dune beach of Birubi Beach. By the way, did you know there are camels in Australia?

Sydney where we spent another whole week in another exchange house to see its famous Opera House, the surf beach of Bondi with its coastal path, Manly island, and much more.
Blue Mountains: This beautiful natural setting with mountains, waterfalls, and forests about two hours from Sydney deserves much more than being a day trip, which is what we did.

Great Ocean Road and surroundings of Melbourne.

Great Ocean Road is undoubtedly one of the road trips I recommend if you are traveling to Australia with children. The coastal landscapes are very cool and although The Twelve Apostles are the most famous part, there is much more to discover.
Grampians: This detour inland is worth it because not only will you radically change scenery but you will also be able to see many kangaroos and, with luck, emus, which are a kind of ostrich.
Raymond Island: Not everyone includes this tiny island but I recommend it without hesitation for going with children because we counted 26 koalas in one morning.
Tower Hill: An ancient volcanic crater now converted into a very special place to spot animals in complete freedom.
Wilsons Promontory: This area was one of the ones we enjoyed most during our adventure through Australia with children, so much so that we stayed an extra day.
Phillip Island to see how the tiny little blue penguins arrive at the beach at dusk.
Melbourne: This city was the end of this trip through Australia with children. I couldn’t dedicate as much time to it as I would have liked.

In each area, further down, I’ll provide you with specific plans and links to book activities.

What we missed and would have loved to see

An honest guide also says what it didn’t do. On the east coast, as I said, Fraser Island (K’gari) was left out due to budget.

And from the whole of Australia, we obviously missed many places. But I’ll leave you with two classic areas that many people visit and that we’ll save for another trip.

The Red Centre: Uluru. The heart of the country, the sacred monolith in the middle of the desert. It’s another trip, with its own flights and logistics, but for many, it is the icon of Australia.
The West Coast (Perth and surroundings). Spectacular beaches, quokkas on Rottnest Island, another much less crowded Australia. It is very far from the east coast, so you either go specifically or leave it for another time.

Itinerary proposals if you don’t have two months

You don’t need to have two months. These are the two versions I would do with less time. The distance from Spain and the time difference means you lose days traveling back and forth, in addition to the factor of flight prices, so honestly, I wouldn’t consider going for less than 3 weeks, although at a minimum I would tell you to go for a month. Keep in mind that this will depend a lot on your preferences:

3-week itinerary — Cairns to Sydney (you enter via Cairns, exit via Sydney). You get all of the tropical north and the Whitsundays, and head down to Sydney without going into Victoria. You miss the Great Ocean Road, the penguins, and Raymond Island, but you get the Great Barrier Reef, the rainforest, and you won’t lack the classic portion of koalas, kangaroos, and even with luck, cassowaries, dingoes, and platypuses. If I had to remove a part of the route to make it more affordable and skip a section by plane, I would choose from Byron Bay to Sydney. That way, taking another internal flight from Sydney to Melbourne, you could also do the basics of the Great Ocean Road. Is this last option feasible? Yes, it is feasible, but a real slog with little ones too.

4-week itinerary — Cairns to Melbourne complete but tight. It is the route we took but compressed. Here the key will obviously be taking internal flights like the one I mentioned before and also from Sydney to Melbourne. You do the entire east coast, including the highlights of Victoria, cutting days in Sydney and combining short stops. It is the itinerary that gives you the most value per day: you get the koalas of Raymond Island, the wombats of Wilsons Prom, and the penguins of Phillip Island, which is the best final part.

Plans with children in Australia

I already told you earlier in the routes section about some things to do for adults and little ones, but here I’ll add some children’s plans in Australia that my children loved.

Animal spotting deserves its own section, so I’ll tell you about it in detail in the next block.

🏝️ Northern Zone and Queensland Coast

Whitsunday Islands excursion with snorkeling (from Airlie Beach): a full-day cruise to the islands, with snorkeling in turquoise waters and time on the spectacular white sand beach of Whitehaven. It’s an expensive excursion, I won’t lie to you, but if your budget allows, it’s perfect to do with children because they will have a great time playing on its beaches. Of course, book it well in advance.
Overflying the Great Barrier Reef in a small plane (from Airlie Beach): another expensive activity, but one that won’t be forgotten if the budget allows. The little ones will love searching from the air for the famous Heart Reef, that little coral heart in the middle of the reef. Book it in advance too.

The Strand Water Park (Townsville): A public and completely free water park with water jets right on the promenade, ideal for cooling off and letting the children run around before catching the ferry to Magnetic Island.
The Basin (Bundaberg): A sheltered and spectacular beach, completely wave-free, making it ideal for small children to swim and play in total safety. It also has a playground right next to it, making it a perfect stop on the coastal route.

WetSide Water Park (Hervey Bay): This spectacular free water park on the beach is a guaranteed success. It has interactive fountains, water walkways, and a huge giant bucket that fills up and tips over by surprise.
The Story Bank and the Town Library (Maryborough): A beautiful stop in the hometown of the creator of Mary Poppins. You can visit the interactive museum dedicated to the character and spend a quiet moment in the town library, which has a fantastic children’s area full of toys.

🐨 Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Byron Bay

State Library of Queensland (Brisbane): The state library has a wonderful children’s space called “The Corner”, full of wooden toys, giant building blocks, costumes, and materials for free crafting.
Children’s Art Centre at GOMA (Brisbane): Located on the ground floor of the Gallery of Modern Art, it is an interactive and free space where art is designed for children to touch, play with multimedia screens, and create their own works.
Queensland Museum & SparkLab (Brisbane): The natural history museum offers an impressive free gallery with replicas of dinosaurs and local animals. Inside is also SparkLab, an interactive science center (this space is paid) with live experiments that fascinate children.

South Bank Parklands (Brisbane): The epicenter of free outdoor fun by the river. It’s a spectacular site that includes three key areas:
Riverside Green Playground: An avant-garde and futuristic playground with zip lines, climbing nets, and play areas divided by age.
Streets Beach: A huge public swimming pool and artificial white sand beach with lifeguards in the middle of the city.
Aquativity: An interactive water play area with jets sprouting from the ground and shallow streams.
The Rockpools at Broadwater Parklands (Gold Coast): A free public oasis designed with artificial streams, fountains, and interactive water jets where little ones can splash safely.
Warner Bros. Movie World, Dreamworld, Sea World, or Wet’n’Wild (Gold Coast): This area is home to Australia’s major paid theme parks and attractions. Although we decided to skip them on our route to prioritize other nature plans, they are a very popular option if your kids are looking for adrenaline.
Mullumbimby Market (half an hour from Byron Bay): A beautiful craft market held once a month in this inland town. It has a super authentic atmosphere surrounded by nature, live music, and delicious food stalls that the kids loved.
Circus Arts Byron Bay (Byron Bay): A well-known indoor circus school offering activities, trampolines, and trapezes for children. Although we didn’t go, we’ve noted it as a great alternative plan if you get a rainy day in the area.

⚓ Sydney and surroundings

Art Gallery of New South Wales: A fantastic and free family cultural visit, especially to enjoy its current interactive exhibition designed specifically as a curious playground for children to experiment with art. It’s called The Key’s Under the Mat, by artist Mike Hewson, and is available until August 23, 2026.
The ferry to Manly and the walk to Shelly Beach (Sydney): Crossing the bay by public boat is a must-do in the city, but the grand finale upon arrival is the beautiful coastal walk connecting Manly’s main beach to Shelly Beach. The children were thrilled with this path because it turns into a fun game: looking for the small metal figures of sea animals sculpted and hidden along the rock wall and around the path.
The ferry to Luna Park (Sydney): Another very fun boat crossing that will drop you right at the gates of this legendary and historic vintage-style amusement park, famous for its giant smiling face at the entrance.
Ian Potter WILD PLAY Garden (Sydney): A spectacular botanical playground within Centennial Park. It is designed under the concept of “wild play”, ideal for children to climb logs, explore a bamboo forest, and play with water barefoot.
Trip to the Blue Mountains (Sydney Surroundings): A perfect plan to dedicate a day trip outside the city and go hiking. If you can stay overnight I recommend it; I regretted not doing so. There is a very famous paid attraction called Scenic World, where you can ride a super steep funicular, get on glass-bottomed cable cars, and walk along jungle boardwalks surrounded by dinosaur replicas. Although we preferred to skip this commercial part and focus on the free walks, it’s a great attraction worth mentioning in the guide.

Gelato Messina (Sydney): The mandatory technical stop for a sweet treat. Their artisanal ice creams are delicious and have super original flavors.
Pancakes on the Rocks (Sydney): A legendary place with a very family-friendly atmosphere, perfect for lunch or dinner to devour their famous and hearty pancakes.
Sunset at Mrs Macquarie’s Point (Sydney): One of the most magical moments of the trip. It consists of walking through the Botanical Garden to sit and watch the sunset with the most spectacular views of the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge.

🦫 Wilsons Promontory and Melbourne

The Big Drift (Wilsons Promontory): An unforgettable excursion within the national park. After walking a trail through trees, you reach a truly gigantic white sand dune. Climbing to the top with the kids to see the vastness of the landscape and letting them run down or slide is a fantastic adventure.
Playing around Tidal River Campsite (Wilsons Promontory): Right next to the campsite, the river creates a natural pool of calm, warm, wave-free water that ends at a pristine beach. My little ones had a blast playing there and looking for animals.

The colorful bathing boxes at Brighton Beach (Brighton, Melbourne): A very fun walk along this famous beach to see its iconic wooden bathing boxes up close. The kids loved walking past them because each one has a unique and eye-catching design, with drawings of koalas, mermaids, and all kinds of colorful motifs.

And the star plan of the whole trip: spotting animals in the wild, which I’ll tell you all about now.

Spotting animals in the wild

This for me is almost the main reason to encourage you to take this amazing trip that is Australia with children. This country is full of super special wildlife, much of which you won’t see in any other country, so open your eyes wide and enjoy. Unfortunately, I was surprised that there were so many zoos and fake sanctuaries where you can touch, hold, and interact with the animals. Please do not participate in them; practice responsible tourism that respects animals.

You won’t need to go to those zoos because here the fauna is everywhere and you can see it in complete freedom and, often, closer than you imagine. Teach your little ones to keep their distance, remember never to feed any animal and, of course, do not touch them.

Here are some places where we saw wildlife so that, if you can, you can include them in your family route through Australia. Obviously there are many more but I’m talking about the ones I liked the most on our trip

🐨 Koalas

Looking for these cuties is a great plan to do with kids in Australia. They tend to be more active in theory in the afternoon or early morning, but the truth is that in some cases we also saw them climbing or eating at midday. They are not easy to locate, especially since most of the day they are curled up in a ball sleeping, so look for that: a ball of gray fur on the branches.

Raymond Island: This small island in Gippsland (Victoria), connected by a free five-minute ferry from Paynesville, is paradise for seeing these adorable “stuffed animals”. Follow the Koala Trail which is full of koalas; we counted 26 different ones in a single morning. You can also see kangaroos and with a lot of luck echidnas.
Tower Hill: Here we also saw a lot concentrated around the central area and also some in low trees. And you will see many more little animals like emus and kangaroos.
Magnetic Island: It was our first contact with them, we only saw two but if you’re lucky you can see more walking along The Forts Walk. On this island we also saw rock wallabies behind Alma Bay beach that usually come out in the afternoon.
Guulabaa Koala Breeding and Research Centre in Port Macquarie: The best thing about this place is that you also learn a lot about koalas because there is a super friendly volunteer. Also for the kids there are small books with challenges to complete during the visit and coloring pages. In the facilities they have a koala hospital whose room you can see through a glass. When we arrived a joey was waking up. Here you do pay, but I assure you it’s a way to help an institution that truly helps these marsupials, it belongs to Koala Conservation Australia. Of course, there is no type of contact with them.
Cape Otway: The road leading to the lighthouse was another goldmine for spotting koalas, though you need good eyesight because here you have to find them from the vehicle, in our case from the motorhome. We went with zero expectations and saw three. Challenging the little ones to find them is a great plan.
Coombabah Lakelands: Just like in other places I’m mentioning, here you won’t just see koalas, but also dozens and dozens of kangaroos grazing in a large meadow. This is for me one of the essential places to visit if you go to Australia with children. Oh and we also saw a pair of owls or barn owls, I’m not quite sure.
Byron Bay: The coastal path leading to the famous lighthouse also gave us a couple of koalas, although a bit high up, everything must be said. But look out, on this walk we also saw dolphins, some wallabies and if it coincides with the season, whales, rays, and turtles.
Other sites where they can be seen but we were not lucky were Kennett River and Noosa National Park.

🦘 Kangaroos

It would be rare for you to return from this destination without having come across one; they are almost everywhere. We were also very lucky to have an exclusive kangaroo parade just for us in the garden of one of the exchange houses where we stayed. It was one of the highlights of this family adventure through Australia.

I have already mentioned some places before:

Coombabah Lakelands where many gather in a large meadow at sunset.
Halls Gap Recreation Reserve is a meadow in the small town of Halls Gap, in Grampians National Park, where crowds of them gather just like in Coombabah. Here we were also lucky enough to see emus.
Coffs Harbour: Specifically at the campsite where we stayed, the NRMA Darlington Beach Holiday Resort, as some live there and walk around the facilities.

From my personal point of view, a place I do NOT recommend you go to see kangaroos is Cape Hillsborough. The beach of this national park, where the campsite of the same name is located, is famous because many of these marsupials come there at dawn. I made the mistake of not informing myself well and we booked a pitch a long time in advance to see them. After setting the alarm for 5:30 in the morning, I was very disappointed because the park ranger feeds them according to her version because after it became so famous many people started going to feed the kangaroos and some got sick. The solution of a national park? Feeding them at a specific time so they gather there at dawn. It was a big disappointment, it’s not worth it.

🦫 Platypuses

This animal is as curious as can be; it is one of only two animals in the world that are mammals but lay eggs. The other is the echidna, which can also be seen in this country with a lot of luck (I saw it in a bush at the Twelve Apostles lookout). Here are a couple of places:

Yungaburra in the Atherton area (Queensland). I was lucky enough to see three platypuses at dawn at the Bonadio campground, which is on the banks of the Barron River. I recommend booking this campsite in advance. On the outskirts of town, there are two sighting areas, but we had no luck there.
Lake Elizabeth in the interior of the Great Ocean Road route. Here you need to book a walking and kayak tour at sunset with a guide. When we discovered this place, we changed our route to go there on purpose because my partner didn’t see them in Bonadio as he stayed in the motorhome with the little one. In theory, several specimens are seen every day, but that specific afternoon only one was spotted and so quickly that my husband didn’t get to see it. However, on the way back at night, walking in total darkness, they saw hundreds of glow worms hanging from the walls and ferns.

🐻 Wombats

I had to wait until the end of these two months of road trip through Australia with children to be able to see this very special animal. They are very curious marsupials that do square poops. How about that?

Tidal River in Wilsons Promontory is a wombat paradise. We were going to Tidal River Campground for two nights and extended it to three because we loved this place. Here we didn’t just see wombats, but also swamp wallabies, kangaroos, and emus. You’ll see them around the campsite and also on the Prom Wildlife Walk trail. This place is amazing, so I recommend it 100% if you eventually decide to go to Australia with your little ones.
Bendeela Campground is another ideal spot to see these little guys. We didn’t go, but many people recommend it, and if you are going to do the route from Sydney to Melbourne, mark it as a must.

🐦 Cassowaries

The world’s most dangerous bird had to be seen no matter what. That’s why we booked well in advance at the Etty Bay beach campsite where they usually walk around at dawn.

We saw one, just one, but more than enough because it let itself be observed for quite a long time. Be careful, this creature is very dangerous as I said before; its claws are capable of piercing through anything. Keeping your distance and using common sense, there shouldn’t be any problems.

🐧 Little blue penguins

On Phillip Island where they arrive at dusk to take shelter in their burrows after fishing all day at sea. This procession is known as the Penguin Parade and requires you to book and pay for a ticket. If you go in cold weather and with small children, I recommend getting the underground ticket where you see them pass at ground level sheltered in a kind of bunker with glass windows. It’s the most expensive ticket, but it’s a very windy area and waiting in the open at night with that wind and low temperatures might not go well if you’re with toddlers.

🐕 Dingoes

You can see the Australian wild dog in a relatively simple way (remember we are talking about wild fauna, they may appear or not, it’s a matter of luck) on Fraser Island (K’gari Island). We were left wanting because, being five of us, the excursion price was too high for us.

How to get around Australia with children?

Australia is the perfect country for a road trip like the one we did. But the means of transport to choose will depend on the time you have and the route you want to take.

If you are short on time and want to cover a lot, you will have to resort to domestic flights with companies like Jetstar or Virgin.

In our case, since we had two full months, we did everything by land combining a rental car with two motorhome stretches with Cruisin.

I first did the stretch from Cairns to Brisbane with 14 days of motorhome rental. Then 15 days picking it up in Melbourne and dropping it off in Melbourne to do the Great Ocean Road.

The first car we had was a Tesla that our host from the Mossman home exchange left us for free (this was wonderful) and the second car we rented through Discovery Cars, we used it to go from Brisbane to Melbourne.

Motorhome: the best option if you’re traveling as a family

For me, without a doubt, a motorhome is the best means of transport for a trip through Australia with children for many reasons. The first is that you carry everything with you, and that is very, very convenient when traveling with little ones. You forget about packing and unpacking suitcases every two days, and your children feel at home because they have their place for the stories, stuffed animals, or toys they have brought along.

Plus, you save a lot on restaurants because you can make breakfasts, lunches, and dinners in the kitchen. The motorhome we took with Cruisin was a 6-seater that had a kitchen with plenty of counter space, burners, an oven, a microwave, and a large fridge with a giant freezer that allows you to buy groceries for many days. When you travel as a family and there are several of you like in our case, having all that space to cook and store food makes logistics much easier.

Another thing I love about planning Australia with kids in a motorhome is that you sleep in the middle of nature. You open the door and the kids start running; they have stones and sticks to play with on a beach, in a forest, in a river… Personally, this works much better for me than being all cooped up in a hotel room.

Kids love traveling with their house on their backs, sleeping above the cabin (don’t worry, that double bed comes with a safety net), looking for animals from the windows…

Regarding the company we chose, Cruisin, I only have good words because they were truly very kind. We also had a small incident because a car hit us from behind while we were parked—nothing major, just a tail light and some scratches. We called them to report it, and they attended to us immediately and told us how to proceed so we could continue the adventure without further setbacks.

To have all the necessary details and all the info to keep in mind if you decide to rent a motorhome to travel around Australia with your children, check out this other article dedicated entirely to this topic.

Even if you move around in a motorhome or by car, keep these basic tips in mind:

In Australia, you drive on the left. Adaptation takes one or two days; the strangest things are the roundabouts and that when you want to use the indicator, you turn on the windshield wipers by mistake. Australian driving is very cautious and one of the easiest I’ve gotten used to.
Be careful about exceeding the speed limit, as the radar world works at full capacity.
Child restraint systems. Australian law requires a car seat up to age 4, a booster seat up to age 7, and from age 7 onwards a normal seatbelt. With Cruisin we took two car seats for the two little ones for a supplement of about 37 dollars, I believe. Before leaving when picking up the motorhome, make sure they help you install them correctly because you have to remove the cushions and put them back.

Where to sleep in Australia with children

Our formula was to combine home exchanges with campsites, and it worked wonderfully.

Home exchanges (HomeExchange) were the backbone of the trip: 26 nights without paying for accommodation, large houses with pools, gardens, and washing machines—exactly what you need when traveling with your children. In addition, many had toys for the little ones, as this is a filter you can use when searching for houses on the platform.

The annual fee is €170, which in a destination as expensive as this, you’ll see is what a hotel night for a family costs you. If you’re considering trying home exchange, don’t think twice because there are nothing but advantages; I’ve been using it for over 7 years and it has changed the way I travel as a family. If you decide to go for it, by registering from my link you get 250 extra guestpoints to start.

Australian caravan parks (campsites) are something else compared to what you imagine: pools, sometimes with water slides, children’s game rooms, mini golf, communal kitchens, laundries, impeccable bathrooms, and sometimes even outdoor movie sessions. The big chains are NRMA, BIG4, Discovery, and Ingenia. We tried all three and they were luxury.

These are all the places where we slept, by area, with comments on each (and a link to book):

Pacific Coast Way (from Daintree/Cairns to Brisbane):

HomeExchange Mossman (7 nights, cleaning fee): house with a pool, perfect base if you’re going to Daintree Rainforest.
Etty Bay Caravan Park (€40): pitch for the motorhome in front of the sea, cassowaries on the grounds at dawn.
BIG4 Tasman, Townsville (€47): base for going to Magnetic Island.
NRMA Airlie Beach (€34): a very cool pool. We made this our base to visit the Whitsunday Islands and fly over the Great Barrier Reef.
Cape Hillsborough (€32): the campsite is great with a pool with two slides, but the kangaroo show, not so much.
HomeExchange Bundaberg (4 nights, €0) In the garden of this house, we saw our private kangaroo parade.
Discovery Hervey Bay (€44) a good base if you want to do the excursion to Fraser Island.
NRMA Yeppoon (€59) and Bells Caravan Park, Clontarf (€35): transit nights.

The Legendary Pacific Coast (Brisbane–Sydney):

HomeExchange near Brisbane (7 nights, €0)
HomeExchange Byron Bay (3 nights, €0): house on the outskirts, better than the crowded center.
NRMA Darlington Beach, Coffs Harbour (€66): One of the coolest for going with kids—water slides, jacuzzi, children’s room, summer cinema, and kangaroos on the grounds.
HomeExchange Sydney (6 nights, €0)

Great Ocean Road and Melbourne:

Tiny House in Glenrowan (€109) On this transit night between Sydney and Melbourne, we slept in a mini house that we loved.
Ingenia Torquay (€42): start of the Great Ocean Road.
Jamieson Creek Campground We loved this public campsite in the middle of the forest on a cliff. It’s very cheap and very basic; there are no facilities beyond some toilets but no showers, no electricity, but we still liked it very much. We saw wallabies and made a campfire.
Forrest Holiday Park To see the platypuses of Lake Elizabeth
NRMA Port Campbell (€48): five minutes from the Twelve Apostles, for sunrise without crowds.
NRMA Halls Gap, Grampians (~€25): kangaroos passing by in the afternoon near the motorhome and emus.
Tidal River, Wilsons Promontory (€15): Essential without a doubt. We liked it so much that we stayed an extra night. Here it’s the wombats that literally walk past your motorhome. Plus, the kids really enjoyed playing in the river and on the beach.
NRMA Phillip Island, Cowes (€25): base for the Penguin Parade.
Sale Showgrounds (€24) and Yarram (€32): transit nights

How much does a family trip to Australia cost: is it as expensive as they say?

Let’s go with the truth, the whole truth. Australia is not cheap, it never has been, I’m not going to lie to you. But by being smart and cooking, it’s more cost-effective than it seems. I’ll give you our numbers first and then some general averages so you can calculate yours.

In total, we spent about €1,800 per person per month in total counting all expenses for motorhome transport, car rental, gas, accommodation, meals, excursions… everything, everything except international flights because we arrived from New Zealand and left for Los Angeles.

Our spending (family of five, per month, all-inclusive except flights)

Vehicles (motorhome + car + motorhome): €3,000/month
Accommodation: €2,000/month
Activities and tickets: €2,000/month
Food (supermarket + some restaurant): €2,000/month
Total: €9,000/month not counting international flights. Per person it cost us about €1,800 for the month

General averages for you to calculate your budget

Family hotel night (family of 4-5): rarely fell below €180-220
Camping/caravan park night (family with pitch and electricity): €35-50. If you go for bungalows or rooms, it went up quite a bit.
Car rental: from about €40-60/day
6-seater motorhome from €100-130/day.
Big excursion like Whitsundays (small plane + boat): €250-300 per adult, slightly less for children. Without a doubt, from my point of view, excursions for family plans in Australia were very expensive. My advice is to choose your essentials well because if you want to do them all, you’ll go broke.
Food: Cooking at the accommodation or in the motorhome, a well-planned large supermarket shop will cost you about €160 for a week. Obviously, this varies a lot depending on how many you are and the type of food you buy. We hardly touched restaurants.

Tips for saving money

HomeExchange: our greatest ally in lowering the cost has been home exchange, which allowed us 26 free nights, although in one of them we did pay a cleaning fee.
Cook most dinners and use free public barbecues (they are in almost all parks).
Aldi is by far the cheapest supermarket. We would look for them to fill the pantry. If not, the next would be Coles, and the most expensive is Woolworths.
The Petrol Spy app to find the cheapest gas station. There can be a difference of 30-40 cents/liter.
Second-hand stores: In Australia, the recycling culture is huge and you’ll find many stores where you can buy everything from clothes to beach items, footwear, toys… I confess, we became a bit addicted.
Carry some cash: Although you can pay with a card almost everywhere, you will need it. A good example is the laundries at campsites that operate with coins.
Revolut card to pay in Australian dollars and save on commissions. This multi-currency card is my travel essential.

Frequently asked questions and tips

What is the best time to travel to Australia with children?

The short answer is that the best months for a full East Coast route like ours are from September to November (Austral spring) and from March to May (Austral autumn). In these windows of time, you will find a balanced and pleasant climate in both the tropical north and the south. We arrived in Cairns on March 19th and finished in Melbourne on May 18th and generally had very good weather.

It is true that in Mossman, when we arrived, it rained for several days because a cyclone had just passed. Keep in mind that with climate change, you never know what the weather will be like. Even so, here is a table to give you a rough idea:

Region	Best time to go	What will you find?	Time to avoid with children
Tropical North (Mossman, Cairns, Daintree)	May to October (dry season)	Perfect temperatures (26 °C), sunny days, and a safe sea for swimming.	November to April (rains, monsoons, and the dangerous Stinger Season or jellyfish season).
Temperate South (Sydney, Melbourne, Great Ocean Road)	October to April (spring/summer)	Ideal beach weather, long days, and bustling playgrounds.	June to August (Austral winter; cold and wind, especially in Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road).

Remember that being such a giant country, it has totally opposite climates coexisting at the same time. While it’s summer in the north, they could be shivering from the cold in the south. So deciding when to go to Australia with children will depend a lot on which part of this huge island you want to visit.

If your only option for this big trip is to take advantage of the summer school holidays (July and August), it is totally feasible, but you must pack your suitcase wisely following this strategy:

Start in the North (Cairns/Daintree): July and August are good months there. You will enjoy a kind of “eternal spring” with zero rain, bearable heat, and you will be able to swim in the Great Barrier Reef without the need for special stinger suits against jellyfish.
Prepare for the South (Melbourne/Sydney): As you go down south, you will enter their winter. It won’t snow in the cities, but in Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road, you can expect days of 12°C to 15°C, wind, and the occasional shower. The trick is to bring good windbreaker jackets and thermal clothing for the children; plans can be carried out exactly the same, and wombats and kangaroos are active all year round.

How many days do I need to travel to Australia with children?

Remember how far away it is, the jetlag, and the cost of the tickets. I would go for at least a month, but you can already do a cool route in 3 weeks as I mentioned above. Ideally: as much as you can afford.

Is it safe to drive on the left with children in the back?

Yes, you adapt in one or two days. Plan the route to

and avoid driving at dawn or dusk in rural areas because of the kangaroos.

At what age do children pay in Australia?

The general rule is very simple: children under 3 or 4 years old get in free almost everywhere. From 4 or 5 years old up to 15, they pay a reduced rate, although not everywhere.

Public museums and National Parks: A relief for your wallet! Entry to National Parks is free on the East Coast, and most state museums are 100% free for children under 16.
Excursions: Babies from 0 to 3 years old do not pay. From 4 years old they do charge you because on both boats and small planes (like the one for the Great Barrier Reef) they occupy a mandatory physical seat for safety.
Public transport: Children under 4 travel for free in Sydney and children under 5 in Melbourne and Brisbane. For those over that age, transport cards apply half-price child fares.

Family tourist passes are set for 2 adults and 2 children. If you are traveling with three little ones, as is my case, do not buy individual tickets for the third one; look for the option to add an “Additional child” to the family rate, which usually costs a bit less.