Top Winter School Holidays Trips - Australia

The school holidays are fast approaching, and the panic showing on many parents faces reflects the same question: Where can we take with the kids for 2 weeks in winter?? It’s so much easier to travel in the summer in a country surrounded by miles of unspoilt beaches, and outdoor pursuits are on every active family’s agenda, but what about when the temperature drops and swimming is just not an option? 

Here are some of the top winter destinations that are far enough away to feel like a decent holiday, yet still close enough to enjoy the drive, where you’ll be able to get outside and get active. Hopefully, this will help give you some ideas on what to do with the brood these winter school holidays: 

From Sydney: 

· Kosciusko National Park: Think winter holidays, think snow. Roughly six hours drive from Sydney takes you to the Snowy Mountains. You can ski, snowboard, ski cross-country or go tobogganing. Take a class or even just ride a chair lift to the top, build a snowman and enjoy the view! For tips on driving in the snow, download the DriveAway Snow Guide. 

· The NSW South Coast: The drive alone from between Sydney to Eden is an adventure in itself, with so many places to stop along the way. Drive along the Grand Pacific Drive which runs for 169kms from start to finish. Take the kids for a walk amongst the tree tops at the Illawarra Tree Top Walk. Fish off the wharf at Tathra or go bushwalking in unspoilt Morton National Park.

· The Blue Mountains: The World Heritage listed Blue Mountains is only a short 60 minute drive west of Sydney to the base of the mountains. You can bushwalk , see the magnificent Three Sisters at Katoomba, visit the Zig Zag Railway at Mt Victoria, take a tour through Jenolan Caves, horse ride through the Megalong Valley, or enjoy great food and shopping in Leura. 

· Regional NSW: Visit some of Australia’s most historic villages or get close to nature. Visit Dubbo, about 5½ hours northwest of Sydney, home to the fantastic Western Plains Zoo. Show the kids some colonial history at the Old Dubbo Gaol. See the Observatory at Parkes, or camping or canoeing along the Lachlan River. 

From Melbourne: 

· Goldfields of Victoria: Only 90 minutes drive northwest of Melbourne you can tour the towns of Ballarat, Maldon and Bendigo. Visit Sovereign Hill, the Eureka Centre and the Central Deborah Gold Mine to learn about Australia’s gold rush history.

· Victorian High Country: Drive the Great Alpine Road between Bairnsdale and Wangaratta, and make the most of the snow season in the Victorian snow fields of Mt Buller, Falls Creek and Mt Hotham.  

· Phillip Island: about 90 minutes drive from Melbourne centre, you can see the wondrous Fairy Penguins waddling ashore at sunset at the Phillip Island Nature Park, or do a lap of the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit. 

And then of course if you still want to escape the winter blues altogether and soak up some warmth, head out from Brisbane: 

· The Sunshine Coast: Just over 2 hours drive north of Brisbane, enjoy some of QLD’s best beaches with year-round warm weather, take the kids to Australia Zoo or take a driving tour to the Glasshouse Mountains.

· The Gold Coast: Less than an hour south of Brisbane, enjoy fantastic beaches, glorious weather and uncontained excitement. And don’t forget the theme parks: Dreamworld, SeaWorld & Movie World.

· The Fraser Coast: Explore miles of pristine beaches, visit Fraser Island, enjoy fishing and boating on the Great Sandy Strait, or visit Hervey Bay where you’re just in time to catch humpback whales in the warm off shore waters.