Best Day Trips With Kids

Day tripping around Brisbane is not just for grown-ups to enjoy, with plenty of great day trips that are perfect for kids.

So next time you're looking for something different to do, try one of these 10 great days out in and around Brisbane, each of them packed with adventure, including museums, bush and coast walks, playgrounds, animal spotting, beaches and water parks to old-fashioned cinemas.

Coochiemudlo Island

From Victoria Point, take the ferry across to Coochie Mudlo Island for the day. They have paddle boats, kayaks and canoes for hire or you can just swim and enjoy the stunning views across Moreton Bay. Coochie Mudlo Island Beach Bar is a good little spot for lunch or maybe take along a beach picnic. There's also an interesting and easy 1 hr walk that circumnavigates the island.

Hawthorne

Hawthorne's location on the Brisbane River makes it a fun destination to visit on the CityCat. Hop off at Bulimba Terminal and wander along Oxford Street to historic Hawthorne Cinemas where movies are at super budget prices and there are some excellent cafes nearby. Don't forget to stop in at Bulimba Riverside Park where there is a popular sand based playground otherwise there's Livvi's Place playground nearby.

Mt Tamborine

Only an hour south of Brisbane, the rainforests of Mt Tamborine await. A bushwalk to Curtis Falls is a good place to start, followed by lunch and a visit to the Cuckoo Clock Nest along Gallery Walk. On the way back home, stop in at Tamborine Forest SkyWalk, or try fossicking for a Thunderegg at Thunderbird Park.

New Farm

A visit to the riverside suburb of New Farm is a guaranteed fun day out for kids. The highlight of the day is New Farm Park with its extensive playgrounds beneath the Moreton Bay Fig trees. Kids will love arriving at New Farm Park by CityCat from up or downriver and don't forget to take along the frisbee or cricket set. Or bring the scooters and take the riverfront walkway from New Farm to Teneriffe

Redcliffe Peninsula

Redcliffe Peninsula is a great day out for families. Start at Pelican Park Clontarf where there is a nearby playground and follow the shoreline past the jetty and up to the Gayundah Wreck at Woody Point. Next visit historic Redcliffe Pier and have a swim at Suttons Beach or the beachfront at Settlement Cove Lagoon. Want more? Check out the fab Redcliffe Museum which has a kids activity area and take a walk through the bat colonies at Redcliffe Botanic Gardens.

Samford Valley

Just a short drive north-west of Brisbane, lies peaceful Samford Valley. The adventure begins at Samford District Historical Museum with an old fashioned school room and antique carriages to explore. Right next to the museum is John Scott Park with some excellent climbing frames and even a little train and for Harry Potter Fans there's the Store of Requirement. There are a lot of cosy cafes in Samford, or you could take a picnic and explore Cedar Creek Rockpools or the old Rail Trail.

Sandgate

Kids love a visit to Lower Moora Park on the sea at Sandgate. The play area here is very popular and there are plenty of available barbecues for lunch. On a hot day, it is lovely to swim next to the refurbished Shorncliffe Pier. Take a bike and enjoy the views out to Moreton Bay as you ride along the Sandgate foreshore or venture onto the mudflats at low tide and search for soldier crabs.

Wynnum

The ethereal Mangrove Boardwalk at Wynnum is a good place to start. Either walk or take along scooters and bikes following the Wynnum Esplanade along to Pandanus Beach or continue a bit further still to Wynnum Wading Pool and the free water play park. Pack a picnic or grab some fish'n'chips and ice-cream from one of the cafés across the road.

Brisbane Forest Park

Just 15 mins west of Brisbane is a world of adventure for kids, with Walkabout Creek and its walk-through wildlife centre of native animals, Green Tree Frog Café and Enoggera Reservoir with its little sandy beach, perfect for a swim and a walking track around the outside. A further 5 mins drive west is Bellbird Grove where children can walk amongst the relics of an old gold mine on the Golden Boulder trail. By the car park are picnic & BBQ facilities.

Bribie Island

It's fun to drive over the bridge at Pumicestone Passage to reach Bribie Island. There is a patrolled surf beach at Woorim, while Bongaree offers quiet, calm swimming on the west side where you'll find a fantastic beachfront path (for walking or cycling) connecting playgrounds, board walks and even a bird hide. Also worth a look is the Bribie Island Butterfly House and the Bribie Island Seaside Museum. BYO picnic or stop off at the super family-friendly Sandstone Point Hotel.

By Lucy Hordern