Travel is one of the greatest gifts you can give your children. The opportunity to see other cultures, have great adventures, grow and bond as a family is important. A great family holiday needs careful planning and expertise that’s why you should use the services of a Premier Aussie Specialist.

A little history to get their interest. In 1787, eleven ships left England, mostly full with 1000 convicts to start the new land. It took six months to get there. Today, it takes six weeks. They were promised if they served their sentence they were then free. The British are called “Limey’s” because if they didn’t eat limes, they got a skin disease called scurvy. We are also called “Pommies” because we weren’t used to the sun and turned the color of a Pomegranate. The convict ships kept going until 1860.

Experience and knowing the details, if hand feeding a kangaroo is on your child’s wish list, where can you go to do that. Does the hotel have a bathtub because your little one likes to float her duck. Go visit the wildlife in the morning, because they sleep in the afternoon.

In this section, you will find our recommendations on “Must See and Do” with youngsters in mind. Mum can have a spa visit, Dad can play golf, while the children are kept busy with perhaps a hotel’s children’s program.

No.l. rule. Rent an apartment where possible. Many places allow children to eat and stay free.

NEW SOUTH WALES

SYDNEY

Climate: Summer high 91 low 77. Winter, high 88 low 66.

Behind the scenes – VIP tour of the aquarium
Behind the scenes – VIP tour of the opera house
Behind the scenes – VIP tour at the Taronga zoo
Learn to surf at Bondi Beach
Visit Luna Park, an old fashioned fun fare
Jet boat ride on Sydney Harbor (age 14+)
Swim with the sharks at Manley (age 15+)
Skywalk over Sydney (age 10+)
Climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge (age 12+)
Visit the Maritime Museum
Visit to the Blue Mountains

QUEENSLAND

BRISBANE

Climate: Summer high 85 low 68 Winter high 71 low 50

The Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast have lots of things to do with youngsters of all ages
There are seven different theme parks to visit
Dreamworld, with Tiger Island is No.l.
Steve Irwin’s Australian Zoo. Several show a day so check what’s on
Hand fee kangaroos and hold a koala at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Take a city tour
Take a river catamaran cruise
Go whale watching (July to October)
Hand feed wild dolphins at Tangalooma Wild Dolphin Resort

GREAT BARRIER REEF ISLANDS

Many of the islands don’t allow children. These do:

• Dunk Island – great kids program – ages 3-12
• Heron Island – junior ranger program, ages 7-12
• Hamilton Island – ages 5-14 eat free
• Hayman Island, kids club ages 3-12

VICTORIA

MELBOURNE

Climate: Summer high 79 low 57 Winter high 59 low 43

Enchidna walkabout – see animals in the bush
Aquarium to see the sharks
Go to a football match
Ride the Puffing Billy – old steam train in the mountains
Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary
Visit Scienceworld
Visit historic Sovereign Hill
Ride a tramcar and have dinner on board
Morning hot air balloon ride
Phillip Island – see the penguin parade
Visit the Mint, and see the largest gold nuggets
Visit an aussie farm

TASMANIA

This island is an hour’s flight from Melbourne. The ferry is an overnight adventure.

Climate – summer high 71 low 53 Winter high 59 low 43

Bike ride down Mt. Wellington
Visit the zoo
Go to the Cadbury’s Chocolate Factory on a half day cruise
Take a seaplane over the wilderness
Visit Port Arthur convict prison
Take a ghost tour of the prison one evening
See the Tassie devils at night in Cradle Mountain National Park
Try the airwalk, treetops view over the forest

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

ADELAIDE

Climate: Summer high 86 low 62 Winter high 62 low 48

Take the ferry to Kangaroo Island and stay overnight for wildlife tour
Cleland Wildlife Park
Swim with dolphins on a cruise
Visit Hahndorf, great German town, ride in a carriage
Visit the Aborginal center
Visit one of the wine regions, Barossa, Clare, McLaren for a tour in how Grapes are grown

NORTHERN TERRITORY

ALICE SPRINGS AND AYERS ROCK

Climate : Summer high 96 low 69 Winter high 73 low 43

ALICE SPRINGS
Eyes in the Dark barbecue and tour
Take a camel to breakfast
Visit the Desert Garden
Learn about the School of the Air and the Flying Doctor Service
All children within a 5,000 mile radius go to school via radio
Learn to paint from an Aborginal artist
Go on a camping safari

AYERS ROCK - Uluru
Take the sunrise breakfast tour
Walk along part of the rock base
Afternoon tour of the Olgas, walk in the Valley of the Winds
Go to the Sounds of Silence Dinner and have an astronomy lecture

DARWIN – the top end of the Northern Territory

Three National Parks, Kakadu, known for its Aborginal rock art, birds, crocs and wildlife. Litchfield, for its waterfalls, and Katherine Gorge, which has a boat cruise down one of its 13 gorges. My No.l. pick is Kakadu

Visit the Mindel night market on the beach, Thursday and Sunday
Visit the Museum and see sweet lips, the huge stuffed crocodile
Take a cruise on the harbor
Visit the croc farm
See the jumping crocs at Yellow Waters
Visit the windows on the wetlands to see birds
Take a camping safari in Kakadu National Park
Take a helicopter ride to see it from the air

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Climate : Summer high 81, low 61 Winter high 63 low 48

Visit the Perth Mint
Take a river cruise
Visit the Art Gallery of Western Australia
Surfing lessons
Tour of Fremantle
Visit the Maritime Museum
Visit the fishing boat harbor
Visit Rottnest Island – great hiking and biking
Penguin Island, 25 miles north of Perth, see wildlife

Further afield:

• Wave Rock – east of Perth
• The Pinnacles, 161 miles north
• The Goldfields – 372 miles east
• Shark Bay, see the dolphins at Monkey Mia
• The Kimberley region – cattle stations
• Bungle Bungle National Park
• Kununurra Argyle Diamond Mine
• Broome, visit the Willy Creek Pearl Farm
• Niongaloo Reef – Exmouth
• Valley of the Giants – tree top walk in Walpole National Park

TRAINS

The Ghan, runs from Adelaide to Alice Springs, and then to Darwin
The Queenslander, runs from Brisbane to Cairns
The Indian Pacific, runs from Sydney to Perth
They only run two days a week in each direction so careful itinerary planning is needed