Family holiday ideas your teenagers will love

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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Teenagers can be tricky travel companions, being notoriously hard to please when it comes to a family holiday. But a perfectly planned trip might just be the way to lure them in.

 

It may be hard to believe, but the ideal formula for a family holiday with teenagers is actually quite simple: it requires a mix of freedom and downtime, action and adventure, a chance for your children to socialise with others in their age group, and opportunities to inspire Instagram envy with a range of beautiful backdrops. From a resort island to a city setting, here are a few themed holiday ideas sure to keep even the pickiest teenagers happy.

An island getaway with a side of adventure

The tropical paradise of Hamilton Island holds a lot of appeal for families with teens. One of four resort islands in The Whitsundays in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, it’s necklaced with coral and makes a great base for families with active teenagers who can choose between snorkelling and learning to dive at some of the best scuba spots in Australia.

 

Sporty teens will love the thrill of skimming across the aquamarine seas behind a speedboat on a water tube or wakeboard. When they’ve finished playing volleyball on the beach, they can doze on a daybed, launch a catamaran off Catseye Beach (with your supervision), play a game of tennis, try windsurfing, or embark on a Turtle Discovery tour. If that’s not enough action, they can hit the hills on an adrenaline-fuelled quad bike expedition, or set off on a jet skiing or sea kayaking adventure, leaving you free to loll on a sun lounger.

 

For the ultimate island experience, whisk them off to Whitehaven Beach on a seaplane so they can deploy the #beachlife hashtag on Snapchat and win on social media.

HIE Family on seaplane
The ultimate island experience, a trip to Whitehaven Beach on a seaplane.

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The ultimate city break

Whether you’re plotting an escape from the country or a staycation, a city break promises a good mix of things to do to keep fussy teens happy. Both Sydney and Melbourne have a profusion of arts-focused activities, with plenty of galleries to hop, museums to visit, graffiti-clad walls to tour and art classes to attend.

 

In Sydney, you can also explore heritage sights, Aboriginal rock art, a glittering harbour and a profusion of pretty beaches strewn with beautiful people. Stand on the cliffs at Cape Solander in Kurnell to try and spot a whale, hike to the Figure Eight Pools in the Royal National Park or test your teens’ mettle by climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

 

With its culture, great food scene and shopping, Melbourne is also a safe bet for a fun family holiday with teens. Book a hotel in the Victorian capital and lure them to the NGV and ultra-cool Lygon Street.

Family-climb-Sydney-Harbour-Bridge
Enjoy a staycation and test your teens’ mettle by climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Surf centres

Unplug the PlayStation and head for the little seaside town of Avoca on the NSW Central Coast for great waves and a laid-back vibe. While it’s not exactly off the grid, the area is brimming with excellent options for families with teenagers. In addition to the brilliant surf beaches, there are local skate parks, vintage clothing stores and epic eateries.

 

Sign up those teens wanting to take their wave riding to the next level for a private lesson in Mollymook on the NSW South Coast with former ASP World Champion, Pam Burridge.

 

In Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, take the grommets to Cronulla Surfing Academy which caters to surfers of all experience levels or, when the waves at Wanda Beach are wild and woolly, book your teens into a kitesurfing lesson so they can learn how to harness the power of the wind.

Avoca-beach-sunset
Head for the little seaside town of Avoca on the NSW Central Coast for great waves and a laid-back vibe.

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A luxury villa with friends

Shoalhaven Heads is a great playground for teenagers. Keep costs down by combining forces with a few other families with teens, while giving yours a few friends to hang out with at the same time. Bangalay Villas has a four-bedroom holiday house, or one- and two-bedroom villas side by side. Alternatively, Airbnb has some great options for family groups, like this one located at Culburra Beach. Enjoy some coastal fine dining while your teens go horse riding on Shoalhaven Beach or ride to the summit of Mt Coolangatta on a converted 4WD open-sided tractor bus with Bigfoot Adventures.

Yacht-Club-Villas
Hamilton Island Yacht Club Villas are a perfect luxury self-catering accommodation option for families.

Hamilton Island also offers self-catered villas and suites, with most restaurants and cafes within strolling distance. Skip down to the beach for a picnic breakfast or hire a golf buggy for your P-plater to enjoy a change of pace around the Hamilton Island hillside.

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Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti has written across print and digital for Australian Traveller and International Traveller for more than a decade and has spent more than two decades finding excuses to eat well and travel far. A prestigious News Corp cadetship launched her career at The Cairns Post, before a stint at The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald gave way to extended wanders through Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, Asia and Europe. Carla was chief sub editor at delicious and has contributed to Good Food, Travel & Luxury, Explore Travel, Escape. While living in London, Carla was on staff at Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times Travel desk and was part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK.
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The iconic Victorian beach where true Aussie surf culture was born

    Craig Tansley Craig Tansley
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    Torquay’s Bells Beach is considered one of the best surf beaches in the world.

    It’d be easy to think Australian surf culture was born around the right-hand point breaks of the Gold Coast and Byron Bay. These regions seem the epitome of how the world views Aussie surfers – bronzed (or burnt), languishing in warm water and sunshine. The reality is a lot different.

    The rise of surf culture along Victoria’s coastline

    surfers at Bells Beach in Australia
    Surfers stand on the shore at Bells Beach, where the country’s biggest surfing competition is held each year. (Image: Getty/Filed Image)

    True Aussie surf culture was born on the chilly waves of Victoria’s winters, when huge swells from the Great Southern Ocean hit cliff-lined beaches along the Great Ocean Road. These beaches were the ultimate proving ground – surfers from all over Australia arrived in panel vans and VWs to do battle with the biggest waves they could find.

    huge swells from the Great Southern Ocean at Bells Beach
    Surfers take advantage of the huge swells from the Great Southern Ocean at Bells Beach. (Image: Tourism Australia/Cameron Murray)

    There are surf breaks all along this very picturesque coast – but those around Torquay were most revered. The ultimate test of a surfer’s ability – and durability – however, was Bells Beach: Australia’s answer to Hawai‘i’s Pipeline. Just beyond, the breaks at Jan Juc and Winkipop beckoned.

    an aerial view of surfers at Bells Beach
    Hit the waves along the picturesque coast. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Torquay became surfing’s Silicon Valley: HQ for the entire Australian surf culture revolution. Four young locals worked out of their backyards in Torquay to create two of the world’s biggest surf labels – Rip Curl and Quiksilver, which soon became the region’s biggest employers.

    surfers out at Bells Beach
    Surfers out at Bells Beach, Victoria’s most famous beach. (Image: Tourism Australia/Cameron Murray)

    Rip Curl started sponsoring the Bells Beach Pro in 1973 – and have done ever since. It’s been going since 1962 – making it the world’s longest continually run surfing contest. Held every Easter, it’s part of the world surfing tour. Spectators line its 30-metre-high cliffs to watch the world’s best take on enormous waves – it’s the ultimate coliseum for the sport and has inspired generations of Aussie surfers to join the list of heroes whose names are on its iconic bell.

    Follow the waves through Victoria’s surfing heartland

    Australian National Surfing Museum, Torquay
    The Australian National Surfing Museum in Torquay. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Just behind Torquay’s main drag, you can see all that history on display at the world’s best surf museum – the Australian National Surfing Museum. Here you can take your time absorbing the 100-year-or-so history of Australian surfing and check out the 150-strong surfboard collection.

    surfboards on display at Australian National Surfing Museum
    The museum holds surfing memorabilia, including a room dedicated to the history of boards. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    But classic Aussie surf culture can be observed in everyday life all over the Great Ocean Road and Torquay. Surfing dictates life here; no work is done until the big swells have come and gone. Just being here provides a window into 60-odd years of rebellion against convention; for no-one likes nine-to-five living on the Great Ocean Road.

    surfing memorabilia at Australian National Surfing Museum
    The varied displays celebrate the Bells Beach competition, surfing legends and Aussie surf culture. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    There’s less panel vans and VW Beetles these days, but surf culture still rules life. Surfers run this coast; you’re better off keeping out of their way when they’re running down past you to face the biggest swells – then hear them swap stories at cafes, restaurants and bars all around you.

    surfing at Bells Beach
    The beach near Torquay is Australia’s answer to Hawai‘i’s Pipeline. (Image: Visit Victoria/William Watt)