10 Hacks For Travelling Australia With Kids

Here are our top 10 tips for keeping everyone in the family happy while travelling with kids from A to B.

Travelling with kids, whether they are toddlers or teens, doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. In fact, regardless of whether you’re on a road trip or travelling by plane, or train, you have an opportunity to create family holiday memories to treasure and have a relaxing break to boot if you plan ahead.

1. Play a few games

Travelling on a highway for hours on end with children can be lots of fun. Said no one ever. No, really. A road trip doesn’t need to drive you around the bend. But you do need to be organised.

Is the goal to limit your children’s screen time? Keep it old-school with a few rounds of 99 Bottles of Milk on the Wall. Or play memory games, such as I went to the market and what did I see?, with each member of the family adding something – a hat or a harpsichord – to the list of things to remember. Spotto is always a favourite as members of the family compete to add to their tally of yellow cars. If energy levels are low, tune in to podcasts and audiobooks too.

En Route to Halls Creek from Fitzroy Crossing, Kimberley — Think of something fun to ease boredom during your long and exhilarating road trip. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

2. Ask your children to DJ

If you’re feeling harrowed ahead of your holiday, forget I Spy and fast-forward to Spotify . Start recruiting your kids to curate a playlist before you pull out of the driveway. It will keep them occupied while you try to pack.

Parents with younger children can tailor the playlist toward their own taste to avoid inflicting earworms for days. Rather than just defaulting to cheesy songs for children, try to introduce them to some of your favourite bands. Blasting out songs you all like to listen to makes for a fun dynamic on a driving holiday.

overhead shot at Scarborough Beach Surf School, Scarborough — Spectacular sea views await you. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

3. Plan to put on the brakes a lot

It’s important that you veer off the highway often so the family can stretch their legs. Find an attraction you want to visit and then drop a pin on the map to find nearby parks, playgrounds, or a safe spot to swim or surf.

One of my hottest tips is to pack a sturdy picnic blanket, such as these beauties from Miss Amara Rugs , which you can actually hose down after a gathering on the grass. You can also scope out family-friendly wineries such as Scarborough Wines, in the Hunter Valley, which has giant checkers and Jenga to keep the kids happy while you’re sipping and swishing.

Places like Treetops Adventure , which has 15 locations across the country, are also great places to press pause.

kids playing at a playground in Elizabeth Quay, Perth — Let your kids have fun for a while. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

4. All the gear and a few ideas

A hot tip when it comes to engineering a happy family holiday is to introduce your children to things you like doing. Think surfing, kayaking, bushwalking and skiing.

It’s a great idea to pack a Penny skateboard or scooter in your luggage to make it more fun for kids with little legs to go the distance, regardless of whether you’re travelling by car or plane.

go surfing at Scarborough Beach Surf School, Scarborough — Enrol your kids in safe and fun surfing lessons. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Packing a frisbee may also inspire children to get from A to B. Three points to get it to that tree. Two points to hit that sign. Bush walks can also be incentivised by the promise of a swim at the end.

Making kids in charge of their own Wheelie Bag is also a practical way to get them to help lug all your gear around bus, plane or train terminals. And if all gets too much, a SleepKeeper pillow carrier is a compact and comfy sleep aid.

sightseeing with family at Geordie Bay, Rottnest Island — Treat your family to a well-deserved beach getaway. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

5. Encourage them to keep a journal

It’s a great idea to encourage your children to write in their journals when you’re on the road. They might not always be motivated. But when they go back to read their diaries, it will be a great trip down memory lane. It’s a creative way for them to remember the best bits about a holiday and to get an insight into their younger selves.

It can also buy you some much-coveted hammock time when travelling with kids. Paste in relevant postcards or tickets to amusement parks, or gigs, which serve as visual reminders of all the fun you’ve had.

Speaking of fun, limit your time in art galleries or at music festivals to focus on your favourite exhibit or band. There will always be times things will go to hell in a handbasket, so be prepared to pull the pin and pivot.

a kid reading the Lonely Planet Kids The Travel Book — Introduce the wonders of travelling to your kid early on.

6. Fill your Esky with healthy snacks

The most relaxing way to spend a few weeks on the road with children is to have a stash of snacks on standby. Opt for a beautiful bento box from Majime Life which has lots of little compartments to keep them occupied with cheese, crackers, fresh fruit and sandwiches.

You can also make up a big batch of pasta alla Pomodoro and freeze it ahead of a road trip so it doubles as an ice pack for the day and then is defrosted by the time you arrive at your destination with hungry travellers in tow.

a healthy travel snack for kids — Pack healthy and delicious meals for your kids before travelling.

7. Reward good behaviour with an occasional treat

Research conducted by Holiday Inn recently found that 91 per cent of parents travelling with kids said if their child has a terrible holiday, they will too. The study also found that three-quarters of kids admit they are most happy when they enjoy foods such as pancakes and ice cream. Holiday Inn took the findings to heart, offering 24/7 free ice cream for all Holiday Inn Kids’ Critics (for a limited time only).

Of course, one of the best things about a family holiday is rewarding your children with an ice cream, pie, or fish and chips by the sea. Travel in style with beach chairs such as these retro-cool ones , and a posh picnic hamper to make an occasion of it.

kids eating ice cream along Mandurah seaside promenade — Two kids eating ice cream by the seaside promenade. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

8. Have balls, books and surfboards

Demarcate the space between children in the back seat with a flexible fold-up bag of books. Regardless of their age, a huge pile of their favourite books is bound to keep them entertained. If you’ve done a lot of walking, swimming, skating or surfing, then you can also find a shady spot to kick back in the open air and read books together.

Having an ongoing UNO competition with a score sheet that lasts for the entire holiday is another low-fi way to keep everyone entertained. Nurture your children’s love of travel with books such as Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel Quiz Book and Ultimate Travel Crosswords .

kayaking along Coral Bay — Father and son kayaking along the emerald blue waters of Coral Bay. (Image: ©Tourism Western Australia)

9. BYO chargers but limit screen time

It’s not a great idea to stick your kids in front of a device at every turn. It will alter their mood for the worse and that peace and quiet in the short term will adversely affect their behaviour over the course of the day. You don’t need to be Mary Poppins. Everything in moderation.

On that note, make sure you have enough portable chargers in case of emergencies – cancelled planes, traffic delays – but also engineer your day so that the most amount of fun is not found staring at a screen. Keep your kindles and iPads charged for a more hi-fi holiday. Check out this guide on how to pack a tech survival kit put together by Express VPN .

family having fun at Bullara Station Stay — Unplug your devices to stay connected with your loved ones. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

10. Book family-friendly accommodation

According to the latest research from Holiday Inn, more than half of Australian parents said they would consider changing their hotel accommodation when traveling with kids if their children were unhappy.

Given the findings, it makes sense to do your homework when it comes to choosing accommodation.

The brand is so heavily invested in the findings it is calling on kids to review its hotels as part of its Kids Critics program. In addition to ensuring the kids are happy, there are many hotels and resorts like the Holiday Inn that offers Kids Stay & Eat Free packages. We’re looking at you Hamilton Island.

forest cabin at Rottnest Island — Stay closer to nature as you bond with your family. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)

Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.

In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.

Day 1

the pool at Pullman Bunker Bay — Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.

There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.

Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.

Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.

Day 2

After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.

Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.

Day 3

Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.

With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.

Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.

Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay . Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.

For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up , courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.

Day 4

Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.

Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines . Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.

If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering , where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.

Day 5

pair'd Grand Tasting — Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)

Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.

Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines . Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.

Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.

Day 6

Ngilgi Cave western australia — Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)

After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.

Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.

Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.

Day 7

Burnt Ends event at Pair'd — Farewell the Margaret River.

Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.

Prebook your discovery journey through the south-west corner of Western Australia with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.

Top 10 hacks for travelling Australia with kids