Top Family Holiday Destinations in Australia for 2018

Australia has the lot when it comes to keeping everyone happy on vacation. With guaranteed good weather, stunning coastlines, buzzing cities and breathtaking scenery, it's not hard to come up with some great family holiday ideas.

Bondi Beach

Let's start with a famous Australian landmark. Sydney's crescent-shaped Bondi Beach provides the kind of waves that surfers love, with cafés, pubs, street stalls and markets continuing the laid-back vibe. Stay in one of the family friendly holiday apartments in Bondi, and take to the cliffs for the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk and its spectacular views.

The Entrance, New South Wales

This long-established vacation spot is surrounded by beaches, lagoons and lakes. There are things to do at The Entrance, NSW to satisfy all ages, including watersports, bush walking, pelican watching (especially at feeding time!), and a Jazz and Blues Festival.

Broken Hill Camping Grounds

Stay in this area of outstanding beauty so important to Aboriginal history, and pay respect to the Bynguano range that is one of their spiritual homelands. In this stargazers' paradise, sleep outside or take advantage of a wide range of campsites, caravans and other accommodation.

Cairns

This city in tropical Queensland is home to the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, dedicated to indigenous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, using music and dance to tell their stories. There are plenty of things to do in Cairns with the kids. The Esplanade's swimming lagoon, bars and restaurants will please everyone, while north west of the city, the mountains, rainforest, gorges and beaches of Daintree National Park await your family.

The Great Barrier Reef

To spend some time here is a must, with the shallow waters of Green Island and Hamilton perfect for young snorkellers. Take a family-friendly cruise from Cairns, and call in at the turtle rehabilitation centre on Fitzroy Island.

The Gold Coast

On the east coast, this metropolitan area south of Brisbane boasts wide sandy beaches and surfing, plus inland canals and waterways. Theme parks like Sea World, Dreamworld and Wet’n’Wild make this one of the top family holiday destinations, while the rainforest, rare birds and mountain-ridge hiking of Lamington National Park offer a different experience.

Fraser Island

At 120km, this World Heritage site off the Eastern Queensland coast is the world's biggest sand island. Children will enjoy camping and will learn from its ecotourism themes. Discover beaches, freshwater lakes and rainforests rising out of the sand, and unique formations in streaks of colour at the Cathedrals cliff.

Kakadu National Park

The whole family will love the Northern Territory's huge nature reserve, with its rivers, wetlands and sandstone escarpments. The park hosts over 2,000 plant species, and wildlife includes flatback turtles, many types of birds, and saltwater crocodiles, while Aboriginal rock paintings date back to a prehistoric era.

Tasmania

Away from the mainland in Tasmania, marvel at the stalagmites and stalactites in Hastings Caves & Thermal Springs near Hobart City. Call in at Tasmazia theme park for younger children, or take the family to the zoo for a dinosaur walk, koalas, kangaroos and - of course - Tasmanian devils.