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Best family holiday destinations NSW
Our top picks of where to go in New South Wales with your family for beaches, adventure and more.
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No matter your agenda, we’ve found the most fun-filled family-friendly destinations and the activities and experiences to do once you get there.
These New South Wales destinations are ideal for upcoming school holidays to ensure your little one is kept entertained all holiday long.
Start booking these babies into the itinerary now. Or, if you're jumping into the car check out these short road trips you can take with the kids.
Far North Coast
Nearing the border of NSW and Queensland, the Far North Coast is a dynamic environment of coastal beaches and hinterland. Quiet coastal towns are rife and the possibility of adventure amongst World Heritage Sites is standard.
- Includes: Byron Bay, Ballina, Yamba and Lennox Head.
Best for: Getting away from the big city and enjoying nature - Where to stay: The Lord Byron or The Cove Yamba
- What to do: Horse riding tour and Brunswick River kayaking tour
Hunter Region
Couple a harbour-town holiday with a relaxing vineyard stopover by exploring the Hunter Region. Port Stephens and Lake Macquarie are ideal for marine life encounters and a coastal retreat while the Hunter Valley provides an inland sojourn complete with wines for the adults and chocolates and fudge for the children.
- Includes: Port Stephens, Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Cessnock, Wiseman’s Ferry, Hunter Valley
- Best for: Foodies and animal lovers
- Where to stay: Chateau Elan At The Vintage or Branxton House Motel
- What to do: Hunter coastline tour and Port Stephens sandboarding and 4WD tour
South Coast
Go against the grain and head south for a holiday with a bit of everything. Expect a smattering of environments when you do. From the cityscape of Wollongong and the inner sanctuaries of Kangaroo Valley and Bega, you'll be spoilt for choice on a holiday to the South Coast.
- Includes: Kiama, Wollongong, Kangaroo Valley, Jervis Bay, Batemans Bay, Bega
Best for: Peace, quiet and cheese - Where to stay: Coolangatta Estate Berry or Corymbia Batemans Bay
- What to do: Illawarra Fly Treetop walk experience and Boom netting dolphin cruise
Coffs Coast
A perennial favourite for families, the Coffs Coast is nestled comfortably between ocean and mountain. It's a piece of coastal paradise that showcases 90 kilometres of beaches, islands and reserves and more activities that you can shake a stick at.
- Includes: Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Nambucca Heads
- Best for: Beach holidaymakers
- Where to stay: BreakFree Aanuka Beach Resort or Ambience Holiday Apartments
- What to do: Coffs Harbour all-terrain segway tour and children's treetop adventure
North Coast
Located in the mid-North Coast of NSW the Port Macquarie region is a water baby's dream destination. Water activities include high speed boating, river cruises and kayaking while on land you can enjoy horse riding, coastal walks and camel safaris.
- Includes: Port Macquarie, South West Rocks, North Haven, Diamond Beach and Forster
- Best for: Adventurous types
- Where to stay: Sandcastle Apartments or The Mid Pacific
- What to do: Port Macquarie coastal walk and visit Billabong Koala and Wildlife Park
Central Coast
With its calm, shallow waters and historical coastal attractions, it's little wonder that the Central Coast is part of practically every Sydney child's holiday memories. Drive up and stay over at one of the many campervan parks available to make it a truly memorable holiday.
- Includes: Wyong, Terrigal, The Entrance, Avoca, Copacabana, Gosford, Bateau Bay
- Best for: A beachside escape not far from Sydney
- Where to stay: Pullman Magenta Shores Resort or Mercure Kooindah Waters Central Coast
- What to do: Tree Top Crazy Rider 'Xtreme' flying experience and quad biking experience
Tweed Shire
Think charming seaside towns and picturesque hinterland villages with a UNESCO World Heritage rainforest right on your doorstep.
You can fill your days learning to surf, hiking the challenging Mount Warning, indulging in the local cuisine or relaxing on a river cruise.
- Includes: Tweed Heads, Murwillumbah, Kingscliff and Hastings Point
- Best for: A beach vacation without the crowds
- Where to stay: North Star Holiday Resort or Mantra Twin Towns
- What to do: Tweed River and Rainforest cruise and food farm and scenic arts tour
Sapphire Coast
If the water gods are calling then you've got all the rivers, lakes and beaches to whet your appetite on the Sapphire Coast. Start with whale watching, fishing or diving at Eden's natural harbour, indulge in fresh oysters on the Pambula River and then canoe or cruise your way around Lake Merimbula.
- Includes: Eden, Merimbula and Pambula Beach
- Best for: A low-key escape with buckets of overwater and underwater options
- Where to stay: Discovery Parks - Pambula Beach or Eden Gateway Holiday Park
- What to do: Sapphire day tour and kayak tours on a coastal estuary
Mid-North Coast
Get away from it all at this off-the-beaten track beachside escape. Sail up the Myall River on a kayak, pick a remote island for a family picnic or swim beside wild dolphins near Tuncurry's rock pool.
- Includes: Tuncurry, Tea Gardens, Hawks Nest
- Best for: Tranquil seaside towns and pristine national parks
- Where to stay: Sunrise Luxury Apartments Tuncurry or Boathouse Resort Water Front
- What to do: Visit Davidson Whaling Station and The Foxglove Spires Gardens
Central West
This diverse region has something on offer for everyone in the family. The adults can indulge in some wine tasting, while the kids can get the adrenaline going with a visit to Bathurst's Mount Panorama and the whole family can enjoy the sunrise view with a hot air balloon flight.
- Includes: Orange, Bathurst, Mudgee, Dubbo
- Best for: An outback getaway
- Where to stay: De Russie Boutique Hotel or Best Western Plus Ambassador Orange
- What to do: Family hot air balloon ride and 60-minute flight over Bathurst and Blue Mountains
NSW holiday deals and packages
Virgin Australia
Up to 50% off: Flights from $55 each way
Available on flights from April - September 2021. Destinations include Hobart, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, Gold Coast, Cairns, Adelaide, Canberra, Brisbane, Perth and more. Sample fare is Melbourne-Launceston. T&Cs apply.
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JUCY
Campervans from $99/day or less
Pick up a campervan in Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, Christchurch or Queenstown before until 20 September 2021.
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Deal ends
Kayak
Up to 50% off Australia flights
Available on Qantas flights from April - September 2021. Destinations include Sydney, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Launceston, Hobart, Cairns, Darwin, Broome, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and more. T&Cs apply.
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Wotif
Up to 53% off Australia-wide getaways
Available on select travel dates in 2021. Destinations include Cairns, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sunshine Coast, Sydney, Brisbane and more. T&Cs apply.
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Kayak
Flights within Australia from $43 each way
Available on flights until June 2021 to Perth, Gold Coast, Cairns and more. Sample fare is Melbourne-Sydney with Jetstar. Other airlines include Virgin Australia from $76 and Rex Airlines from $77. T&Cs apply.
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DiDi
Exclusive
Get $20 credit
Get $5 off each of your first four rides in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Geelong, Perth and Newcastle. Valid on all dates for new users. T&Cs apply.
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RedBalloon
Exclusive
Get $5 off activities with code
Available on experiences across Australia including Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Hobart and more. Minimum spend of $250 required. Activities include hot air balloon flights, hop-on hop-off bus tours, whale watching cruises, skydives, high teas, quad biking experiences and more. T&Cs apply.
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RedBalloon
Exclusive
Get $10 off activities with code
Available on experiences across Australia including Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and more. Minimum spend of $300 required. Activities include hot air balloon flights, hop-on hop-off bus tours, whale watching cruises, skydives, high teas, quad biking experiences and more. T&Cs apply.
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Klook
Exclusive
$15 off all Australian activities with code
Available on select travel dates when you spend a minimum of $100. Activities include hot air balloon flights, tandem skydives and attraction passes. Destinations include Sydney, Gold Coast, Cairns, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart and more. Exclusive for new members. T&Cs apply.
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Trip.com
Australia-wide flights from $64 each way + Extra $30 off with code
Available on flights until 31 December 2021when you spend a minimum of $250. Destinations include Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Cairns, Darwin, Canberra, Sunshine Coast and more. Sample fare is Sydney-Melbourne with Jetstar. T&Cs apply.
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Coupon code ends
Trip.com
Up to 46% off Australia stays + Extra $50 off with code
Available on stays until 31 December 2021. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart, Cairns, Darwin, Canberra and more. Minimum spend of $250 required. T&Cs apply.
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Coupon code ends
Virgin Australia
Australia flights from $85 each way
Available on select flights until December 2021. Destination include Sydney, Gold Coast, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hamilton Island and more. Sample fare is Brisbane-Proserpine. T&Cs apply.
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Deal ends
Qatar Airways
Up to 10% off international flights with code
Available for Mastercard holders on flights from 1 November 2020 - 30 June 2021. Valid on flights departing from Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra. T&Cs apply.
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Coupon code ends
Kayak
Domestic flights from $55 each way
Available on Rex Airline flights from April - September 2021 to Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, Burnie and more. Sample fare is Sydney-Gold Coast. T&Cs apply.
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Deal ends
Cheap Flights
Ayers Rock flights from $188 return
Available on select flight until June 2021. Sample fare departs from Brisbane with Jetstar. Other flights depart from Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney and more. T&Cs apply.
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Deal ends
Avis
Sixth day free + free upgrade on car hires
Available on 6+ day rentals from 15 July - 15 September 2021. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Coupon code ends
Avis
Third day free on Australia car rentals
Available on 3+ days rentals, including a Saturday night from 22 April - 21 June 2021. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Perth, Adelaide and Hobart. T&Cs apply.
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Coupon code ends
Cheap Flights
Australia flights from $64 return
Available on select 2021 flights to Ballina, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Launceston, Sydney and more. Sample fares are Melbourne-Adelaide with Jetstar. T&Cs apply.
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Deal ends
Kayak
Fiji flights from $590 return
Available on flights from June - August 2021. Sample fare departs from Sydney with Fiji Airways. T&Cs apply.
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Kayak
Brisbane flights from $55 each way
Available on flights until July 20210 departing from Adelaide, Cairns, Melbourne, Brisbane and more. Sample fare departs from Sydney with Jetstar. T&Cs apply.
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Deal ends
Europcar
Exclusive
Extra $24 off car hires with code
Available on rentals until 31 July 2021 when you spend a minimum of $240. Destinations include Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns, Sydney and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Coupon code ends
Kiwi.com
Domestic flights from $48 each way
Available on select travel dates in 2021 across Australia, including Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, Newcastle. Sample fare is Melbourne-Adelaide with Jetstar. T&Cs apply.
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Deal ends
Hotels.com
Up to 43% off Australia hotel bookings
Available on select dates until December 2021. Destinations include Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle, Melbourne, Brisbane and more. T&Cs apply.
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Deal ends
Booking.com
Up to 15% off Australia hotels
Available on stays from 1 April - 30 September 2021, including Easter weekend, on select hotels. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns and more. T&Cs apply.
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Deal ends
Priceline.com
Up to 60% off Australia getaways
Available on select stay dates with Express Deals. Destinations include Sydney, Adelaide, Byron Bay, Thredbo Village, Sunshine Coast, Jindabyne, Perth, the Gold Coast and more.
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Viator
Up to 15% off local activities
Available on select travel dates on activities including day tours, skydiving, hot air balloon flights, transfers, quad biking, attraction passes and cruise. Destinations include in Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Cairns, Canberra, Brisbane, Hobart and more. T&Cs apply.
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Europcar
Up to 20% off Australia and New Zealand rentals
Available on 2+ days rentals until 11 December 2021 when you book 21 days in advance. Destinations include Canberra, Perth, Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Auckland and more. T&Cs apply.
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Klook
Free NSW activities and experiences
Available on select travel dates when you use your Dine & Discover NSW voucher. Activities include Sydney Harbour cruises, hop-on, hop-off bus tours and more. T&Cs apply.
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Luxury Escapes
Up to 50% off Australia holiday packages
Available on select dates until December 2021, including over Christmas and New Year's Eve. Destinations include Adelaide, Gold Coast, Byron Bay, Sydney, Cairns, Canberra, Hunter Valley and more. T&Cs apply.
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Lastminute.com.au
Up to 43% off domestic getaways
Available on select dates in 2021, plus get free cancellation with select hotels. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Cairns, Brisbane, Townsville, Adelaide, Canberra and more. T&Cs apply.
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Big Bus Tours
Up to 20% off Sydney bus tours
Available on select travel dates on select tickets. T&Cs apply.
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RedBalloon
Exclusive
Up to 28% off things to do in Sydney + Extra $5 off with code
Available on select dates when you spend a minimum of 250. Activities include hot air balloon flights, tandem skydives, whale watching cruises, dining, classes, high teas, spa treatments and attraction passes. T&Cs apply.
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IHG AMEA
Up to 15% off stays + an extra 10% off for members
Available on stays until 30 December 2021 on select hotels across Australia including Sydney, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and more. Booking must be made 3 days in advance. T&Cs apply.
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Deal ends
Adrenaline
Up to 50% off Australia experiences
Available on select travel dates for activities including skydiving, hot air balloon flights, quad biking, scuba diving, whale watching, bridge climbing, high tea and more. Destinations include Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Canberra, Melbourne and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
RedBalloon
Exclusive
Up to 25% off driving experiences + an extra $5 off with code
Available on select dates when you spend a minimum of $250. Activities include rally driving, go-karting, quad-biking and more. Destinations include Sunshine Coast, Newcastle, Perth, Melbourne, Hobart and more. T&Cs apply.
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Cudo
Up to 93% off things to do in Australia
Available on select dates and activities like classes, spas, getaways, dining experiences and more. Destinations include Sydney, Perth, Melbourne Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Gold Coast and more. T&Cs apply.
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Groupon
Up to 56% off Sydney dining experiences
Available on select cuisines including desserts, high teas and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Klook
Up to 60% off activities, experiences and things to do
Valid on select dates including holidays like Christmas, New Year's and more depending on the destination. Destinations include Hong Kong, Singapore, Osaka, Taipei, Dubai, Sydney, Melbourne, London, Paris, New York and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
Voyagin
Up to 40% off things to do in Australia
Available on select dates and activities such as Sydney attractions tickets to SEA LIFE Aquarium Sydney, Sydney Tower Eye and more. T&Cs apply.
Last verified
RedBalloon
Exclusive
Up to 31% off flying experiences + Extra $5 off with code
Available on select dates when you spend a minimum of $250. Activities include hot air ballooning, skydiving, helicopter scenic flights. Destinations include Whitsundays, Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hunter Valley, Sydney and more. T&Cs apply.
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