Top Ideas for Family Road Trips These Holidays

With so many family road trip destinations available to us around Australia, how do you decide on just one for this latest school break? We’re glad you asked. It’s time to get into the right mood by checking out some of our top choices for these school holidays.

It might be cold in most areas of Aus but don’t let that stop you. Winter road trips are great because they allow you to finally drive to those far-off destinations that would be way too hot to attempt in the summer.

Now, we know the idea of spending endless hours together in a single car conjures up images of major family feuding – but you’ll be surprised by the fun and bonding that can happen along the way. Check out our top 5 tips for surviving family road trips before you set off!

You might also want to discover our top 10 games to play in the car and read about the 5 holiday road trip hacks everyone should know.

Plan ahead to make the most of opportunities

We’ve all learned, as we’ve taken over school holiday planning from those who once did it for us, you need to prepare well in advance. Don’t think mid-year will be any less busy than Easter or Christmas – most of us are keen to get away any time school breaks up.

To dodge the disappointment of selecting your perfect holiday destination only to find it’s full up, you should try to book ASAP.

Wotif.com, Airbnb, Stayz, TripAdvisor and lastminute.com.au are only a handful of avenues you can book through. There’s the accommodation’s own website too, of course, and the tourism websites for each region usually list all kinds of option. You’d be surprised how many others are simply floating around the internet.

Ditto with booking any tours and visits to attractions. Get in as early as possible to save yourself potential disappointment. Doing that little bit of extra research has helped us score a great deal many a time. We’ve also learned a lot about planned packing for a car trip – read our tips for getting it right.

PS: If you’re in Northern Territory we’ve got some exciting news for you. NT has the longest July school holiday! The friendly people at Australia.com have all the dates for school holidays around Australia to find out more.

Our favourite school break trips

There are plenty of options to choose from – whether you want your family road trip to head to the coast, enjoy the beauty of our outback or explore somewhere new!

Without any more fuss, here’s our favourite school holiday ideas.

The great tropical family road trip

Queensland is at its best mid-year. Stinger and cyclone season is over! This leaves the warm weather to be enjoyed by the whole family this school break.

The beautiful drive we’re suggesting starts out in Cairns and heads north to Cooktown. Discover and enjoy Tropical North Queensland while journeying along this coastal road trip route that’ll take you past the Great Barrier Reef and gorgeous, scenic coastal townships. 

This route has plenty of wiggle room to make it your own, with many options for you to choose between in terms of routes and towns to visit. And no matter which route you choose, make sure you bring snacks for the drive – here’s the best healthy and practical car snacks for kids. That’ll help keep the young ones happy in between stops.

Some of the highlights outside the Great Barrier Reef include Port Douglas, the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation. And if you’d like to extend the trip, a side trip to Mackay and Eungella National Park is a great way to do it.

Here’s everything else you could want to know about this trip neatly summed up if you’d like to read further.

Drive to visit the mountain monolith: Uluru

Australia has some of the most beautiful outback drives in the world, and this might be the very best.

Take a family road trip this school break to one of the greatest natural wonders of the world, Uluru. Not only is it a spectacular natural formation, Uluru is a deeply spiritual place. You can feel a powerful presence the moment you set eyes on it.

This isn’t your typical outback camping experience; there’s plenty to do, see and explore nearby. For example, you can enjoy a stunning dinner under the stars, which is very different from a picnic in your backyard. That’s after you’ve observed the amazing colour changes across the rock as sunset falls – something Uluru is famous for.

If you’ve never been far away from the city and all the light pollution that comes with it, the night sky is a must see. And with everything else that being deep in the desert has to offer, and with the backdrop of Uluru, it makes tucking into the gourmet outback cuisine something magical.

You’ll find plenty of other interesting options and information about this trip here.

Family road trip to ski in New South Wales!

Don’t let the cold get in the way of your school holiday ideas. Here are our two top epic skiing trips your family won’t soon forget. 

If you’ve not yet tried skiing, it’s amazing fun for the whole family. From throwing snowballs and building snowmen to being inside around the fire and playing board games, you’ll build lifelong memories. A snowy holiday is a perfect way to get out of the city and unwind with some good family time. 

We’ve found two great family road trip options for you to choose from depending on availability and the route you’d like to take.

Option 1

Firstly, head on up to Perisher Valley to find Boonoona Ski Lodge. The ski-out location of the lodge is conveniently located only moments away from the Perisher Skitube Terminal and lifts. That means you have super easy access to all areas of the ski fields.

Option 2

Alternatively, Pure Chalet nestles within the stunning natural surrounds of Kosciuszko National Park in the heart of Thredbo. If you didn’t know, Thredbo is recognised as the premier ski area in Australia. The elevation and location make it perfect for plenty of natural snow, so you’ll be sure to get some skiing done!

A Mad Max family road trip

Your kids are absolutely going to love this one.

Introduce them to the marvel that was the original Mad Max film by taking them to the small town of Silverton, the film’s filming location.

Though this six hour from Adelaide, nine from Melbourne, 11 from Canberra or 13 hour from Sydney drive is very testing in the summer, the cooler winter months are the perfect time to do this trip.

Silverton is rich with film buff history, featuring a Mad Max Museum that’s an absolute must-see. Afterwards, you can treat the kids to an old fashioned milkshake at Bells Milk Bar. Nearby you’ll find The Silverton Hotel at Broken Hill, where movie classics Priscilla Queen of the Desert and Mission Impossible II were filmed.

Do none of these destinations do it for you? Check out our list of ultimate Australian road trip ideas for more! And come Easter, you might fancy this Easter road trip along the Great Ocean Road and beyond.

Family road trip or not, take car insurance along

The great thing about car insurance is that it can follow you wherever you go. Unlike mobile phone reception, you’ll be covered anywhere and everywhere.

We know car insurance can be confusing. At PD Insurance, we know car insurance. That’s why we’ve got answers to all the important questions. Like “What is a no claim bonus and is it worth it?”, “Does my car insurance cover towing?” and a whole bunch more (explore this blog!). 

Make sure your car is protected, no matter which of these school break ideas tickle your fancy. Get peace of mind with quality car insurance. Knowing that your car is safe means you can focus on enjoying your latest school holiday family fun.