Ten ideas to get out of the house on the school holidays Fraser Coast
- Caroline Cavanagh
- Jun 25, 2023
- 5 min read
School holidays are here and with it come the challenge of keeping the kids off the screens and into the great outdoors for at least part of the day.
To stretch legs, minds, hearts and souls!
Wherever we go I always have our picnic mat in the car and a basket with some essential supplies.
Here are ten ideas that might help your family make some wonderful memories together and have an amazing winter break!
Every time we go to Rainbow Beach I'm in heaven.
Just over an hours drive from Maryborough, you have ocean swimming, 4WDing on the beach, fishing, the cool fresh waters of Seary's Creek or a hike up to Lake Poona to make a very full day out or two separate outings.
Pack a picnic or have lunch in the village and don't forget the cardboard slides for the sand dunes!
Cost: Free (just need to get there)
Perfect for families that like to get out in nature and work up a sweat.
Start early. You might want to throw a swag in the car and overnight at a nearby camp site.
Bushwalking experience and fitness needed. Not for young children.
Cost: Free (just need to get there)
2 July 2023 | Portside Precinct & Queen Park, Maryborough
Celebrate the art of storytelling and be transported into a world full of play and imagination.
Maryborough’s heritage streetscapes and riverside parks are transformed through a storytelling program that transcends genres and presents a mix of art, culture, music and literature.
This free event is guaranteed to delight both young and the young at heart, with festival favourites, chimney sweeping, nanny races and the grand parade plus street food vendors, market stalls, rides, pavement art and live entertainment.
Cost: Free
4. Cycle the Esplanade from Point Vernon to Urangan Pier
Take a lazy cycle along the 17km esplanade from Point Vernon to the Pier.
Stop for dips in the sea at Torquay, a spin on the Ferris wheel, yummy Italian pastries at Santinis , a picnic lunch and more as you enjoy the day.
Ferris Wheel:
Tickets will be $10 per person (with children two years and under riding for free), $8 for seniors or $30 per gondola, which hold up to six people depending on size. Each ride lasts six to eight minutes with the wheel completing three full revolutions.
Cost: Free plus
5. Do an op shop crawl!
Op shops are an absolute treasure trove of goodies, you can still pick up a bargain and it's a great way of giving back.
Give the kids an allowance to spend and a challenge.
Maybe they can find an item they need for winter , or style up an outfit that can be sold for a profit on Marketplace? You never know what you will find.
I like Maryborough for the op shops because you can hit a three or four on your feet. You get a good walk in and don't need the car.
Hervey Bay also has some great op shops but you will need the car.
Stop in for morning tea at the Maryborough French Hot Bread Bakery & Cafe on Adelaide Street, it's right across from LifeLine.
Cost: kids allowance.
6. 150 years of building trains in Maryborough
Contributors include Downer (formerly Walkers Ltd), Maryborough Whistle Stop Railway Museum and Peter Olds from W M Olds and Sons Engineering in Maryborough. The display is open everyday until 22 July. Curator is Val McIntosh.
Give the kids a cultural experience and grab a bento box ($13) for lunch afterwards at Koi Japanese Restaurant. They open at 11am for lunch.
Exhibition Cost: Free
7. ReefWorld
Natural Aquarium Established in 1979
Displaying live corals and lots of marine life!
Located in Hervey Bay QLD
Cost:
General Admission Adults $22 Children (3 - 14 years) $12
Feeding Times: 11am Turtles 2:30pm Reef fish
Located right on the beautiful foreshores of Hervey Bay you will find Reefworld Aquarium in Urangan. This iconic tourist attraction was established in 1979 and has been operating for well over 40 years.
Reefworld Aquarium is an all-natural aquarium, using only sand filered sea water and natural sunlight there are very few natural aquariums in The world, making Reefworld quite unique.
Reefworld Aquarium is a fabulous attraction that the whole family can enjoy visiting whilst on their next holidays it is home to many different marine creatures including Green sea Turtles, colourful tropical fish, and large reef fish. Hidden the tanks customers will find tubeworms, crabs, shrimp, and starfish
8. Lake MacKenzie full day walk
Spend the whole day walking in paradise! The round trip is 25km from Kingfisher Bay Resort so this would be a day outing for a fairly fit family. Find a link to the walking guide here.
Lake McKenzie on K’gari is an absolutely breathtaking perched lake with stunning white sand and incredibly crystal clear water. It is the sort of place that the kids will be just busting to get into for a swim.
The sand surrounding Lake McKenzie is 98% pure silica which is why it is so incredibly white. The sand is also super fine, so it actually filters the rainwater giving it that incredible iridescent blue colour.
Note that you can’t bring any food or drinks (other than water) down to the lake due to dingos. However, there are plenty of enclosed picnic areas by the car park as well as toilets here. It’s only a short walk from here down to the lake.
Catch the first and last Sea link barges of the day from River Heads. You phone to book for walk ons.
If you are taking a vehicle you can book online.
Cost:
Barge
Adults : $65 and children $35 return
9. Cania Gorge
If you have ever wanted to take the family to Canarvon Gorge but put off by the big drive, a couple of days at Cania Gorge might be just the perfect alternative.
Cania Gorge National Park National Park preserves a valuable remnant of the Brigalow Belt country. Along with plant communities including brigalow forest, eucalypt woodland, cypress pine woodland, dry rainforest and grassland, you'll discover the sandstone landscapes of cliffs and fern-covered pools, where you might just spot a grazing rock wallaby, sunbathing rainbow skink, a hunting lace monitor, or hear the call of the dollarbirds. The park is home to more than 90 species of bird. Brush-tailed rock wallabies and common bent-wing bats are also seen.
Freehand art on the sandstone walls is a reminder of the special way of life of those who lived here before.
Eight bushwalks can lead you on adventures to monolithic overhangs, dry gullies, past cliffs into dark crevices where orchids bloom, to lush fern covered pools and past towering eucalypts and other native fauna.
This is an ancient place where water is still eroding and moulding the ever-changing landscape, where rock wallabies, peregrine falcons and wedge-tailed eagles have all called their home for thousands of years.
Enjoy a truly amazing nature experience in Cania Gorge, part of Queensland's Sandstone Wilderness.
It's three and a half hours drive from Maryborough. Good pit stops include Mt Perry and Childers on the way back if you want a different route.
There is no camping in the national park but you will find options nearby to throw a swag or peg a tent.
Cost: Free (just need to get there)
Let the kids burn off that energy jumping to their hearts content whilst you sit back and relax. Well adults can always join in the fun, it's a great workout!
Entry will get you two hours of letting the kids (and you!) go wild!
Cost:
Entry Fees:
5 years and over $18.00
4 years and Under $12.00
4 Years and under & 1 Parent $18.00
Adults $18.00
Spectators Free
Bonus...
Maryborough Metrogaine... stay tuned!
This is one we're working on... watch this space or make up your own !!
A Metrogaine is a race through a metropolitan area to track down the answers to a set of clues.
A two-tree hour treasure hunt through the charming streets and alleyways of historical Maryborough.
If you have never done a metrogaine before the kids will love it!
Cost: free
Comments