Great (and Uncrowded!) Aussie Family Getaways Within Two Hours’ Drive of a Capital City

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School holidays equal precious family time, and the last thing you want to do is spend too much of it in the car — or with hoards of other holidaymakers!

So, with school and the benefits of tutoring about to be sidelined for another semester, here are some amazing but relatively low profile family getaways within two hours’ drive of Australia’s key capital cities. You can minimise travel time and maximise fun time — without the big crowds!

Sydney to Penrith (56 minutes)

OK, so it’s actually quite hard to get anywhere from Sydney in two hours. That’s a daily commute for some residents. But there’s an unsung family destination that’s less than an hour by car from the CBD. Penrith sits at the base of the Blue Mountains and offers a mind-boggling array of kid-friendly attractions. Splash down at Cables Aqua Park (or neighbouring Cables Wake Park if your brood has outgrown slides and jumping pillows), and burn off that excess holiday excitement at Flip Out — Australia’s largest trampoline playground. There’s a handy Hoyts in Penrith, famous Featherdale Wildlife Park is just a 30-minute drive, and of course, the magical Blue Mountains can be done as an easy day trip. And all this just an hour from Sydney? You better believe it!

Melbourne to Traralgon (2 hours)

We’re stretching the elastic band as far as it will go on this one, but you’ll be in no hurry to snap back to reality at the end of your trip to Traralgon — situated right on two hours’ drive east of Melbourne. It makes a great base for accessing the oodles of family fun on offer across the Latrobe Valley. Jump and Climb is home to one of the largest trampolines in the country, along with several climbing wall courses. Along the same lines, Park Lane Play will see everyone dangling from a series of rope swings and bridges high above the ground (in harnesses of course). Their dinosaur-themed mini golf is awesome too!

For those who want to step back in time with their tiny tots, an oldie but a goodie is the Old Gippstown heritage park (20 minutes by car from Traralgon). And if you’re a family that’s partial to pedalling, you’ll have a fine time tackling the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail. It stretches from Traralgon all the way to Stratford, but you can do shorter sections. Connect with Australian Cycling Holidays for bike hire and trail transfers.

Adelaide to Moonta Bay/Port Hughes (1.5 hours)

While they don’t attract the level of holiday hype associated with South Australian family destinations like Victor Harbor and Robe, Moonta Bay and neighbouring Port Hughes on the Yorke Peninsula’s ‘Copper Coast’ are a treat! The region is renowned for its gorgeous and uncrowded beaches, awesome fishing, rambling coastal trails, and relaxed vibe. Life is low key in this part of the state, but that’s all part of the allure for those in the know with kids in tow.

Take a stroll along the Port Hughes and Moonta Bay jetties, splash down at the epic Splash Town water park (seasonal), follow the Moonta Art Trail to see an array of street art murals and public sculptures, and deep dive into SA’s farming heritage at The Farm Shed Museum (operated by the National Trust). A visit to ‘Little Cornwall’ brings the region’s Cornish copper mining history to life in an engaging way. Additional tip: Do not pass through the delightful town of Port Wakefield enroute, or on the return journey to Adelaide, without stopping to sample the flaky wares of one of its excellent bakeries!

Perth to Bunbury (2 hours)

This is yet another destination that’s in the outer stratosphere of our two-hour travel time limit, but it’s well worth the drive. Situated 170 kilometres south of Perth, Bunbury’s transformation from industrial port to holiday haven is all but complete, and leading the charge is the revamped Koombana Bay Foreshore precinct, the state-of-the-art Dolphin Discovery Centre, and the relatively new Koolambidi Woola youth zone. Pods of wild bottlenose dolphins call the bay home, and they regularly drop by the waters in front of the Discovery Centre to say g’day to visitors. Inside, there’s an aquarium, activity centre, marine wildlife hospital, and more. Right next door is the well-equipped and totally free foreshore playground (which even has a small zipline). You could literally hang out here all day. There are shady spots to relax in, BBQ and picnic facilities, and of course Koombana Beach and the tranquil waters of the bay to enjoy at your leisure.

And just a short walk from there, Koolambidi Woola features a multi-sports court, skate park, mini golf course (BYO putter and balls), beach climbing net, and some dedicated parkour areas. You should also check out the Bunbury Wildlife Park, Mangrove Boardwalk, and Bunbury Museum and Heritage Centre (which is free to enter).

Brisbane to Cleveland (45 minutes)

Why spend time on choked freeways crawling towards South East Queensland’s tourist meccas, when the bayside retreat of Cleveland is just a short drive from the CBD and generally crowd-free? Explore Cleveland Point with its historic lighthouse (the ideal spot for a picnic), go stand-up-paddle boarding off Raby Bay, spend a day splashing around in the adventure pool (with waterslides!) at the Cleveland Aquatic Centre, or take the ferry across Moreton Bay to stunning North Stradbroke Island for the day (you’ll often see dolphins coming right in to the shoreline at Amity Point!).

The wider Redlands region also offers a great range of kid-friendly activities. Take a ferry to Coochiemudlo Island, hit the bush walking trails at Indigiscapes, check out the Capalaba Regional Park (an adventure playground suitable for all ages and abilities), or let everyone battle it out gladiator style at Inflatable World at Victoria Point.

This post was published thanks to Tutero.

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Do you have any suggestions to add to our list of great Aussie family getaways within two hours’ drive of a capital city? We would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below.

Cover image: East Gippsland Rail Trail. Image: Jessica Shapiro. Additional images: Depositphotos, Bigstock, and Envato