| Day | Date | Focus | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Day 1 | Arrival + Drive to Gold Coast | Gold Coast |
| 2 | Day 2 | Dreamworld | Gold Coast |
| 3 | Day 3 | Beach + Outlet Shopping | Gold Coast |
| 4 | Day 4 | Sea World | Gold Coast |
| 5 | Day 5 | Nature & Animals | Gold Coast |
| 6 | Day 6 | Movie World → Brisbane | Brisbane |
| 7 | Day 7 | Lone Pine + Mt Coot-tha + South Bank | Brisbane |
| 8 | Day 8 | Fruit Picking + Shopping | Brisbane |
| 9 | Day 9 | City Explore → Departure | Brisbane |
Transport: ✈️ + 🚗 Car
💡 Relaxing start — long travel day. Don't overplan, kids will be jetlagged.
⚠️ Tolls: M1 motorway to Gold Coast has electronic tolls (~$5-8 per trip). Get a visitor toll pass or check if rental car includes an e-tag.
💡 Food: Coolangatta strip has great family restaurants (10 min from Tweed Heads). Bubble tea: Sharetea at Pacific Fair or Chatime at Robina Town Centre.
Transport: 🚗 Car
💡 Arrive at opening (10am) for shortest queues. Pack snacks — park food is $15-20/meal.
⚠️ Costs: ~$89/adult, $79/child online (save $20+ vs gate). Parking: $20/car.
💡 Rainy backup: Timezone Surfers Paradise (arcade, ~$35 for 60min play card) or Pacific Fair Shopping Centre (indoor, huge, has play area).
Transport: 🚗 Car
Morning: Beach walk & sand play at Surfers Paradise (no ocean swimming in winter)
Afternoon: Harbour Town Premium Outlets — Nike, Adidas, Cotton On. Easy, flat, kid-friendly.
💡 Relaxed, low-energy recovery day. Let kids play at foreshore playgrounds — they'll love it and want to come back daily.
💡 Playgrounds: Surfers Paradise foreshore has multiple free playgrounds. Broadwater Parklands (Southport, 15 min) is another massive free playground with water play.
Transport: 🚗 Car
💡 Best winter theme park — penguins are a highlight. Book show times on arrival.
⚠️ Costs: ~$89/adult, $79/child online. Parking: $20/car.
Transport: 🚗 Car
Choose ONE:
Option A — Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: Kangaroo feeding, bird show, mini train
Option B — Paradise Country: Farm animals, sheep shearing, relaxed pace
Option C — Tamborine Mountain adventure day (~45 min drive):
💡 Currumbin is better for first-time visitors. Option C is best if kids want adventure & variety. Check weather — outdoor attractions can close in storms.
⚠️ Costs: Currumbin ~$55/adult, $40/child. Free parking. Paradise Country ~$40/adult, $30/child. Tamborine ~$300 (2A+2C).
Transport: 🚗 Car
Morning: Check out accommodation, bags in car
Full Day: Warner Bros. Movie World — superheroes, parade, stunt show. Enjoy the full day without rushing.
Evening: 🚗 Drive to Brisbane (~1 hr), check in hotel
💡 Check out first, head straight to Movie World. No need to rush — leave around 3-4pm when kids start fading, then drive to Brisbane.
⚠️ Costs: Movie World ~$89/adult, $79/child online. Parking: $20/car. Hotel Indigo nearby parking ~$17.50/24hrs (2 min walk).
💡 Brisbane dinner spots: Howard Smith Wharves (waterfront under Story Bridge, stunning). Eat Street Northshore (container food market, Fri-Sun). Queen Street Mall area for family dining.
Transport: 🚗 Car + 🚢 Ferry
Morning: Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary — kangaroos, koalas, wombats, emus
Midday: Mt Coot-tha Lookout + Botanic Gardens (~10 min from Lone Pine, free) — panoramic city views, Japanese Garden, kids' playground by lagoon, lunch at Botanic Gardens Cafe
Afternoon: CityCat Ferry along Brisbane River, South Bank playground, Streets Beach (free)
💡 Lone Pine is the world's oldest koala sanctuary. CityCat ferry is both transport and a sightseeing experience.
⚠️ Costs: Lone Pine ~$46/adult, $30/child. Free parking. CityCat: ~$3.50/adult per trip (contactless or go card). Koala photo: ~$25 extra.
💡 South Bank: Riverside Green playground + Aquativity water play area are free and excellent. Streets Beach has lifeguards. Plan 1-2 hrs — kids won't want to leave.
Transport: 🚗 Car
Morning: Caboolture Strawberry Farm (~45 min north) — June = peak season, kid-friendly
Afternoon: Queen Street Mall (Brisbane CBD). Optional: DFO Brisbane for outlets.
💡 Best & most reliable fruit picking near Brisbane in winter. Call ahead — weather-dependent, can close suddenly.
⚠️ Costs: Entry usually free, pay per punnet (~$5-8). Kids will eat as much as they pick.
💡 Backup if closed: Queensland Museum + SparkLab (free, great for kids) or LEGO Certified Store at Queen Street Mall.
Transport: 🚗 Car → ✈️
June is Brisbane winter: 18–22°C days, 10–14°C evenings. Dry & sunny — best time for theme parks & wildlife. Pack a light jacket for evenings.
| Item | Approx Cost |
|---|---|
| Dreamworld (2A + 2C, online) | $336 |
| Sea World (2A + 2C, online) | $336 |
| Movie World (2A + 2C, online) | $336 |
| Currumbin Wildlife (2A + 2C) | $190 |
| Lone Pine Koala (2A + 2C) | $152 |
| Tamborine Mountain — Option C (2A+2C) | ~$300 |
| Theme park parking (4 days) | $80 |
| Hotel parking (3 nights × $17.50) | $53 |
| Tolls (Gold Coast↔Brisbane) | $25–35 |
| Attractions subtotal | ~$1,505–1,530 |
Excludes: flights, accommodation, car rental, food, shopping. Budget ~$80-120/day for food (family of 4). Coffee ~$5 AUD, bubble tea ~$8 AUD.
All free. Great fallback or quick detour when kids need to burn energy.
Gold Coast (Days 1–6):
Brisbane (Days 7–9):