Family holiday ideas your teenagers will love

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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Teenagers can be tricky travel companions, being notoriously hard to please when it comes to a family holiday. But a perfectly planned trip might just be the way to lure them in.

 

It may be hard to believe, but the ideal formula for a family holiday with teenagers is actually quite simple: it requires a mix of freedom and downtime, action and adventure, a chance for your children to socialise with others in their age group, and opportunities to inspire Instagram envy with a range of beautiful backdrops. From a resort island to a city setting, here are a few themed holiday ideas sure to keep even the pickiest teenagers happy.

An island getaway with a side of adventure

The tropical paradise of Hamilton Island holds a lot of appeal for families with teens. One of four resort islands in The Whitsundays in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, it’s necklaced with coral and makes a great base for families with active teenagers who can choose between snorkelling and learning to dive at some of the best scuba spots in Australia.

 

Sporty teens will love the thrill of skimming across the aquamarine seas behind a speedboat on a water tube or wakeboard. When they’ve finished playing volleyball on the beach, they can doze on a daybed, launch a catamaran off Catseye Beach (with your supervision), play a game of tennis, try windsurfing, or embark on a Turtle Discovery tour. If that’s not enough action, they can hit the hills on an adrenaline-fuelled quad bike expedition, or set off on a jet skiing or sea kayaking adventure, leaving you free to loll on a sun lounger.

 

For the ultimate island experience, whisk them off to Whitehaven Beach on a seaplane so they can deploy the #beachlife hashtag on Snapchat and win on social media.

HIE Family on seaplane
The ultimate island experience, a trip to Whitehaven Beach on a seaplane.

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The ultimate city break

Whether you’re plotting an escape from the country or a staycation, a city break promises a good mix of things to do to keep fussy teens happy. Both Sydney and Melbourne have a profusion of arts-focused activities, with plenty of galleries to hop, museums to visit, graffiti-clad walls to tour and art classes to attend.

 

In Sydney, you can also explore heritage sights, Aboriginal rock art, a glittering harbour and a profusion of pretty beaches strewn with beautiful people. Stand on the cliffs at Cape Solander in Kurnell to try and spot a whale, hike to the Figure Eight Pools in the Royal National Park or test your teens’ mettle by climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

 

With its culture, great food scene and shopping, Melbourne is also a safe bet for a fun family holiday with teens. Book a hotel in the Victorian capital and lure them to the NGV and ultra-cool Lygon Street.

Family-climb-Sydney-Harbour-Bridge
Enjoy a staycation and test your teens’ mettle by climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Surf centres

Unplug the PlayStation and head for the little seaside town of Avoca on the NSW Central Coast for great waves and a laid-back vibe. While it’s not exactly off the grid, the area is brimming with excellent options for families with teenagers. In addition to the brilliant surf beaches, there are local skate parks, vintage clothing stores and epic eateries.

 

Sign up those teens wanting to take their wave riding to the next level for a private lesson in Mollymook on the NSW South Coast with former ASP World Champion, Pam Burridge.

 

In Sydney’s Sutherland Shire, take the grommets to Cronulla Surfing Academy which caters to surfers of all experience levels or, when the waves at Wanda Beach are wild and woolly, book your teens into a kitesurfing lesson so they can learn how to harness the power of the wind.

Avoca-beach-sunset
Head for the little seaside town of Avoca on the NSW Central Coast for great waves and a laid-back vibe.

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A luxury villa with friends

Shoalhaven Heads is a great playground for teenagers. Keep costs down by combining forces with a few other families with teens, while giving yours a few friends to hang out with at the same time. Bangalay Villas has a four-bedroom holiday house, or one- and two-bedroom villas side by side. Alternatively, Airbnb has some great options for family groups, like this one located at Culburra Beach. Enjoy some coastal fine dining while your teens go horse riding on Shoalhaven Beach or ride to the summit of Mt Coolangatta on a converted 4WD open-sided tractor bus with Bigfoot Adventures.

Yacht-Club-Villas
Hamilton Island Yacht Club Villas are a perfect luxury self-catering accommodation option for families.

Hamilton Island also offers self-catered villas and suites, with most restaurants and cafes within strolling distance. Skip down to the beach for a picnic breakfast or hire a golf buggy for your P-plater to enjoy a change of pace around the Hamilton Island hillside.

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Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti has written across print and digital for Australian Traveller and International Traveller for more than a decade and has spent more than two decades finding excuses to eat well and travel far. A prestigious News Corp cadetship launched her career at The Cairns Post, before a stint at The Canberra Times and The Sydney Morning Herald gave way to extended wanders through Canada, the US, Mexico, Central America, Asia and Europe. Carla was chief sub editor at delicious and has contributed to Good Food, Travel & Luxury, Explore Travel, Escape. While living in London, Carla was on staff at Condé Nast Traveller and The Sunday Times Travel desk and was part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK.
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5 of the best day trips from Hobart

(Credit: Samuel Shelley)

    Rachel Lay Rachel Lay
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    Hobart has quietly become our coolest capital, but the real wonder lies just beyond the city limits.

    In the cool shade of Kunyani/ Mt Wellington, Hobart has earned a reputation. Home to culture-defining Dark MOFO, the city blends rugged, raw wilderness and rule-breaking galleries. But, step beyond the thrumming capital’s border and you’ll find a new perspective: historic towns, Jurassic-era cliffs and a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. Fill your days with epicurean odysseys and wild scenery on the best day trips from Hobart.

    Where to stay

    Hobart stay with sleek style at Mövenpick hotel
    Elevate your Hobart stay with sleek style at Mövenpick.

    Behind every good road trip is the perfect home base. Somewhere central to review your camera roll, make the most of Hobart’s dining scene and relax before setting off again.

    For modern, Tasmanian-inspired design, book a stay at the Movenpick Hotel Hobart. Standing at the Salamanca Markets, look to the Hobart skyline, and the award-winning hotel will catch your eye. As the third-tallest building in the CBD, the views across the harbour toward Antarctica are totally unique from your room. Here, end each day at the daily free chocolate hour (plus a free Movenpick ice cream for the little ones).

    For a more budget-conscious option, head to the picture book, sandstone buildings of Macquarie Street. Nestled along the buzzing, historic streetscape, you’ll find Tasmania’s biggest hotel: the Ibis Styles. Return home each day to defrost in one of the hotel’s two saunas. Make use of the proximity to MONA, or take an easy stroll to the candy-coloured cottages of Battery Point between your adventures.

    1. Bruny Island

    Bruny Island Neck is an isthmus of land connecting north and south Bruny Island.
    Begin your adventure with a climb and a view. (Credit: Elise Weaver)

    Craggy cliffs and tropical-hued, white sand beaches signal your arrival to Bruny Island/ Lunawanna-Alonnah.

    Start your day trip at the island’s most iconic spot, the Neck Game Reserve. Scale the Trunganini steps to gaze out over the teensy stretch of land that juts through the sea connecting the two ends of the island.

    Catch a rare glimpse of the white-furred wallabies that call Bruny Island home at Adventure Bay. Then, for ocean-fresh oysters, pull into the drive-thru window at Get Shucked. Sample Bruny Island cheese at the cellar door before catching the ferry home with an esky full of local produce.

    2. Mount Wellington

    Mount Wellington Summit tasmania
    Climb through alpine forest to the summit. (Credit: Samuel Shelley)

    At 1271 metres, Mount Wellington watches protectively over Hobart. Follow the winding road to climb through alpine forest and tufts of snow to reach the summit. Gaze down over Hobart and out to sea, or over your shoulder to the southwestern wilderness.

    Reset your adrenaline with a mountain bike ride back down. Or, make like the locals and head into the mountain on foot. Try the hike to the Jurassic-period Organ Pipes, which slips under the mountain’s magnificent dolerite cliffs (perfect for families thanks to the trail’s minimal incline).

    For a view of Mount Wellington itself, hike nearby Cathedral Rock.

    2. Port Arthur

    Port Arthur tasmania
    Wander through convict-built grounds and gardens. (Credit: Alastair Bett)

    Constructed entirely by convicts, the manicured gardens and penal buildings of Port Arthur offer a day trip that practically hums with history.

    The rugged, seagirt location was chosen for its difficult escape conditions. Now, you can cruise the coast below the towering, jagged cliffs of the Tasman National Park or wander the sloping fields of fragrant lavender.

    Tickets to Port Arthur include a walking tour and harbour cruise. See the Isle of the Dead where 1000 men are buried in marked and unmarked graves. And Point Puer, Britain’s first prison for children.

    3. Launceston

    Duck Reach Power Station Bridge Cataract Gorge launceston
    Walk the sunlit paths of Cataract Gorge. (Credit: Nick H Visuals)

    You’ll find Launceston at the confluence of three rivers after an easy 2.5-hour drive from Hobart. Launceston is a patchwork of old and new. Here, heritage streetscapes meet modern architecture.

    Visit Cataract Gorge, the green, sun-dappled heart of the town and sacred meeting point for Tasmania’s indigenous communities. Pull up at roadside produce stalls that dot the Tamar Valley, or dine out. Launceston is, after all, a UNESCO City of Gastronomy.

    Should the local wine scene persuade you, simply extend your time in Launceston at Peppers Silo (but definitely at least stop by the onsite restaurant, Grain of the Silo, for a farm fresh menu) or Mercure Launceston before heading back to Hobart.

    4. Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary

    woman with wombat at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
    Snap a cuddle-worthy encounter. (Credit: Tourism Australia)

    Take a 35-minute drive from your hotel and you’ll find Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. This social enterprise is run by a team of extremely passionate Tasmanians with a mission to look after critically endangered species who have found sanctuary here after facing extinction on the mainland.

    Choose to wander the sanctuary at your own pace or join a guided tour (free with your ticket) to come face to face with Tassie’s most iconic species. Tasmanian Devils, wombats and echidnas are part of the free tour. You can book up close encounters with your favourite animals, too.

    5. Richmond Village & Coal River Valley

    Richmond is a picture-perfect town in the Coal River Valley wine region, offering a glimpse into early colonial life, one of the best day trips from Hobart.
    Trace the river through history and wine country. (Credit: Alastair Bett)

    Richmond is a town that belongs in a snow globe. Fifty colonial-era, Georgian buildings have been painstakingly restored and turned into cafes, cosy restaurants and galleries. Visit Richmond Gaol, said to be the home of a prisoner so vile he inspired Charles Dickens to pen Oliver Twist’s Fagin.

    Then, follow the Coal River as it flows past grassy, duckling-dotted knolls and under the iconic Richmond Bridge, the oldest bridge in Australia. From the crest of the bridge, see the oldest Catholic Church in Australia. The river crawls past many cellar doors, perfect for a day of wine tasting.