brisbane day trips Archives

“Mum, Dad, are we there yet?” If these are the words causing you ‘car anxiety’ every time you pack the kids into the car, then simply avoid the question by making your next family vacation closer to home.

This Easter break we enjoyed some Novotel Brisbane hospitality and had a staycation in our home town, road testing the ‘School Holiday Saver’ which includes free buffet breakfast for 2 adults and 2 children, free carparking and late checkout* for the family (2 x adults and 2 x children)

My own approach when choosing accommodation for our family is to lean towards venues that make an extra effort to cater to families with children. At all Novotel hotels around the world, your children are important guests and accommodation and breakfast are free for two children under 16 years. Plus the rooms have every thing you need including ipod docking stations, internet access and in room movies.

Since we were staying at Easter we were also able to partake in all the special activities the hotel had happening over the holiday period like the scavenger hunt to help find the Easter bunnies lost eggs.

Plus we enjoyed some much needed relaxation while the kids visited the games room with an array of Xbox games and consoles plus they coloured the day away doing the Easter colouring in pages while mum and dad enjoyed the Easter cocktails, mocktails and snacks in the newly renovated Gourmet bar.

For dinner we decided to stay in and enjoy the family meal deal in the pantry restaurant on the ground floor. It was a really relaxed and casual it made for a nice change to just head downstairs and not have to push a pram and drag tired children around the city plus the kids ate free which is always a bonus, while we enjoyed a 2 course dinner with a glass of beer or wine for only $65.00 which was delish and excellent value.

Plus it’s always great to wake refreshed to a good hotel buffet breakfast and this didn’t disappoint relaxed, simple, fresh and tasty and something for every one is always a winner in our family.

Nestled in the heart of the Brisbane CBD, Novotel is a great location, it’s a short walk to shops, cafes and all the best Brisbane has to offer, it’s spacious and welcoming and the Novotel family room is designed to accommodate 2 adults and 2 children in the greatest comfort.

It’s the perfect place to stay where you can experience and share precious moments.

Just a few of the benefits that families that chose to stay at Novotel Brisbane City will benefit from:

Sofa bed
Baby cot
Non-smoking rooms
Children’s television channel
Dedicated play areas
Balanced meals
Children’s menus
Bottle-warmers and high chairs at your disposal

novotel9 — Checking out her social channels on the free wifi.

When your next in Brisbane and looking for family friendly accommodation you must check out Novotel Brisbane at www.novotelbrisbane.com.au they always have some great special happening, current specials include Kids Stay and Eat Free, check website for terms and conditions. the perfect place to base yourself for all the best Brisbane has to offer.

Novotel Brisbane – 200 Creek Street Brisbane Queensland 07 3309 3309

We just came back from our 2nd visit to this beautiful island this year, the weather was perfect, the beach is gorgeous and loads to do means there’s never a dull moment.

An easy boat ride from Brisbane, Moreton Island is the third-largest sand island in the world and makes a fantastic escape from city life.

You can do a little or a lot, it’s your choice! We designed our own perfect day of adventure and relaxation on sandy Moreton Island!

On our full-day tour from Brisbane we comfortably cruised across Moreton Bay and took our pick from the many family friendly activities Tangalooma Resort has to offer, as we had a toddler in toe we picked the Fish Feeding Tour, I think it’s probably the best value tour for those looking to get out amongst the wrecks. You get picked up by boat and taken to the wrecks where you’re handed some wild fish-friendly fish food to feed the fish as the swarm around the boat. All in all it’s a great way to check out the wrecks and see some of the fish without getting wet. But if adventure is more your style and you want to get your heart racing try sand tobogganing or parasailing, cruise over the dunes on a quad bike or snorkel among shipwrecks.

We then decided to take to the water and try our hand at Standup Paddle Boarding, the boys mastered it in no time and looked like pro’s! But well lets just say I think you need a little more coordination and strength then I possess, so I left it to the ‘experts’ and retired to the beach for some sandcastle building, which is more my style!

Then it was time for a quick recharge with some lunch, with a choice of the 4 on-site restaurants and cafés we found something that kept every one happy, coffee and icecream being our main priorities!

Then it was time to relax on the sandy beaches and take advantage of many free activities including squash and tennis courts, croquet, badminton and beach volleyball. There are free ranger led activities during the day (including fish, pelican, and kookaburra feeding), information sessions on the dolphins and bush walks. All the rangers are very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and happy to chat and answer the tonnes of questions my kids had for them.

We then extended our day with the optional dolphin feeding experience in the evening which lets you hand-feed wild dolphins for a truly unique wildlife encounter. Each night, a pod of wild bottlenose dolphins swims up to the resort shore to happily accept food straight from the hands of visitors and eco-experts. We were so excited to wade into the bay waters to take part in this memorable encounter with the playful creatures. The dolphin feeding is of course one of the main reasons to come to Tangalooma and was well worth it, what a magical experience, I highly recommend it, the kids are still talking about it.

If you are looking for something to do over the summer holidays then I highly recommend it as a great fun filled day out for the whole family, be sure to remember your swimmers, sunscreen and hats and be ready to get up close and personal with the local wild life.

The best way to access the resort is on the official 75min Luxury transfer from the Tangalooma Wharf on the Brisbane River at Holt St Pinkenba for more informationon the resort and tours available www.tangalooma.com

brisbane day trips

Family Friendly accommodation-Novotel Brisbane School Holiday Saver

Exploring Tangalooma Resort – Daytrips and Tours For Families