Your favourite family-friendly resorts in NSW, QLD & VIC
We put the call out for your favourite family-friendly spots around Australia and a common theme amongst them all? Waterslides. That aside, these are the resorts that came up again and again.
They’ve got the essentials covered and enough entertainment on tap to keep the kids happy and occupied — so you’re not just parenting in a different postcode. These are the rare gems where you might actually get to relax too. Imagine that.
To give you a rough idea of price* per night, we’ve selected a weeknight in the Spring 2025 and Summer 2026 School Holidays for a room for 2 adults and 2 children. Many of these resorts have member programs that are free to join and the discounts make a big difference.
The TL;DR
New South Wales
Fairmont Resort Blue Mountains
🌼Spring 2025 School Holidays: From $409.50 a night
☀️Summer 2026 School Holidays: From $251 a night
It’s basically a playground in disguise. There’s a KidsZone, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, a mini train and a merry-go-round. And when you’re done spinning in circles? The Blue Mountains are your family’s oyster—think Scenic World, ice skating, epic caves, botanic gardens and that sweet little village called Leura all nearby.
Rydges Resort Hunter Valley
🌼Spring 2025 School Holidays: From $309 a night
☀️Summer 2026 School Holidays: From $355 a night
Wine for you, waterpark for them. There’s a Kids Club, game room, an epic school holidays activity lineup (think pony rides and cookie decorating), plus a resort train tour—kangaroos included. And don’t miss the iconic splash-tastic grape bucket at the waterpark.
Queensland
RACV Resort Noosa
🌼Spring 2025 School Holidays: From $728 a night
☀️Summer 2026 School Holidays: From $865 a night
There’s a shaded playground right by the pool, a games room packed with air hockey, arcade machines and foosball, and a Kids Club during school hols if you need a tiny break from your tiny people. Add two waterslides, a waterpark and heated outdoor pools, and you’ve got yourself a family holiday that basically plans itself.
JW Marriott Gold Coast
🌼Spring 2025 School Holidays: From $797 a night
☀️Summer 2026 School Holidays: From $1,073 a night
A Gold Coast classic for a reason + a core childhood memory of Duo’s. There’s a tropical saltwater lagoon (go snorkelling with the fish!) with a waterfall, swim-up grotto and sandy beach. Keep the kids busy with pizza, sushi and chocolate making classes, daily fish feeding and a scavenger hunt around the resort.
Turtle Beach Resort Gold Coast
🌼Spring 2025 School Holidays: From $466 a night
☀️Summer 2026 School Holidays: From $495 a night
We’re talking 4 swimming areas, 6 waterslides, mini golf, a 22-seat cinema, and a games room to burn off every last ounce of sugar-fuelled energy. The apartments come with kitchens and laundries so you can wash the wet swimmers and have a lazy night in. The real cherry on top? The on-site restaurant is right next to the splash zone, so you can order a wine while watching them go down the waterslide for the 47th time.
Novotel Cairns Oasis Resort
🌼Spring 2025 School Holidays: From $319 a night
☀️Summer 2026 School Holidays: From $230 a night
Tropical vibes, a lagoon pool and Cairns’ only swim-up bar? Sign us up. Their VIK (Very Important Kids) program runs every weekend (and ramps up during school hols), with poolside games, crafty workshops, and enough space for mini adventurers (5–12) to burn off energy and make new BFFs.Meanwhile, you? You’re IN the pool with a cold drink in hand. Everyone wins.
Oaks Sunshine Coast Oasis Resort
🌼Spring 2025 School Holidays: From $333 a night
☀️Summer 2026 School Holidays: From $398 a night
The resort’s splash park is the main event – with slides, fountains and interactive water play to keep little ones happily soaked for hours. There’s also a lagoon-style pool, spa, 18-hole mini golf, a triple climbing frame, giant kangaroo jumper, sandpit, and beach volleyball all on site. Parents can kick back on the timber deck or shady picnic spots while keeping one eye on the chaos.It’s got all the fun of a theme park, minus the queues.
Victoria
Silverwater Resort Philip Island
🌼Spring 2025 School Holidays: From $371 a night
☀️Summer 2026 School Holidays: From $443 a night
Victoria might not scream “resort life,” but Silverwater is making a strong case. Just 30 mins from the Penguin Parade and Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, this place is jam-packed with stuff the kids love.We’re talking an indoor and outdoor pool, tennis, basketball + bocce courts, arcade games and air hockey, plus a playground with jumping pillows. It’s a little bit sporty, a little bit splashy, and a whole lot of fun for the whole fam, even when the weather’s moody.
*Pricing at 31st July 2025
