Wollongong is quite close to Sydney, which is a major destination in the country of Australia. While you may be ready for the hustle and bustle of the larger cities, your kids may prefer the beachier area of Wollongong. This charming town has really begun to thrive over the last few years and is a popular holiday home destination, so there are more things to do there with kids than you think. And yet, you will still find plenty of things that you will enjoy doing as an adult.
Our top kids holiday activities in Wollongong
1. Visit the Wildlife at Symbio Wildlife Park
This wildlife park is not too far from Wollongong. A visit here will have everyone in your family seeing animals that include red pandas, wallabies, and koalas. There are numerous keeper presentations held throughout the day and you won’t want to miss the feeding times at the different animal enclosures.
2. Explore Science at Early Start Discovery Space
Early Start Discover Space is a hands-on museum that your kids will love in Wollongong. You can begin with a little pretend shopping at the grocery store before heading over to construct your own building as a construction worker. Add in a walk through the intestinal system and spending time in the other exhibits and you will have a day that is filled with fun and learning.
3. Drive Along the Scenic Grand Pacific Drive
There are quick ways to reach the city of Wollongong and then there are the scenic options. The Grand Pacific Drive is one of the best scenic options. While you can make this drive on your way to Wollongong, you can also take a day to do the drive during your stay. A couple things you can take the time to see along the way include the Royal National Park, Bald Hill, and the Sea Cliff Bridge. Of course, there are many other places to stop during your drive. So, plan on stopping as often as time will allow.
4. Explore Space at Science Space and Planetarium
There are more than one hundred interactive exhibits at Science Space and Planetarium. When you have seen all those, you can enter the planetarium to see the stars and constellations. You may think your kids will be bored with this adventure at first, but honestly, they will be enthralled with everything they see during your visit.
5. Spend a Day at the Beach
There are many great swimming beaches in and around Wollongong. However, you must make sure you are spending time at one with lifeguards if you plan on doing any swimming when you are there. North Wollongong Beach is patrolled by lifeguards all year long, so keep that in mind if you are traveling to this area during a non-peak time. When you are not swimming, your kids can build sandcastles or join you for a long walk along the sandy shoreline.
6. Experience the Beauty of the Wollongong Botanic Garden
Most kids would be bored inside a regular botanic garden, but the Wollongong Botanic Garden is anything but ordinary. When you are not walking around to see the duck feeding pond, climbing net, viewing platform, and playground, you can take advantage of the other activities that are offered throughout the gardens. Those activities include story time, workshops, and numerous tours. A few kid-favorite tours are the Garden Discovery, Sunset Cinema, and Sunday Sounds.
7. Have Fun at the Jamberoo Action Park
You must drive approximately twenty minutes to reach the Jamberoo Action Park from Wollongong. However, the journey is worthwhile. The kids will love all the water slides, while the littlest one in your group will have fun at Banjo’s Billabong. That play structure offers two hundred water cannons, six waterslides, two massive buckets dumping water, and many spray features. All the massive waterslides will intrigue your older kids, but their favorites might be the Taipan and the Perfect Storm.
8. Go Ziplining and Walking High Up in the Trees at Illawarra Fly
Illawarra Fly is a little further from Wollongong than the action park mentioned above, but it is something all your kids will love. It is recommended that you begin with the Treetop Walk. The walk will have you more than seven hundred meters above sea level. As you walk along the trees within the rainforest, you will see panoramic views of the forest, as well as the Pacific Ocean. Once everyone has completed this one-and-a-half-kilometer walk, you can get a few thrills on the zipline. You will only be thirty-five meters above the ground in the forest. There are multiple cable spans, as well as suspension bridges to cross along the way.
These are eight of the best things to do when holidaying with kids in Wollongong. You will find many other activities that your kids will enjoy though, so you must plan your itinerary carefully. If you don’t, you won’t do everything that your kids will love when you are vacationing in Wollongong.