Activities for Kids in Airlie Beach
If you are travelling to the Whitsundays for a holiday with children or teenagers, one of the best places to base yourself is “the heart of the reef” - Airlie Beach! Airlie Beach is both the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands and a destination in itself. Featuring dozens of tours, cafes and restaurants, accommodation types for all budgets, weekly markets, and a brilliant view over the Coral Sea, Airlie Beach is the perfect spot for a family vacation. Here’s our pick of the best activities for families with children in Airlie Beach!
SeaLink Whitehaven Big Island Day Tour
A perfect day tour for kids, both younger and older, SeaLink Whitehaven Big Island Day Tour offers fantastic sunshiney activities for the whole family! Infants between 0 - 4 years will travel free on this all-ages tour on this exciting, smooth and air-conditioned cruise out to the islands. Discover North and South Whitehaven Beach, Hill Inlet Lookout and enjoy a delicious lunch inside your airconditioned vessel. Don't miss this worry-free, family-friendly day out that is bound to provide you with some wonderful family memories!
Airlie Beach Lagoon
Airlie Beach’s number one family-friendly attraction is the hugely popular Airlie Beach Lagoon. Completely free for all visitors, the Airlie Beach Lagoon is an aquatic playground spread over 4,000 square metres featuring a baby's pool, a toddlers area and a larger, deeper lagoon pool with a man-made beach. Lagoon facilities include barbecues and shaded picnic areas, wash and change rooms and a small play area for kids and lifeguards patrol from 5:30 am to 9:00 pm daily (7 pm daily during winter) when the area closes at night.
Reefworld
A trip to the Whitsundays would be incomplete without spending the day exploring the Great Barrier Reef at Reefworld pontoon! Reefworld is an action-packed full-day on the Great Barrier Reef with swimming, snorkelling, an underwater viewing chamber, a semi-submersible ride, and a buffet lunch included. Picture the look on your child’s face as they swim with big schools of fish and over the colourful coral in this underwater wonderland. The water above the reef is generally calm and shallow with roped swimming sections offering the perfect place to explore. Make sure your kids keep an eye out for the magical sea turtles that frequent the area!
Visit an Island Resort
Short on time, or is staying on an island resort not in the budget? Cruise Whitsundays have some great packages that allow you and the whole family to visit some of the many island resorts in the Whitsundays for the day without breaking the bank! Visit Daydream Island and experience their living reef aquarium or Hamilton Island which offers over 60 activities including bowling, mini-golf, and even a wildlife park - There is no shortage of options for you and your family!
Boathaven Beach
Take a dip at Airlie's newest, man-made beach only a short walk from the main strip near the Port of Airlie. The calm waters of Boathaven Beach are the perfect place to take children swimming and the swimming net provides a safe place to avoid marine stingers in the summertime. Why not pack a picnic and a beach umbrella and spend the whole day relaxing on the beach in the sunshine?
Bredl's Wild Farm
For the ultimate Australian wildlife experience, you can’t go past Bredl's Wild Farm. Hold a koala, a snake, and a baby crocodile during this unique holiday experience that is just a short drive from Airlie Beach. Guides will educate you on everything you need to know about Australia’s native wildlife and take visitors on a comfortable and safe safari truck to visit the adult crocodiles during feeding time. A fun and unique experience for people of all ages!
Cedar Creek Falls
Cedar Creek Falls in the Conway National Park is a must-do while in the Whitsundays, although a car is needed! The natural waterfall that pours into a deep freshwater pool is located approximately 30 minutes from Airlie Beach. The best time to view the falls when they're at their grandest is after a big rain, however, it's beautiful no matter what time of the year! It's a favourite swimming and picnic spot for many families, and if you are quiet, a resident turtle or two might surface to say hello!
Whitsunday Crocodile Safari
Take a cruise down the Proserpine River and spend the day croc spotting on a Whitsunday Crocodile Safari! See giant wild saltwater crocodiles close up, experience an Aussie BBQ lunch, and take a wagon train ride through the surrounding wetlands where you will spot many different species of native Australian mammals and birds. This full-day tour departs from Airlie Beach and is a fun and safe way to view these prehistoric predators!
Playgrounds
The Airlie Beach Foreshore Playground is a custom-designed skywalk play area with a climbing octa net, three tunnel slides and two sky cabins joined with rope bridges. At 10.5m high, the playground is a child’s paradise while the enclosed design ensures safety and sun protection. The Airlie Beach Lagoon also has a shaded play area near the children’s pools. This playground features state-of-the-art equipment and a liberty swing specially designed for wheelchair-bound children.
Your children will think Christmas has come early with a visit to Logan’s Adventure Playground, an amazing community initiative located within the Botanical Gardens Precinct in Cannonvale. This adventure playground has been created entirely through local fundraising and features a 30m Tandem Flying Fox and a giant spiders web among other climbing, tunnel, swinging, spinning, and balancing equipment.
Whitsunday Stand Up Paddle
Test your balance and have some great laughs with your family as you try to master a stand-up paddleboard in Airlie Beach! Perfect for both beginner and experienced paddleboarders, Whitsunday Stand Up Paddle offers a fun 3 hour morning or afternoon tour in the calm waters of Shingley Beach next to the Coral Sea Marina. A guide will show you the basics of paddleboarding before you explore the spectacular surroundings - you will even get some free photos and a bonus 1hr paddleboard hire for use anytime during the week!
Walking Tracks
There are some great walks around Airlie Beach with some stunning views that are good for families who like an outdoor adventure.
Families with littlies that just want an easy stroll to stretch their legs should try the Bicentennial Board Walk. An easy 3.5km (one way) walk along the shoreline from Cannonvale to Airlie Beach, this walk is pram-friendly and has great views of the Coral Sea and Whitsunday Islands.
For those looking for slightly more of a challenge, we can recommend the Airlie Creek Track, a 1.7km return walk through subtropical vegetation to a natural rock pool with small waterfalls in the wet season - you may even be lucky enough to spot an endangered rock wallaby!
Fancy an adventure to a secluded beach through giant trees full of butterflies and birds? Coral Beach is a 3.7km return bushwalk to a small, often dessert beach just out of town on Shute Harbour Road. Once there, you can also walk a further 180m along the beach to The Beak for a fantastic lookout over the Whitsunday Passage and islands.
For more information on popular bushwalks and hikes in the Whitsundays, click here!
There are plenty of fun activities for families with children in and around Airlie Beach!
If you would like more information on any of the experiences mentioned above please get in touch with one of our friendly, local travel professionals who are more than happy to provide you with recommendations!
