Australia’s East Coast with Kids: Sydney to the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast

Australia’s east coast is a road trip that children talk about for years. They can feed kangaroos by hand, watch a koala sleep in a tree, take a ferry to a zoo, ride the Gold Coast’s theme parks and end at the zoo built by the Irwin family. This guide follows the coast north from Sydney through the Blue Mountains and Coffs Harbour to the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. It has the wildlife parks and theme parks that suit each age, the rules that matter on the day, and how to pace two weeks with children.

Every attraction here has its own page on JuniorTravelClub with details from its official website. Distances are straight-line figures worked out from each place’s coordinates. The roads are longer, so check your route before each driving day.

The route at a glance

• Start: Sydney
• Stops: the Blue Mountains, Coffs Harbour, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast
• Finish: Brisbane, about 70 km from Australia Zoo in a straight line
• Length: about two weeks, one-way
• Works for: all ages. Wildlife parks suit toddlers, and the Gold Coast theme parks add rides for older children.

Before you go

Book the encounters, not the entry

At most wildlife parks on this route you can buy entry on the day, but hands-on encounters are limited. Taronga Zoo suggests arriving by 9am to book an animal encounter. Symbio Wildlife Park recommends booking close-up encounters online ahead, and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary says its hands-on animal encounters have to be arranged beforehand. Shows, presentations and keeper talks are included with entry at both Taronga and Currumbin.

Cards, not cash

Taronga Zoo and Sea Life Sydney Aquarium are cashless. Bring a card that works in Australia.

Picnics welcome

Many places on this route let you bring your own food, which helps the budget: Taronga Zoo, Featherdale, Symbio, Koala Park Sanctuary (its cafe is BYO) and Currumbin. Australia Zoo has a large open-air café.

Sydney: days 1–4

Day 1: Taronga Zoo by ferry

The best way to arrive at Taronga Zoo is the 12-minute ferry from Circular Quay Wharf 4. Inside, free keeper talks, daily seal and bird shows and a dedicated kids’ trail fill a day. Mornings are less crowded. The in-zoo train, the Wildlife Express, costs extra.

Day 2: Sea Life and the harbour

Sea Life Sydney Aquarium is a short walk from Town Hall, Wynyard and Darling Harbour ferry wharf. Children under 2 go free. There is a Penguin Expedition boat ride, though it isn’t open to children under 90 cm or under 2, plus Creature Story Time and a rockpool feed and talk. Children under 16 must be with an adult aged 18 or over. Book online to get the time slot you want.

Day 3: Kangaroos and koalas

Head west to Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park, where children can hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies and follow the Wildlife Adventure Trail, a self-guided stamp trail for ages 3 to 12. The site is flat with smooth paved paths, so prams are easy. Plan around the koala nap: the Koala Sanctuary closes from 12 to 1pm. Children aged 15 and under get free entry on their birthday.

Alternatively, Koala Park Sanctuary has koala presentations, a farmyard for children, a wet-weather koala enclosure for rainy days and free parking.

Day 4: Symbio Wildlife Park

South of Sydney, Symbio Wildlife Park combines animals with play. Children can cool off in the Splash Park and burn energy on flying foxes and trampolines between keeper presentations on little penguins, meerkats and koalas. There are three covered picnic areas, and parking is free.

The Blue Mountains: day 5

Blue Mountains National Park is about 70 km west of Sydney in a straight line. The park is broken into small, separately named lookouts, picnic areas and walking tracks, many with toilets. Valley of the Waters has a shaded retreat with facilities, and food is sold at Conservation Hut and other places. Pets aren’t allowed, and the Blackheath area can close in poor weather or fire danger, so check before you go. Our Wentworth Falls page has more on the area.

North to Coffs Harbour: days 6–7

Coffs Harbour is about 440 km north of Sydney in a straight line, so split the drive over two days with a beach stop on the way. In Coffs, the Big Banana is the stop children remember for the name alone, and the banana theme carries all the way into the café. There are parents’ rooms with baby change, shaded seating, and monthly sensory-friendly accessibility events. If something stops you attending, your ticket is refunded in full.

The Gold Coast: days 8–11

The Gold Coast is about 270 km north of Coffs Harbour in a straight line. Give it four days, mixing theme parks with wildlife and nature.

Dreamworld

At Dreamworld, children can meet the koala mascots on Main Street at set times on scheduled dates. The Flexible One Day Ticket can be used on any open day within 12 months of purchase, which takes the pressure off the weather. Food Central has children’s menus.

Sea World

Sea World has Nickelodeon Land, with PAW Patrol, SpongeBob and Dora at meet and greets, on stage and on themed rides. The Parents Rooms have changing facilities and private feeding areas. Children under 14 must be with an adult at all times. Public buses stop at the car park entrance, about 120 metres from the park.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary has a free daily lorikeet feeding at 8am and 4pm that needs no entry ticket. Shows and keeper talks are included with entry. Visitor numbers are capped, entry is first come, first served, and last admission is at 3:30pm. The main baby care facility holds a five-star rating from the Australian Breastfeeding Association. You can bring a picnic, but no glass or alcohol.

Lamington National Park

For a day in the rainforest, Lamington National Park is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Centenary track at Green Mountains is a universal access track you can push a pram along. There is no public transport, so you need the car, and dogs aren’t allowed.

The Sunshine Coast: days 12–14

Australia Zoo in Beerwah is about 120 km north of the Gold Coast in a straight line. Free rides at Crikey! Kids Corner, including a jumping pillow, the Laughing Frog Water Park and an all-day shuttle are included in the ticket, so a zoo day becomes a play day. Bathroom stalls have toddler seats, and there are parents’ nursing rooms. Parking is free, and a free coach picks up from Beerwah train station.

On the coast, Sea Life Sunshine Coast in Caloundra has a touch pool and an ocean tunnel where sharks and rays swim overhead. Children under 2 go free, and weekday late afternoons outside school holidays are quietest.

Finish in Brisbane for your flight home.

Good to know with kids

Supervision rules

Several attractions set firm rules: children under 16 must be with an adult aged 18 or over at both Sea Life aquariums, and children under 14 at Sea World. Plan which adult goes where if you split up.

Timing the day

Wildlife parks are best early. Taronga says mornings are less crowded, and Featherdale’s koala nap and closing times shape the afternoon: the Lorikeet Walk-In closes at 3:30pm and the walk-through enclosures at 4pm. Currumbin’s last entry is 3:30pm.

Rainy days

Koala Park Sanctuary has a wet-weather koala enclosure, the two Sea Life aquariums are indoors, and Dreamworld’s flexible ticket lets you move your theme park day.

Birthdays

Featherdale lets children aged 15 and under in free on their birthday.

Plan and book

For Sydney, compare a sightseeing pass: Go City Sydney. Search for Gold Coast tickets on Tiqets and compare with the parks’ own shops. Mobile data: Australia eSIM on Airalo.

Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you book through them, JuniorTravelClub may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Frequently asked questions

Where can children feed kangaroos near Sydney?

At Featherdale Sydney Wildlife Park, children can hand-feed kangaroos and wallabies. Feed is sold in cups while stocks last.

How long do you need for the Australian east coast with kids?

Two weeks covers Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Coffs Harbour, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast with time to rest. With ten days, fly between Sydney and the Gold Coast instead of driving.

Which Gold Coast theme park is best for young children?

Sea World’s Nickelodeon Land has PAW Patrol, SpongeBob and Dora on rides and in shows. Dreamworld has koala mascot meet-and-greets and children’s menus. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is the gentler choice for toddlers.

Is Australia Zoo worth the trip?

For families, yes. The ticket includes Crikey! Kids Corner rides, the Laughing Frog Water Park and an all-day shuttle. There is free parking and a free coach from Beerwah station.

Can we bring food to Australian zoos?

At many, yes: Taronga, Featherdale, Symbio and Currumbin let you bring your own food, and Koala Park Sanctuary’s café is BYO. Currumbin bans glass and alcohol.

How do we get to Taronga Zoo?

Take the 12-minute ferry from Circular Quay Wharf 4, or bus route 100 from the QVB, which takes about 30 minutes.

Are the wildlife parks pram-friendly?

Mostly. Featherdale is flat with smooth paved paths, Symbio’s entry areas are designed for prams, and Currumbin’s entrances have even paths wide enough for strollers. In Lamington National Park, the Centenary track takes prams.