It's school holidays and if you’re racking your brain for things to do with the family this summer, check out our list of suggestions to get you started! Visit the new Discovery Centre at IndigiScapes, go bushwalking at a hidden location, watch a blacksmith at the Redland Museum, cool off at a coastal park, take a ferry ride to a bay island for a picnic, this and so much more! There’s plenty of options on Redlands Coast to get you through the silly season!
Feel a million miles away
Redlands Track Park – Alexandra Hills, Cleveland & Thornlands (Nandeebie/Indillie)
This hidden pocket of paradise is well worth some exploration and is a great location for bushwalking and mountain biking of all ages! The Redlands Track Park is a picturesque bushland conservation area with 25km of trails and is filled with colourful wildflowers, banksias, grass trees, she-oaks and giant gum trees that tower overhead. As you explore the tracks and trails, keep an eye out for local wildlife including wallabies, koalas, lizards, goannas, and a variety of birdlife including Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and Glossy Black-Cockatoos. Local tip: Listen quietly has you wander beneath the she-oaks that scatter the park, these trees are a favourite food of the Glossy Black-Cockatoos and often you can hear them feeding on the seeds above.
A tee-rific outdoor activity!
Sirromet Winery, Mount Cotton (Jungalpin/Tungipin)
Situated on the grounds of Sirromet Winery in Mount Cotton, Supa Golf is a supersized form of golf using over-sized golf clubs and large coloured balls. Tee off and enjoy a game on the picturesque 9-hole golf course with local wallabies as your spectators. Afterwards, celebrate your victory at one of the winery's onsite restaurants!
Soak up some nature vibes at IndigiScapes
IndigiScapes Centre, Capalaba (Kapallaba)
IndigiScapes’ new Discovery Centre showcases native flora and fauna facts, displays and hands-on learning experiences. From the indoor sensory experience at the Discovery Centre you can step outside to apply all that you’ve learned and explore more than three kilometres of bush trails on the grounds around centre. There’s also a native nursery, nature playground and free BBQs and picnic areas. After all that fresh air, refuel and tantalise your taste buds with flavours of the bush at the IndigiCafe. IndigiScapes also has you covered over the school holidays with a range of activities on offer including yoga for youth, a self-guided scavenger hunt, sea creature workshop and more!
Mini island escape
Coochiemudlo Island (Goochie mudlo)
A 10 minute ferry ride from Victoria Point will land you on Coochiemudlo Island. The journey to the island is an adventure in itself, enjoy the boat ride across the bay and spot for dolphins and dugong along the way! Arrive at the island’s jetty and head straight to the beach for some good old-fashioned fun by the sea. There are a couple of cafes on the island for refreshments or pack a picnic and make the most of the sheltered BBQ areas that overlook the ocean. For lunch with a difference, why not hire a BBQ boat from Coochie Boat Hire and explore the island’s coastline? Ferries run to and from Coochiemudlo Island almost every half an hour.
Playgrounds aren’t what they used to be!
Thornlands (Nandeebie/Indillie)
Gone are the days of a set of swings and a slide - the new all-inclusive playground at Thornlands Community Park has it all! It features everything from a giant treehouse, climbing structures, a nature play area, mega slides and a double flying fox, to water play elements, a sandpit with dinosaur bones, a farm-themed café cubby house, sheltered picnic areas and barbeques. Be sure to check it out - it's bound to keep the entire family entertained for hours!
Make a splash this summer
Cleveland Aquatic Centre, Cleveland (Nandeebie/Indillie)
Have fun with your family in the adventure playground pool at the Cleveland Aquatic Centre. There’s a shaded wading pool with an enclosed water slide, toddler slide and an assortment of water play equipment! It's the perfect destination for some fun during the summer school holidays.
Leave your mainland cares behind
Karragarra Island
Leave your mainland cares behind and jump on a ferry to Karragarra Island! Nestled in southern Moreton Bay, the tiny island – just 2km long and only 500m wide – is ideal for day trips. Enjoy a picnic or barbecue on the sandy beach and swim in the netted enclosure. There are no shops on Karragarra Island, which only enhances the pleasure of island life.
Watch a blacksmith in action
Cleveland (Nandeebie/Indillie)
Watch a Blacksmith in action most Saturdays at the Redland Museum. You’ll find them at work in the wooden shed beside the museum (known as a smithy), demonstrating skills of their ancient trade. They make poppies, horseshoes and various woodworking tools, as well as repairing tools.
Walk to your very own island
Wellington Point (Cullen-Cullen)
What if we told you, you could walk your way to your very own island escape? Welcome to King Island on Redlands Coast! When the tide is low a 1km sandbar emerges creating a natural bridge between Wellington Point (a picnicker's paradise) and the tiny island which is scattered with sandy walking tracks, and home to a variety of marine life. No boat required! Be sure to check the tides, this little adventure is strictly a low tide affair! Tip: Family members of the four-legged variety are welcome at certain times throughout the week.
Cool off by the beach
Raby Bay Foreshore Park, Cleveland (Nandeebie/Indillie)
Raby Bay Foreshore Park can be found by the seaside in Cleveland. It’s a popular destination for social gatherings with plenty of open space to spread out. You’ll find toddler and primary play spaces, walking and cycling pathways, BBQ and picnicking areas, and three sandy coves which are ideal for swimming. For those feeling active, stop in at the Bay Island Watersports trailer for a range of watercraft for hire. Tip: If you want to bring your four-legged friend, the last cove you reach is a dog off-leash beach so they can join in on the fun too!
A day trip to the earth’s second largest sand island
North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah)
Enjoy a day trip with the family on the earth’s second largest sand island, Minjerribah! Walk the popular Gorge Walk and spot for marine life, go swimming or surfing at a patrolled beach, visit the museum, and enjoy fresh fish and chips at one of the island’s eateries. Make the most of the public bus service on the island or take your car.
For more information on places to discover, things to see and do, where to stay and what’s on - visit the Redlands Coast Visitor Information Centre in Cleveland or phone 1300 667 386.