Relax, the Gold Coast hinterland (technically called the Scenic Rim) has your September school holidays sorted.
From camel kisses to Alpaca picnics, epic family hiking adventures, to moto track speed racing, farm stays, old school fishing trips and a classic country market. This vast region covers Tamborine Mountain, Canungra, Beaudesert, Boonah, Kalbar and Peak Crossing, and it has everything you need for kids of all ages.
Here they are – the top 10 things to do in the Scenic Rim during the September school holidays.
Give the kids a taste of farm life at Towri
Start the September school holidays right with an activity-packed day at Towri Spring Farmers Markets from 9am to 4pm on 20 September.
There’ll be live shearing, kids cheese workshops, sheep milking demonstrations, landscaping tips from an expert, fresh local produce, live entertainment, lamb cuddling sessions and more. Bring your empty esky and stock up on delicious local produce. You’ll be able to fill those hungry young bellies all holidays and support Scenic Rim farmers while you’re at it! Spaces limited, click here to book tickets now.
Read more: the Scenic Rim features on this wrap-up of Australia’s best family-friendly wineries
Get your camel fix at Summer Land Camels
Some of our favourite things to do in the Gold Coast hinterland are animal experiences.
Summer Land Camels at Harrisville is open 7 days a week. It’s open daily for camel cuddles and feeding, or you can do camel rides and farm tours (bookings essential). Plus enjoy all things camel, from award-winning cheese and gelato to camel milk skin and hair products, at the on-site cafe and store.
Have a mountain lodge adventure
O’Reilly’s Campground is the perfect spot to set up for the holidays. O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Eco Rangers School Holidays Program will keep your kids well and truly occupied. There’s rainforest art, campfires, games, scavenger hunts and more! Click here to view the full program.
Head up the other side of Lamington National Park to Binna Burra Lodge (now open again) Click here to book a campsite, safari tent or go all out with an eco-friendly family-size Sky Lodge and make yourselves at home in nature for the school holidays.
Make memories at Mt Barney Lodge. Set up camp (or stay in one of the beautiful homesteads) and book the kids in for some wonderful nature-based activities. Click here for activities.
Read more: Best Gold Coast Indigenous experiences
Stay on a farm
Have an authentic food and farming experience at one of our beautiful local farms. Book a family holiday at a local farm stay to get the complete on-farm experience. Check out Tommerup’s Dairy Farm, Cedar Glen Farmstay, Greenlee Farm & Cottages, Stay at Kirro and Milford Country Cottages.
Book a farm tour at Scenic Rim Robotic Dairy or Tamborine Mountain Coffee Plantation, a kids cheese making workshop at Towri Sheep Cheeses or pop into Summer Land Camels any day of the week.
Read more: 10 farms & farm stays your family will love
Have an adventure on Tamborine Mountain
Your children won’t want to leave Tamborine Mountain – it’s an absolute wonderland! Start at Thunderbird Park, where you can choose from zip lining, thunder egg fossicking, mini golf, horse-riding, laser skirmish, bird feeding and a reptile show. You can even book to stay at family-friendly Cedar Creek Lodges, on-site.
Continue up the hill to Tamborine Mountain Rainforest Skywalk, where you can explore the rainforest canopies 30 metres above the ground.
Complete your day with a guided tour of fascinating, purpose-built conservation project, the Tamborine Mountain Glow Worm Caves. You might even see some scarecrows around, as the annual Tamborine Mountain Scarecrow Festival wraps up on 20 September.
Hit world-class moto tracks at QLD Moto Park
Hit the moto tracks with your kids at QLD Moto Park, near Wyaralong. They even have school holiday coaching camps. Click here for more information.
Scenic Rim Regional Council’s school holiday program
Keep the kids busy with movies, art and performance workshops, library activities and much more. See the full program here.
Read more: 2021 school holidays – it’s time to start dreaming big
Take the kids fishing
Bundle up the kids and the fishing rods and while away the hours at one of the Scenic Rim’s three stunning lakes. Make the time to stop into one of our gorgeous townships for a bite to eat, too. Drop a line at these spots.
Discover a sweet hidden gem in Canungra
Little Bee’s Secret Garden, tucked in behind Owl Wholefoods in Canungra, is a must-visit for enquiring young minds. Learn all about native bees from the delightful Alex, and even buy some bee-friendly plants or a bee motel for home. Find out more here.
Have an alpaca picnic
Make some furry friends at Mountview Alpaca Farm, on the grounds of O’Reilly’s Canungra Valley Vineyards. Open 7 days a week for all your alpaca walks, cuddles and picnics. Book here.
Read more
The best things to do on the Gold Coast with a baby or toddler