It is known to many that Australia is one of the best destinations to take your children for a fun and exciting family holiday. Here we’ll go over what makes Australia so special as a family holiday destination, and how to get the right visa for yourself and your children. So, check out the latest Australian entry requirements, and get booking.
Getting to Australia as a family
If you arranging all your paperwork to get to Australia is difficult, it’s actually surprisingly easy. This is in large part because the required visa for Australia can be applied for entirely online, meaning no visit to the embassy is required. The easiest and quickest visa option is the eVisitor visa (subclass 651). It’s suited for travellers of all ages and allows you to stay in Australia for up three months. Because it does not require an in-person interview, the approval process generally takes less than a day.
There is no special visa form for children. Applying for a visa for children is done through the same form as for adults. A useful feature when getting your visas is that you can make a group application for your entire family at once, so you don’t have to fill out all the general details over and over.
What does Australia offer children?
Whether you’re all about the outdoor adventure life or more urban-minded, Australia has it all.
Take Sydney, for example. Australia’s largest city is home to lovely beaches such as Bondi where you can dive and surf, museums with interactive displays that are great for kids such as the Powerhouse Museum, and even wildlife experiences in the city itself, like getting up close with koalas at Taronga Zoo. And of course everyone’s favourite activity, climbing to the top of the Harbour Bridge to get a wonderful view of the city below.
If you find yourself in Western Australia instead, Rottnest Island is the place to be for families. The island is right off the coast of Perth and is a protected nature reserve. This means you’ll encounter nature in its purest form, with flora and fauna of all kinds. The island is a car-free zone, which adds to the tranquillity of the place. Rottnest Island is known for the quokka, a wallaby roughly the size of a cat.
If you decide to head north, Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory can’t be missed. Australia’s largest natural park is a World Heritage site and when you visit it, you’ll quickly learn why. In Kakadu you can take a motorboat tour, hike across the rugged landscape, fly over waterfalls, and spot all manner of wildlife. Kakadu is known for its large population of saltwater crocodiles, but the park’s prime features are its ancient Aboriginal rock paintings, dating back as far as 20.000 years ago.
If you’re looking for more of an outdoor adventure, you can also visit Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory. Here, you can explore the otherworldly landscape of the Red Centre, a place filled with ancient culture and breath-taking views. Take a camel ride, take a dip in one of the natural swimming holes, or hike the Valley of the Winds trail. There’s so much to explore in the Outback!
Australia offers all kinds of activities and landscapes to explore, from urban to rural, from beach to desert. You’ll never run out of things to do and places to see in this amazing country!
Visit Tasmania on the side
The benefit of getting an online visa for Australia is that it also allows you to visit Tasmania. Tasmania can fill an entire family holiday by itself, as its compact size allows you to see large swaths of the island in a relatively short time. For the true unspoilt wildlife experience, Tasmania is the place to be. Few places have a brighter star-filled night sky than Van Diemen’s Land.
