Symbio, at Helensburgh, is about 45 minutes south of Sydney Airport and home to more than 500 animals. Kids can hand-feed kangaroos in the walk-through enclosures, meet the farmyard animals and cool off in the splash park in warmer months. It opens 9.30am to 5pm daily, and children under 3 get in free.

This 665m bridge is a highlight of the Grand Pacific Drive, and it's made for getting out of the car to stretch your legs. It doubles as a viewing platform for whales passing in the migration season. By train, it's about a 15-minute walk up a steep hill from Coalcliff station.

Jamberoo's water park sits between the mountains and the sea, about 20 minutes south of Wollongong, with two bobsled tracks nearly a kilometre long. Little ones have shallow pools, mini slides and a water cubby at Billabong Beach, with more toddler splash areas by Outback Bay. It opens 10am to 5pm on set days, mostly Friday to Sunday through October and November, so check the calendar before you go.

Water bursts through a 2.5m hole in the rock here, with plumes recorded at more than 30 metres when the swell comes from the south-east. Several accessible viewing platforms sit a short walk from the town centre and station. Bring swimmers for the Blowhole Point ocean pool nearby, which has a shallow wading area for young children.

The Lyrebird loop is a 1.6km raised walkway through rainforest inland from Kiama, with suspension bridges and viewing platforms. It takes about an hour, and National Parks says it's a big hit with kids. Entry is $12 per vehicle a day, and there is no access to the river.

Hyams Beach on Jervis Bay is known for its very white sand and is good for swimming, snorkelling and long walks. Like every beach in the bay it is unpatrolled, so keep children close in the water. Parking in the village fills up in busy periods, so you can park at Greenfield Beach and take the White Sands Walk in.

The picnic area behind Pebbly Beach in Murramarang National Park is known for its eastern grey kangaroos. There are barbecues, picnic shelters and grass for a rug, and at low tide you can explore the rock platforms. Entry is $8 per vehicle a day.

Mogo, 10km south of Batemans Bay, is home to a western lowland gorilla family, lions, tigers, red pandas and more than 300 animals. Kids can hand-feed kangaroos, deer and camels, and the Wildlife Adventure Trail for ages 3 to 12 ends in a showbag prize. It opens 9am to 4pm daily, and children two and under get in free.

The island is a nature reserve 9km off Narooma, reached only on booked boat tours with a National Parks operator. Tours look for fur seals, little penguins, dolphins and whales, and climb the 1881 lighthouse. Children must be at least 5, and the island's steep hills, stairs and ladder need a moderate level of fitness.

This museum tells the story of Old Tom, the last of the Twofold Bay killer whales. The museum sounds a siren when whales are spotted in the bay, and it opens 9.15am to 3.45pm Monday to Saturday, with shorter Sunday hours. Entry was $15 for adults and $5 for children aged 5 to 15 in October 2026; under-5s are free.