The best family holidays aren't always the ones with the biggest itinerary. More often, they're built on small rituals: the same bike loop every morning, the pizza night everyone helps make, the game that gets more competitive every night.
This summer we're turning up the family time. Here are simple traditions to start on your next stay, and the Tasman Holiday Parks in Australia and New Zealand that make them easy.
Family Holiday Ideas in Australia
Rowes Bay, Townsville QLD: The Holiday Games Tournament
At BIG4 Tasman Holiday Parks – Rowes Bay, the beach is your backyard and there are tennis and pickleball courts, giant chess and kids' entertainment. Run a tournament across your stay, with a trophy for the winner on the last night. Pets are welcome on all sites.
Fraser Coast, Torquay QLD: The Morning Paddle
Just streets from the foreshore, Tasman Holiday Parks – Fraser Coast is an easy base for a family paddle on a stand-up paddleboard or kayak along the Esplanade, followed by a ride on the coastal cycling path. Pets are allowed on sites; call ahead for seasonal restrictions.
Myola NSW: The Creek-to-Beach Walk
At Tasman Holiday Parks – Myola, the beach is a three-minute walk from a creekside park with a resort pool, playground, tennis court and fire pits for hire. Make the morning walk to the beach your daily ritual. Small dogs are welcome outside the poolside cabins.
Merimbula NSW: The Mini Golf Final
Across 14 acres of native bush on the Sapphire Coast, Tasman Holiday Parks – Merimbula has mini golf, giant checkers, pedal carts, a jumping pillow and a heated indoor pool and spa.
Lake Mulwala NSW: The Morning Ride
On the lake's shores among red river gums, Tasman Holiday Parks – Lake Mulwala has a pump track, pedal carts and a jumping pillow. Make a morning lap a daily tradition, then try fishing off the private jetty. Purtle Park Adventure Playground is about six minutes' drive away.
Merool on the Murray NSW: The River Day
Tasman Holiday Parks – Merool on the Murray spreads over 68 acres on the river, with a private boat ramp, a lagoon-style resort pool and pioneer-themed cabins kids love. The Port of Echuca is about ten minutes away. Not pet friendly.
Bendigo VIC: The Pedal Cart Grand Prix
BIG4 Tasman Holiday Park – Bendigo has pedal carts, mini golf, giant chess and a resort pool, plus the Golden Days Village of retro glamper vans with a communal fire pit. Travelling with the dog? Book a Pooch Pad or Dog House stay.
Geelong VIC: The Riverside Picnic
Tasman Holiday Parks – Geelong sits on the Barwon River, with a resort pool, playground and games room. Spend a day at Adventure Park Geelong, then follow the Bollard Trail along Eastern Beach. Pet-friendly cabins are available.
Family Holiday Ideas in New Zealand
Coromandel: The Weekly Pizza Night
Tasman Holiday Parks – Coromandel has a wood-fired pizza oven, so pick a night and let everyone build their own. Add a heated pool with waterslides, a jumping pillow and pedal carts, and two TV rooms and a games room for rainy days. No pets from 20 December to 20 January.
Miranda, Hauraki Coast: The Village Green Evening
About an hour from Auckland, Tasman Holiday Parks – Miranda has a new playground, a village green with a fire pit, a kids' pool and the famous heated mineral pool (36–38°C, open until 10pm). There's a fenced off-leash dog area too, with an outdoor big screen due in early November and mini golf from early December.
Rotorua: The Steamy Evening Walk
From Tasman Holiday Parks – Rotorua, the free geothermal Kuirau Park is about a one-minute walk away, with steaming vents and bubbling mud. Make it your walk before dinner. For a bigger family outing, Skyline Rotorua's gondola and luge is about ten minutes' drive away.
Two Traditions for Any Park
The "best bit of the day" chat: before bed, everyone shares the best bit of their day. Jot them down and read them back on the drive home.
The daily icy pole (or ice block): same time each afternoon. If you spot our Summer Crew, you might even score a free one.
Win 1 of 5 Tasman Holiday Escapes
Pool days, sandy toes or adventures together? Tell us your ultimate Summer Turned Up holiday in 40 words or less on our official competition post on Facebook or Instagram, then like and share it, for your chance to win three nights for four at any Tasman Holiday Park in Australia or New Zealand, with return flights and car hire included.* Entries close 28 February 2027.
*AU/NZ residents 18+. Full T&Cs here
Make this the summer your family starts a new tradition. Book direct at Tasman Holiday Parks in Australia or New Zealand. T&Cs apply.
