Victoria’s spring school holidays fall between 19 September and 4 October 2026, making it a popular time for families to plan short getaways and weekend escapes before the busy summer holiday period.
For families planning a Gippsland break, this region truly offers the perfect setting for a relaxing trip. This guide walks you through some of the best school holiday activities in Gippsland, along with family-friendly dining options and comfortable places to stay for a relaxing country escape.
Why Gippsland Is a Great Choice for a Family School Holiday
With fresh country air, wide-open spaces and a peaceful coastal scenery, Gippsland offers an exceptional landscape for families looking to slow down during the school holidays.
First, Gippsland makes it easy to mix active days with slower-paced ones: Families might spend one day cycling a rail trail or exploring a national park, then take things at a gentler pace at the Port Albert wharf and explore the town’s maritime history.
Some parts of Gippsland also offer plenty to do in one place. Around the Gippsland Lakes, families can take a cruise or go on a kayak instead, making it easy to enjoy several different experiences without constantly moving on to the next destination.
Food can become part of the trip rather than just a meal stop. Gippsland has farm gates, local dairy and cheese producers, seafood around Lakes Entrance and regional produce stores, which gives families an easy way to break up driving and experience the region beyond its attractions.
Best Family Activities in Gippsland During The School Holidays
Discover Wildlife in Wilsons Promontory National Park
- Location: Gippsland VIC 3960, Australia
- Things to do: Look for kangaroos, wombats, wallabies and emus along the Prom Wildlife Walk; walk across the white quartz sand at Squeaky Beach, enjoy a family picnic around Tidal River; relax at the Norman Beach.
Wilsons Promontory Natural Park is a great place to spend a full family day outdoors. Once you’re here, start with the Prom Wildlife Walk – a flat Grade 2 loop across open grassland where families may see kangaroos, wombats, wallabies and emus. The walk is 2.3 kilometres and takes about 45 minutes, making it one of the more manageable wildlife walks in the park. From there, head to Squeaky Beach so the kids can experience the famous white quartz sand beneath their feet, then stop at Tidal River for a picnic and a break between activities.
Because these attractions are spread across the park, it is best to allow most of the day rather than treating Wilson’s Prom into a quick stop. Families coming from Melbourne can also use this 2-day itinerary from Melbourne to Wilsons Prom to plan a slower trip with more time for walks, beaches and wildlife.
Step Back in Time at Old Gippstown Heritage Park
- Location: 211 Lloyd St, Moe VIC 3825, Australia
- Opening hour: Wednesday to Sunday, 10 AM-4 PM
- Price range: Adults: $15, Concession: $12, Children (Under 12): $8, Family Pass (2 x Adults and 3 x Child 5-12) $35
- Things to do: Family-friendly historical adventure, discovering a two-decade history town with blacksmithing, vintage machinery, farming and historic transport.
Old Gippstown Heritage Park offers families a more engaging way to explore Gippsland’s past, with historic homes, shops and community buildings dating from the 1840s to the 1930s. The blacksmithing, farming, vintage machinery and transport displays are especially worth seeing, giving children a clearer sense of how everyday life once looked across the region.
During the spring school holidays, Pirates in the Park on 2 October adds a little more to the visit, with treasure hunts, face painting, crafts, games and blacksmith demonstrations. Fire truck rides, duck feeding and a stop at the old-fashioned lolly shop round out the day for younger visitors.
Explore the Tarra-Bulga National Park
- Opening hour: 24 hours
- Things to do: Cross Corrigan’s Suspension Bridge, walk beneath Mountain Ash, myrtle beech and giant tree ferns, take the Fern Gully Nature Walk
Tarra-Bulga National Park offers a quieter side of Gippsland, with walking tracks winding beneath towering Mountain Ash, myrtle beech and dense tree ferns. Corrigan’s Suspension Bridge is one of the park’s highlights for families, crossing high above a fern-filled gully and adding a little adventure to a walk through the cool temperate rainforest.
For a shorter outing, the Fern Gully Nature Walk begins at Bulga Picnic Area and follows a 720-metre return trail that takes around 15 minutes. Once paying here a visit, consider bringing morning tea or lunch, as this spot is already equipped with picnic tables, shelters and restroom facilities.
Enjoy Endless Fun at Gumbaya World Theme Park, Victoria
- Location: 2705 Princes Hwy, Tynong North VIC 3813
- Opening hour: Wednesday-Sunday: 11AM-4PM
- Things to do: Water attractions, thrill rides, and wildlife experiences, etc.
Gumbaya World is a water themed park just outside Melbourne, with a variety of water activities to keep children of different ages entertained in one place. Families can move between 4 separate spaces within the property, from exciting thrill rides and family rides to the water park and wildlife experiences.
This transition between wet spaces and dry areas makes Gumbaya World balance the fun for both adults and kids, helping families enjoy a day out at their own paces. This works well as a short activity stop on the way back to Melbourne, or a longer, relaxed family outing on the weekend.
Beyond the water fun, children can meet 70 species of wildlife at the zoo, from bearded dragons, snakes, to Australian icons like Koalas, wallabies, and kangaroos, making it an ideal option whenever children feel tired of splashing water around and want to get close to these adorable animals.
Blueberry Picking Activity – Organised by Carrajung Estate
- Location: 322 Lays Rd, Willung South VIC 3847
- Opening hour:
- Friday: all-day dining, 11:30 – 6:30pm
- Saturday: all-day dining, 11:30 – 6:30pm
- Sunday: 11:30 – 4:30pm
During blueberry season, families visiting Carrajung Estate can head into the rows and pick ripe berries straight from the bushes. It is a relaxed way for children to spend time outdoors and experience one of Gippsland’s seasonal pleasures at the source.
After picking, stay on at the estate for lunch and enjoy the countryside at a slower pace. With seasonal dishes served on site, the visit can easily become a relaxed afternoon in the countryside without adding another stop to the day’s itinerary.
Try Horse Riding in Gippsland: Amusing Ride for Young Children
Take a gallop on the wild side, and add a horseback riding trail to discover the untouched beauty of the region. From private lessons to public spaces, the majestic experience of riding a horse is available to anyone regardless of experience level.
Across rural Victoria, horseback riding is like wandering through the majestic landscape on the beloved horses through different horse trails ranging from 13km to 131 km via different routes:
- For families: choose a shorter guided ride or horse-riding lesson.
- For beginners: look for an operator that provides horses and basic instruction.
- For experienced riders: consider longer trail rides or High Country adventures.
- For scenery: East Gippsland and the High Country are particularly attractive choices.
To find out which is the most suitable route for horseback riding in Gippsland, have a look at some of the well-selected horse trails Gippsland, Victoria, has to offer.
Fishing Charters and Fishing: Enjoy Outdoor By The Shore of Port Albert
- Location: Port Albert, VIC 3971
- Things to do: Fish from the Port Albert jetties; join a local fishing charter; explore the sheltered inshore waters or head towards Bass Strait on an offshore trip.
Around 40 kilometres from Carrajung Estate, Port Albert is one of the region’s established recreational fishing spots. The sheltered inshore waters are known for flathead, whiting, squid and snapper, while experienced anglers and fishing charters can travel through the entrance towards Bass Strait in search of larger species such as gummy shark, kingfish and tuna.
For families who prefer to stay on shore, the jetties around Port Albert Wharf make fishing easy to include in an afternoon by the water. Rutters Jetty is one of the better-known spots, with flathead, whiting, garfish and leatherjackets recorded locally; it also keeps the experience close to the foreshore rather than committing to several hours on a boat.
Best Family-Friendly Places to Eat in Gippsland
Gippsland is well-known for a wide range of quality ingredients, thanks to the diverse climate with average rainfall rates, making this a hidden gem with different dining styles, from winery dinings, fresh-caught seafood dining bistros, to countryside relaxed lunches.
Carrajung Estate
- Opening hours:
- Lunch: Friday – Sunday: 11:30 – 3:30pm
- Dinner: Thursday – Saturday: 5:30pm – 8:30pm
- Best items to try: Kingfish Ceviche, Lamb Chops, Blue Swimmer Crab Spaghetti
- Special offer: Cellar door experience, wine tasting right at dining table, weekly-rotating menus surrounding grass-fed beef, artisanal cheeses, and freshly made pasta.
Set across a 100-acre estate in Willung South, Carrajung Estate combines a vineyard setting with seasonal dining, estate-grown wines and boutique accommodation. The restaurant places an emphasis on seasonality, using fresh ingredients sourced from nearby farms and highlighting the produce and growers of Gippsland.
The menu is built around premium pasture-raised meats, house-made pasta and artisanal cheeses, with dishes changing to make the most of seasonal ingredients. This makes Carrajung Estate better suited to a leisurely country lunch or dinner than a quick roadside stop.
For families and groups looking for a relaxed day out, the estate offers plenty of space and a scenic countryside setting. Guests can enjoy their meal overlooking the vineyard before exploring the cellar door and trying Carrajung Estate’s cool-climate wines.
Wine tastings are available at selected times from Friday to Sunday and can be arranged alongside a lunch or dinner booking.
With seasonal food, vineyard views, estate wines and a peaceful country atmosphere, Carrajung Estate is for visitors wanting to combine Gippsland food, wine and countryside scenery in one stop.
SARDINE dining
- Address: 1/69 Esplanade, Paynesville VIC 3880, Australia
- Opening hours:
- Tuesday to Thursday 5:30 pm to 8:0 pm
- Friday 5:30 pm to 9 pm
- Saturday 12 to 2 pm and 5:30 pm to 8:45 pm
- Sunday and Monday: Closed
- Best items to try: Yurrita anchovies, Sardine fillets, kingfish crudo, seasalt khorasan sourdough with seaweed butter.
SARDINE dining in Paynesville is best known for an ever-changing, produce-driven menu with a strong focus on seafood. The menu is designed for sharing and moving with the seasons, with examples ranging from freshly shucked oysters and sardine fillets to dry-aged local fish and blue swimmer crab. This makes SARDINE a more refined choice for travellers who want to experience East Gippsland’s coastal produce through contemporary cooking rather than a conventional seafood meal.
Trulli/Trulli outdoors
- Opening hours:
- Thursday to Sunday 8 to 4 pm
- Monday 8 to 2 pm
- Best items to try: Trulli pizza, Capricciossa pizza, and gelato
Trulli brings Italian family-style dining together with South Gippsland produce, with its signature experience built around wood-fired pizza and relaxed alfresco eating. Trulli Outdoors pairs its pizzas with local wines, spirits and craft beers, while the wider Trulli concept draws on nearby growers, artisan cheesemakers and Italian pantry traditions. The open-air garden and casual sharing style make it particularly suited to families and groups looking for an easy-going meal rather than formal dining.
Hogget Kitchen
- Opening Hours: Thursday to Sunday: 12pm – 3pm and 6pm – 10pm
- Best items to try: lamb, charcuterie plate, and 3- or 4-course dinner for families.
Hogget Kitchen is built around local, seasonal Gippsland produce treated with as little interference as possible, allowing the ingredients themselves to define each menu. Head chef and owner Trevor Perkins works closely with regional growers and suppliers, with menus redesigned weekly according to what arrives from local farms.
A Simple Two-Day Family Stay Around Carrajung Estate
If you’re planning a family visit to Gippsland, Carrajung Estate makes a comfortable base for a slower two-day escape:
Day 1: Nature, Wildlife and Countryside Dining
- Explore Wilsons Promontory National Park: Go on a nature walk by Lilly Pilly Gully or 2.3km Prom loop if your intention is to have an active outdoor trip, or to spend a long beach day at Squeaky Beach or Norman Beach.
- Take a break along the Gippsland coast: Stop in one of the coastal towns on the return journey for a short walk by the water, a picnic or some time on the beach. If the family still has energy, Port Albert is a good option for a stroll around the foreshore and jetties before continuing inland.
- Dine at Carrajung Estate: Return to the estate and settle in for lunch or dinner at the on-site restaurant. The seasonal menu highlights Gippsland produce through dishes such as kingfish ceviche, lamb chops and Blue Swimmer Crab spaghetti, while adults can also arrange a cellar door tasting at selected times.
- Stay overnight at Carrajung Estate: Check into the estate’s vineyard accommodation and spend the evening at a slower pace after a full day out. Take in the views across the Strzelecki Ranges, enjoy the quiet country setting and stay close to the restaurant and cellar door rather than adding another drive to the itinerary.
Day 2: Discover Gippsland’s Family-Friendly Attractions
- Explore Tarra-Bulga National Park: Start the day beneath the Mountain Ash, myrtle beech and giant tree ferns, cross Corrigan’s Suspension Bridge and follow one of the shorter rainforest walks such as the Fern Gully Nature Walk.
- Step back in time at Old Gippstown Heritage Park: Wander through Gippsland’s history through the historic homes, shops and buildings.
- Stop at Gumbuya World on the way home: Add extra excitement with the fun waterslides, and the outdoor activities in Gumbaya World.
- Plan a good lunch along the way: Depending on your route, stop at Trulli in Meeniyan for wood-fired pizza and gelato, SARDINE dining for a more refined seafood-led meal, or Hogget Kitchen for seasonal dishes built around Gippsland produce.
Complete Your Gippsland Journey at Carrajung Estate
After a full day of exploring Gippsland with the family, Carrajung Estate offers a peaceful place to slow down in the Strzelecki Ranges.
As a family-friendly accommodation in Central Gippsland, Carrajung Estate welcomes children to experience the vibrant life in rural Victoria, hanging out under the vineyards’ shades and meeting the lovely animals on nearby farmlands.
Moreover, families can choose from boutique cottages and country houses, while larger groups may prefer The Lodge, which sleeps up to 12 guests and includes a bunk room, two bathrooms, an outdoor firepit and an open fireplace.
For families planning a Gippsland getaway, Carrajung Estate brings together boutique vineyard accommodation with its on-site restaurant & a cellar door. Explore the estate’s accommodation options and plan a stay that gives the whole family more time to enjoy this quieter side of Gippsland.
