02 Feb 2022
Winners of Out & About With Kids Annual Readers' Choice Awards Revealed!
Out & About With Kids

The most popular destinations, attractions, tours, airlines, hotels, resorts and holiday parks for Australian families have been unveiled in the annual Out & About with Kids Readers' Choice Awards! Brisbane was named best Australian city for families to visit in the 2021 awards, while Ballarat was voted the best regional destination. With Australian travellers returning to Fiji in droves as soon as border restrictions eased, it was no surprise to see the nation awarded best international destination for families, while Disneyland Resort in California was named the best overseas attraction. The Great Barrier Reef ranked number one when it came to Australian attractions, with Uluru awarded best Indigenous experience. Paradise Resort Gold Coast once again received the gong for best hotel or resort in Australia, while BIG4 Holiday Parks was named the best holiday park group. See below for the full list of winners and finalists.

Out & About with Kids publisher Elisa Elwin, of Elwin Media, said announcing the winners and finalists of the long-running Readers' Choice Awards was always one of the highlights of the year. “We hope the news gives the extremely worthy winners and finalists a much-needed boost at a tough time for the industry, with many travel companies valiantly trying to woo families back after COVID-19 lockdowns and border closures,” she said. “There is so much pent-up demand for travel, and now that the world is beginning to open up again, we are sure the announcement of these Awards will provide Australian families with some great ideas for their next holiday, and allow them to book with confidence knowing they are recommended by others like them.”

Out & About with Kids aims to inspire families to spend quality time together on holidays and create memories that will last a lifetime. The magazine is distributed to both consumers and travel agents, with 1.8 million digital magazines distributed via parenting website Stay at Home Mum and Bright Star Kids, and a temporarily reduced circulation during the pandemic of 8,000 printed copies. The magazine also has a growing social media following, with more than 30,000 followers and nearly 20,000 newsletter subscribers.

To request images or an interview contact Elisa Elwin on 0413 770 550 or email elisa@oawk.com.au

 

FULL LIST OF WINNERS

DESTINATIONS

Best city in Australia for families

  1. Brisbane, Queensland
  2. Melbourne, Victoria
  3. Sydney, NSW
  4. Gold Coast, Queensland
  5. Perth, Western Australia

 

Best regional destination in Australia for families

  1. Ballarat, Victoria
  2. Dubbo, NSW
  3. Cairns, Queensland
  4. Gold Coast, Queensland
  5. Sunshine Coast, Queensland

 

Best international holiday destination for families

  1. Fiji
  2. Bali, Indonesia
  3. Hawai'i
  4. Phuket, Thailand
  5. Singapore

 

Best holiday destination for adventurous families

  1. New Zealand
  2. Northern Territory, Australia
  3. Tasmania, Australia
  4. Grampians, Victoria
  5. Switzerland

 

Best Australian ski resort

  1. Thredbo, NSW
  2. Perisher, NSW
  3. Mt Buller, Victoria
  4. Corin Forest, ACT
  5. Falls Creek, Victoria

 

Best international ski resort

  1. Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada
  2. Sun Peaks, British Columbia, Canada
  3. Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU, Japan
  4. SilverStar Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Canada
  5. Aspen Snowmass, Colorado, United States

 

 

Best family destination in Asia

  1. Thailand
  2. Singapore
  3. Japan
  4. Bali
  5. Vietnam

 

Best family destination in North America

  1. Anaheim, California, United States
  2. Canada
  3. New York, United States
  4. Florida, United States
  5. Hawai'i

 

Best family destination in Europe

  1. Italy
  2. London
  3. Finnish Lapland
  4. Paris, France
  5. Greece

 

Best destination for immersing in culture

  1. Japan
  2. Northern Territory, Australia
  3. Thailand
  4. Bali, Indonesia
  5. New Zealand

 

ATTRACTIONS AND EXPERIENCES

Best family attraction in Australia

  1. Great Barrier Reef, Queensland
  2. Australia Zoo, Queensland
  3. Uluru, Northern Territory
  4. Warner Bros. Movie World, Queensland
  5. Sea World, Queensland

 

Best international family attraction

  1. Disneyland Resort, California
  2. Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida
  3. Singapore Zoo
  4. Universal Studios Hollywood
  5. LEGOLAND California Resort

 

Best theme park in Australia

  1. Sea World, Queensland
  2. Warner Bros. Movie World, Queensland
  3. Dreamworld, Queensland
  4. Aussie World, Queensland
  5. Adventure World, Western Australia

 

Best animal attraction in Australia

  1. Australia Zoo, Sunshine Coast, Queensland
  2. Taronga Zoo Sydney, NSW
  3. Melbourne Zoo, Victoria
  4. Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, NSW
  5. Werribee Open Range Zoo, Victoria

 

Best educational attraction for families in Australia

  1. Questacon, Canberra, ACT
  2. Scienceworks, Melbourne, Victoria
  3. Melbourne Museum, Victoria
  4. Scitech, Perth, Western Australia
  5. Sovereign Hill, Ballarat, Victoria

 

 

Best museum or art gallery for families in Australia

  1. Melbourne Museum, Victoria
  2. GOMA, Brisbane, Queensland
  3. Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, NSW
  4. Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW
  5. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia

 

Best family road trip in Australia

  1. Great Ocean Road, Victoria
  2. East Coast Australia
  3. Tasmania
  4. Cairns to the Daintree, Queensland
  5. The Big Lap (around Australia)

 

Best family event in Australia

  1. AFL grand final
  2. Vivid Sydney, NSW
  3. Moomba Festival, Melbourne, Victoria
  4. Ekka, Brisbane, Queensland
  5. Woodford Folk Festival, Queensland

 

 

Best Indigenous experience for families in Australia

  1. Uluru, Northern Territory
  2. Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory
  3. NAIDOC Week
  4. AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Round
  5. Walkabout Cultural Adventures, Queensland

 

Best tour company for families

  1. Intrepid Travel
  2. AAT Kings
  3. Trafalgar
  4. World Expeditions

5.SeaLink

 

Best cruise line for families

  1. Carnival Cruise Line
  2. P&O
  3. Royal Caribbean
  4. Princess Cruises
  5. Disney Cruise Line

 

 

Best airline for families

  1. Qantas
  2. Scoot
  3. Virgin Australia
  4. Singapore Airlines
  5. Emirates

 

ACCOMMODATION

AUSTRALIA

Best family hotel or resort in Australia

  1. Paradise Resort Gold Coast, Queensland
  2. Sea World Resort, Queensland
  3. Fairmont Resort & Spa Blue Mountains, NSW
  4. Oaks Sunshine Coast Oasis Resort, Queensland
  5. East Hotel Canberra, ACT

 

Best apartment or serviced apartment brand in Australia

  1. Oaks
  2. Quest
  3. Fraser Suites
  4. Mantra
  5. Meriton

Best camping spot in Australia

  1. Fraser Island, Queensland
  2. Murray River, Victoria
  3. Wilsons Promontory, Victoria
  4. Green Patch, Jervis Bay, NSW
  5. Grampians, Victoria

 

HOLIDAY PARKS

Best holiday park group in Australia

  1. BIG4 Holiday Parks
  2. Discovery Parks
  3. NRMA Parks and Resorts
  4. G'day Parks
  5. Ingenia Holidays

 

NSW

  1. BIG4 Easts Beach Kiama
  2. NRMA Ocean Beach Holiday Resort, Umina Beach
  3. North Star Holiday Resort, Hastings Point
  4. Blue Dolphin Holiday Resort, Yamba
  5. BIG4 NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort

 

Queensland

  1. BIG4 Gold Coast Holiday Park, Helensvale
  2. BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort, Airlie Beach
  3. NRMA Treasure Island Holiday Resort, Gold Coast
  4. BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Cairns Coconut Resort
  5. BIG4 Sandstone Point Holiday Resort

 

Victoria

  1. BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Beacon Resort, Queenscliff
  2. Anglesea Family Caravan Park
  3. BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Phillip Island
  4. BIG4 NRMA Ballarat Holiday Park
  5. BIG4 Bellarine Holiday Park

 

Northern Territory

  1. Discovery Parks – Alice Springs
  2. Darwin FreeSpirit Resort
  3. Nitmiluk Gorge Caravan Park
  4. BIG4 Howard Springs Holiday Park
  5. Cooinda Campground and Caravan Park

 

 

South Australia

  1. Marion Holiday Park, Bedford Park
  2. BIG4 Renmark Riverfront Holiday Park
  3. NRMA Victor Harbor Beachfront Holiday Park
  4. BIG4 West Beach Parks
  5. Discovery Parks – Lake Bonney

 

Tasmania

  1. BIG4 St Helens Holiday Park
  2. NRMA Port Arthur Holiday Park
  3. BIG4 Launceston Holiday Park
  4. Captain Cook Holiday Park, Adventure Bay, Bruny Island
  5. Discovery Parks – Hobart

 

Western Australia

  1. Mandalay Holiday Resort & Tourist Park, Busselton
  2. RAC Exmouth Cape Holiday Park
  3. BIG4 Taunton Farm Margaret River
  4. RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort
  5. BIG4 Denmark Ocean Beach Holiday Park

 

Attachments
Photos
MED LRG