*Wildlife roaming at the homestead, Spicers Hidden Vale*

Kids ages: 11 & 9

Month of visit: November

For our first family visit to Australia, we focused on experiences that felt unmistakably local. The trip was built around a countryside stay outside Brisbane — think: upscale ranch meets Australian safari — where we immersed ourselves in wildlife and rural culture at a historic homestead, then capped the journey with a few sun-soaked days at the beach on the Gold Coast. Arriving at the start of the Australian summer was a pleasant escape from northern-hemisphere winter. While these may not have been obvious picks for a family trip Down Under, our Queensland mix of countryside and beach surpassed expectations and delivered exactly the authentic Australian experience we’d hoped.

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DAY 1-5 | THE SCENIC RIM

After an easy flight and the best layover experience we have ever had at the Air New Zealand lounge in Auckland — practically a destination unto itself — we were picked up by our driver at Brisbane airport (car service booked through the hotel) and embarked on an easy 1-hour drive out to the Scenic Rim. The drive to Grandchester, our ultimate destination, was peppered with historic rural towns dating back to the gold rush, which today revolve around the cattle ranching industry. Our base for this leg of the journey was Spicers Hidden Vale, an exceptionally family-friendly, historic homestead set amidst a 12,000-acre wilderness preserve. Read our full Stay Review here.

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Sample Travel Club amenities and VIP benefits*:

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VIP WELCOME & SPECIAL AMENITY

$100 HOTEL / RESORT CREDIT

PRIORITY ROOM UPGRADE

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST DAILY

EXTENDED CHECK-IN/OUT WHENEVER POSSIBLE

UNLIMITED HIGH-SPEED WI-FI

*Specific amenities and benefits vary by property

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On arrival, we were warmly welcomed by Nina from the Reception team as if we were family. We arrived between Homage Restaurant’s breakfast and lunch service, but Nina ushered us to the lounge area by the fireplace, bringing complimentary welcome drinks for the whole family, and ensured we were able to order food from the lounge menu. This was only the beginning of the above and beyond yet authentic Australian hospitality we encountered here and along the rest of our journey.

*Simmental Cottage, Spicers Hidden Vale*

The accommodations here are lovingly restored Queenslander cottages — some tracing their origins to the 1800s — each named after an Australian cattle breed. We stayed in the Simmental Cottage, featuring two bedrooms (one with King bed, one with two twins), two en-suite bathrooms, a generous sitting room and a wide veranda furnished with rocking chairs and a dining table for six, with views of the main pool and verdant valley beyond. Kangaroos and wallabies frequently roamed and lounged just beyond the veranda while a nearby chicken coop, kitchen garden, and working farm provided endless captivation for the kids.

*Koala safari (mom with joey), Spicers Hidden Vale (credit: Annemieke Gebhard, Activities Coordinator)*

Highlights here included roaming the property for wild animal sightings — there were lots of baby animals out and about this time of year — and farm animal feedings, our koala safari excursion to the property’s eucalyptus groves, gold panning, playing billiards at The Barn, and stargazing at night while lounging on the cottage veranda. There was also a lovely outdoor pool and smaller grotto pool, children’s playground, and family-friendly games at the Homage Lounge that made it easy to pass the time when we needed a break from the heat.

*Australian BBQ lunch at The Barn, Spicers Hidden Vale*

The dining and bar program here is notable and a half-board program is available to overnight guests. We especially enjoyed the breakfasts (including a delicious avocado toast preparation) with a daily rotating amuse bouche-style starter of fresh fruit and homemade bakery bites, barista-made specialty coffees (try the exceptional flat whites), and craft cocktails (the Negronis did not disappoint). Authentic Australian BBQ lunches at The Barn, with rustic indoor-outdoor dining spaces, were also an unexpected highlight.

We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of our visit here and it far surpassed our expectations. While more upscale than luxurious — there is no fitness center, spa, room service, twice-daily housekeeping, or turndown service here — this place reminded us of Emirates One&Only Wolgan Valley in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, a place we visited years ago as a couple and loved before it closed down due to catastrophic damage from wildfires and mudslides. Overall, the bucolic natural setting, incredible animal encounters, careful wildlife and historical preservation, thoughtful programming, authentic sense of place, and warm hospitality created an unforgettable family stay.

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DAY 5-8 | GOLD COAST

After our delightful stay at Spicers Hidden Vale, we took a car service to the Gold Coast for some time at the beach. While we debated staying at The Langham Gold Coast or the JW Marriott Gold Coast, the two top luxury hotel options in the area, we ultimately decided on The Langham because of the option to stay in Residence-style accommodations, and because our stay dates coincided with Schoolies Week — Australia’s version of Spring Break, which has many events in Surfers Paradise — with The Langham being situated outside Surfers Paradise closer to Broadbeach. Read our Stay Review here.

Book VIP with Travel Club

Sample Travel Club amenities and VIP benefits*:

EXCLUSIVE RATES

VIP WELCOME & SPECIAL AMENITY

$100 HOTEL / RESORT CREDIT

PRIORITY ROOM UPGRADE

CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST DAILY

EXTENDED CHECK-IN/OUT WHENEVER POSSIBLE

UNLIMITED HIGH-SPEED WI-FI

*Specific amenities and benefits vary by property

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Have an existing booking and want to add Travel Club benefits? Contact us

*Two-bedrom Ocean View Residence, The Langham Gold Coast*

We opted to stay in a two-bedroom Ocean View Residence (Unit 4204), which offered an en-suite bedroom with King bed, another bedroom with two twin beds and bathroom across the hall, a living room with dining area for six, full kitchen, two balconies, and floor to ceiling windows with panoramic ocean views throughout the residence from the 42nd floor. Grocery delivery was available through major apps and bell staff bring deliveries directly up to your residence on arrival. The biggest downside was that the no-see-ums were intense during our stay, so guests should bring and use bug spray. While this did not impact outdoor pool or beach time, we were unable to use the hotel room balconies and were covered in bites after a short time outside.

*Outdoor pool with ocean views, The Langham Gold Coast*

We spent most of our days at the beach and hotel pools (both the outdoor and indoor spa pool were family-friendly). Though the Gold Coast has a multitude of theme parks and attractions, we opted to skip these because of Schoolies Week. If you are planning a trip to the Gold Coast in late November, be sure to check whether your travel dates will coincide with Schoolies Week, which is essentially Australia’s version of Spring Break; there are no Schoolies events around The Langham but we saw lots of Schoolies crowds out and about during our day at the JW Marriott waterpark.

Instead of visiting the theme parks, we opted to spend a day at the JW Marriott Gold Coast to use the hotel waterpark — comprising a saltwater lagoon with tropical fish, lazy river, grotto-style pools and water slide. This required booking a hotel room but one night in a base room here cost less than buying four theme park tickets, plus we received a property credit for booking through Travel Club that covered most of our dinner here.

If you’re debating staying at The Langham or the JW Marriott Gold Coast, a few key differences worth noting: the waterpark at the JW Marriott Gold Coast was a fun attraction but not as large as some others we have visited (like Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World or JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country). The JW Marriott Gold Coast has a more central location than The Langham and a more energetic vibe, but we preferred staying at The Langham for its beach access, the space and amenities of the residences, and a more upscale feel.

*Breakfast at Akoya, The Langham Gold Coast*

Another highlight at The Langham Gold Coast was the family dinner at T’Ang Court and the hotel breakfasts with several prepared food stations plus made-to-order eggs and coffee. Brilliant by Langham members (Langham’s complimentary rewards program) receive special perks and dining discounts when presenting membership number in hotel restaurants, including at T’Ang Court, the hotel’s gastronomic Cantonese restaurant. This saved us hundreds on dining over the course of our stay at The Langham Gold Coast.

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GOOD TO KNOW

Flying in and out of Brisbane was easy with a straightforward passport control and customs process. Gold Coast also has its own international airport as an alternative to flying in and out of Brisbane. While we did not see any snakes during our stay in the Scenic Rim, there are lots around here so travelers, especially those with young children, should be aware. Rather than renting a car on this trip, we booked transfers through the hotels and Blacklane since we mostly planned to stay on property at each hotel, which worked well for our purposes. For our day at the JW Marriott Gold Coast waterpark, we booked an Uber for transportation to and from the hotel. The advantageous USD to AUD exchange rate provided a strong value throughout the trip.