The Queensland winter school holidays run from 27 June to 12 July 2026, and from St Tropez Holiday Apartments on Orchid Avenue, five family drawcards sit within a short walk or a 35 minute drive: the ABC Kids rides at Dreamworld, the Q1 SkyPoint deck, the patrolled beach, free entry at HOTA, and the beachfront markets.
Where can toddlers meet the ABC Kids characters now?
Distance: about a 35 minute drive from St Tropez Holiday Apartments. Directions: head north on the M1 and take exit 54 for Coomera and Dreamworld. Hours: open daily from 10am (generally 10am to 5pm; check the park calendar for extended holiday hours).
The old ABC Kids World precinct closed in 2023, so here is what changed: the ABC Kids rides now live inside Dreamworld’s Kenny and Belinda’s Dreamland. You will find the Bananas in Pyjamas Carousel, the Humpty-Go-Round, the Play School Wheel and the Bananas in Pyjamas Fun Maze, plus daily appearances from B1, B2 and Rat in a Hat. It all comes included with park entry and is built for toddlers and preschoolers. Paths are flat and pram-friendly, and you can easily fill half a day with the wildlife precinct next door. Tip: arrive close to opening while the characters are out and the ride queues are short.
Is SkyPoint worth it with young kids?
Distance: about a 12 minute walk from St Tropez Holiday Apartments. Directions: walk down Cavill Avenue, turn along Surfers Paradise Boulevard, then follow Hamilton Avenue to the Q1 tower. Hours: open daily from 7:30am to 9pm.
SkyPoint puts you on Level 77 of Q1, 230 metres above the beach, and the lift gets there in about 38 seconds, which is half the fun for kids. The 360 degree views take in the whole coastline from the hinterland to the Broadwater, and because it is fully indoors it works whatever the weather does. The lift makes it completely pram-accessible. Gold Coast residents pay just 15 dollars, and visitor tickets for adults and children are cheaper booked online. Allow about an hour. Tip: come on a clear morning or time it for dusk to watch the town switch from day to lights.
How good is the beach for little ones in winter?
Distance: about a 3 minute walk from St Tropez Holiday Apartments. Directions: walk to the top of Orchid Avenue, turn towards the water along Cavill Avenue, and the sand is right there. Hours: patrolled 8am to 5pm daily year-round.
Surfers Paradise Beach is free, flat to reach and watched over by the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club, which has been saving lives here since 1925. In July the water sits around 21 degrees, cool but swimmable for hardy kids, and most little ones are happy building in the sand and paddling the shallows in the winter sun. Tower 34 marks the Cavill Avenue entry, so you step onto the sand almost between the flags. Prams roll easily along the promenade, though you will carry the smallest ones the last stretch onto the sand. Tip: mornings are calmest and mildest, and the beach is at its widest before lunch.
Is HOTA a good free or wet-weather day out?
Distance: about a 7 minute drive from St Tropez Holiday Apartments. Directions: cross the river via Bundall Road to 135 Bundall Road, Surfers Paradise. Hours: HOTA Gallery open daily 10am to 4pm.
HOTA, Home of the Arts is the Gold Coast’s cultural precinct, and general admission to the gallery is free, so it is one of the best-value family outings in town. Kids can roam the six levels of the gallery, ride the lift to the free rooftop for another skyline view, then spill out into the Evandale parklands with their concert lawn, lake and picnic space. There is a cafe on site if you would rather not pack lunch. It is fully pram-friendly, costs nothing for the gallery and grounds, and easily fills half a day. Tip: pair the gallery with a parklands picnic so the kids get both quiet and running-around time.
What is there to do in the evenings for free?
Distance: about a 5 minute walk from St Tropez Holiday Apartments. Directions: walk down Cavill Avenue to the Esplanade; the stalls run along the beachfront. Hours: Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 4pm to 9pm, year-round.
The Surfers Paradise Beachfront Markets line the Esplanade three nights a week with more than 100 stalls, buskers and food vans, and entry is free. It is an easy, no-pressure evening for families: browse the handmade stalls, grab a cheap dinner, and let the kids watch the street performers with the beach as a backdrop. The Esplanade is flat and open, so prams and scooters have plenty of room. Give it one to two hours. Tip: Friday is the busiest night, so arrive around 5pm to eat before the dinner crowd builds and the queues at the food vans lengthen.
FAQs about July holidays in Surfers with kids
When are the July school holidays in Queensland in 2026?
The Queensland winter break runs from Saturday 27 June to Sunday 12 July 2026, with Term 3 starting Monday 13 July. That gives families a full two weeks, and Surfers Paradise sits right in the middle of the state’s most popular winter holiday patch.
Is Surfers Paradise Beach patrolled during the July holidays?
Yes. Lifeguards patrol daily from 8am to 5pm all year round, with Tower 34 stationed at the Cavill Avenue beach entry, three minutes from our door. Always swim between the red and yellow flags, even on calm winter mornings when the water looks gentle.
Do we need a car for a family holiday in Surfers Paradise?
Not for most of it. The beach, the beachfront markets, SkyPoint and the Cavill Avenue tram are all a short walk from St Tropez. You only really need the car for Dreamworld or HOTA, and it stays in our free undercover car park the rest of the time.
Is Dreamworld suitable for toddlers and preschoolers?
Yes. The ABC Kids rides now sit inside Kenny and Belinda’s Dreamland, with gentle spinning rides and daily character appearances aimed at under-sixes. Add the wildlife precinct and Tiger Island shows and there is a full, low-adrenaline day for the littlest travellers.
Two weeks is plenty of time to work through this list without rushing, and a self-contained apartment makes the whole thing calmer: room for the kids to spread out, a kitchen for easy breakfasts, and the beach at the end of the street. When you are ready to lock in your winter break, check availability and book direct with us, and browse more of the family attractions near St Tropez to fill the rest of the fortnight.
Image credit: Dreamworld