Winter school holidays: A guide to an exciting day outdoors in Sydney

It’s that time of the year: The winter school holidays are about to begin in New South Wales. If you are reading this blog post, there is a high chance you are looking for ways to entertain your children and, ideally, to get them outdoors. Travel restrictions are in place and the weather is too cold to go swimming - winter holidays are hard! But, don’t despair! Our team here at Q Station has put together ideas for the perfect day out which both kids and parents will enjoy.

7am: Wake up to the sounds of nature at Sydney Harbour National Park
Here at Q Station, we have a room option for the whole family. Whether it’s just you and your children or you are taking the extended family on a getaway, you can choose from several room types to accommodate the needs of your family. Our three bedroom cottages provide ample space and even have a separate lounge area and kitchenette (we all know how important snacks are in the life of our little ones).
The Isolation Retreat Suites have been recently renovated and provide the ultimate accommodation choice for families or groups due to their more private location away from the main accommodation precinct. If you stay at The Terraces, you will also get access of our wonderful Isolation Lounge offering the ultimate views of Sydney Harbour and Sydney CBD.

This winter, take advantage of our special Winter Family Getaway special offer that even includes a bottle of wine for you to enjoy once the kids are asleep.
 
9am: Whale watching
Sydney winter means it’s time to rug up and get out and about. Hopefully you are lucky enough to spot a whale. Yearly, over 35,000 whales swim onto the Humpback Highway for their yearly migration to the much warmer birthing waters of Queensland. The Northern Beaches has some of the best spots for whale watching in Sydney. North Head has multiple fantastic vantage points to spot whales but the most popular and easiest to reach is the lookout behind the car park at Shelly Beach. Keep an eye out for telltale splashes as the whales flick their tails or fountains of water spouting from a whale’s blowhole each time they breathe out.
 
11am: History Tour at Q Station
If your children are slightly older, a History Tour at North Head Quarantine Station is a fascinating activity to do as a family, especially in times of a global pandemic. We operate a public schedule of history tours, bookable online or in person at our onsite Visitor Centre for you to discover more about our story.
 
If you don’t feel like taking a tour, but you'd rather have a glimpse into the history of life in quarantine, we also have a free Quarantine Station museum, open to visitors and guests from 10am to 4pm daily.

12pm: Grab a bite at our Quarantine Beach Café
For a quick lunch, we prepare fresh sandwiches and soups daily, serve barista coffee and home-made pastry and offer ice cream and hot chocolate to our little visitors next to beautiful Quarantine Beach with its shallow waters. Stunning views of Sydney Harbour included.

12.30pm: Discover Sydney Harbour National Park – at Q Station
With 33 hectares of rolling hills, open space and paved tracks, Q Station is perfect for kids to zoom around on their bikes, skateboards or scooters. Bushwalks that go along Sydney Harbour’s stunning coastline are all accessible from the grounds of Q Station and on the way, see if you can spot Billy, Q Station’s friendly echidna. From kookaburras, bandicoots, fairy penguins and frilly lizards, Q Station is teaming with wildlife and truly is a nature lovers paradise.
You can also join our guided “Wildlife Meanders Tour” and learn about the incredible biodiversity of Sydney Harbour’s unique flora and fauna.

2pm: Explore North Head by kayak
Depending on the weather, rent a kayak and explore the stunning coast line from Quarantine Beach. If you are lucky, spot the protected penguins living at North Head.
 
3pm: Enjoy a family High Tea at the whimsical G&Tea House
Q Station’s latest addition is the vintage inspired G&Tea House, a modern approach to the traditional tea house, open from 11am – 4pm from Thursday to Sunday. Our Children’s High Tea includes a child friendly selection of petit cakes, finger sandwiches, scones and preserves, choice of hot chocolate or fancy sodas. This will surely occupy the kids enough so parents can indulge in our new cocktail menu, featuring old and new favourites such as Expresso Martini and Rose Vanilla Flower Sour. G&Tea House has high chairs so even the littlest of our visitors can enjoy the fantastic harbour views from the terrace of G&Tea House.

5pm: Rug up by the fire pit overlooking Quarantine Beach
Enjoy the warmth of the fire pit on the Boilerhouse Terrace while listening to the sounds of musician Scott Halls who will be performing at Boilerhouse Kitchen on the three Fridays of the school holidays starting from the 25th of June at 4.30pm. Enjoy a bite from our casual menu at the bar or order a two or three course dinner at Boilerhouse Kitchen. Kids eat free at Boilerhouse if you have booked our Winter Family Getaway offer.
 
As a winter special, Executive Chef Shane Davey will be serving mulled wine and mussels on Fridays and Saturdays during the winter school break.

6pm: Learn about the ghosts of Quarantine Station during the Ghost Trackers Family Tour
Get the whole family together for a spooky 2 hour adventure filled with ghost stories and ghost hunting! Learn about ghosts and why we believe this site is haunted. Available for families on weekends and during school holidays, the Ghost Trackers Tour at Q Station is popular among little ones and adults alike.

And don't forget: The Dine & Discover NSW Voucher scheme has been extended and you now have until 31 July to use your vouchers. 

​Q Station warmly welcomes guests and day visitors alike. If you have any questions in regards to our offerings, email us at H8773@accor.com or call 02 9466 1500. We look forward to welcoming you and your family to Q Station, Sydney Harbour National Park.