We just came back from 15 days in Australia with 2 families, 5 kids, and 1,500km on the road.
Sydney for 2 nights.
Campervan for 6 nights.
Car and Great Ocean Road for 6 nights.
This is the quick guide.
The at a glance version. Read this if you want to know whether Australia in winter with 5 kids is worth doing.
Read the leg articles if you want the day by day detail.
The Trip At A Glance
15 days. Early June.
Mid winter in Australia. Temperature ranges from 5 degrees to 25 degrees.
Cold nights, mild days, small crowds. That is the window I would pick again.
9 people. My family of 4 plus a friend family of 5. Two mums, two dads, five kids.
The friend family made the trip possible.
The 3 Legs
Leg 1: Sydney, Days 1 to 2
2 nights at a central Sydney hotel.
Day 1: Sydney Arrival
- Morning: Land at Sydney Kingsford Smith at 7am. Drop bags at Amora Hotel Sydney in the CBD.
- Afternoon: Walk to Sydney Seafood Market at 11.30am. Back to hotel for the 2 hour nap.
- Evening: Walk to Circular Quay at 8.30pm. Eat Kokoro Ramen at 9.30pm, rich broth and mazesoba save the day.
- Stay: Amora Sydney Hotel
Day 2: Sydney Full Day
- Morning: Brunch at Wild Sage in Barangaroo at 11am.
- Afternoon: Juggling busker at Circular Quay at 1pm. Walk The Rocks Market at 2.30pm.
- Evening: 4.30pm group split, dads at the bar bench seats. Walk to Yayoi Japanese Restaurant at 7pm for ramen and rice bowls.
- Stay: Amora Sydney Hotel
Read the full Sydney leg here: [Sydney With 5 Kids: 1 A$80 Lesson, 1 A$59 Trap, 1 Ramen Win](#).
Leg 2: NSW Coast and Phillip Island, Days 3 to 8
6 nights in a campervan. 1,500km south from Sydney to Melbourne along the NSW South Coast, through the Gippsland Lakes, across to Phillip Island and to Melbourne City.
Day 3: Sydney to Jervis Bay (190km)
- Morning: Pickup the campervan at 11am in Sydney CBD.
- Afternoon: Drive south via Pacific Highway. Stop at Symbio Wildlife Zoo at 12.15pm for the weekday zoo. Sea Cliff Bridge at 5pm.
- Evening: Woolworths stop at 6pm for supermarket. Drive to Jervis Bay Holiday Park, arrive 10pm.
- Check in at Tasman Jervis Bay Holiday Park
Day 4: Jervis Bay to Burrill Lake (75km)
- Morning: Slow start, brunch at the campervan (eggs, bread, fruit) + Playground
- Afternoon: Drive south to Hyams Beach playground at 2pm.
- Evening: Kmart Shopping. Drive to Lake Burrill Holiday Park. Eat McDonald’s drive-through. Wash Clothes Day.
- Check in at Holiday Haven Burrill Lake
Day 5: Burrill Lake to Merimbula (240km)
- Morning: Playground morning at Burrill Lake, brunch at the campervan.
- Afternoon: at Oyster Shed on Wray Bay at 2.30pm, delicious oysters.
- Evening: Stop at Australia Rock Narooma at 5.30pm, quick touch and go. Aldi stop at Merimbula at 6pm. Dinner at Umi-Ko Izakaya at 7.30pm.
- Check in at NRMA Merimbula
Day 6: Merimbula to Lakes Entrance (280km)
- Morning: Sunrise catch at Merimbula at 6.30am, east facing site paid off.
- Afternoon: Drive south. Stop at Eden Lookout at 12pm, 2 batches of dolphins in 5 minutes. Skip Orbost (dead town). Stop at Lakes Entrance, MCD For Snacks.
- Evening: Groceries Top up at Woolworths at Lakes Entrance. Cook Dinner at the holiday park open air kitchen.
- Check in: Lakes Entrance Big4 Whiters Holiday Park
Day 7: Lakes Entrance to San Remo (300km)
- Morning: Drive 2 hours to Sale playground at 10am, kids run, parents coffee and brunch.
- Afternoon:Â Drive 2 hours to Leongatha McDonald’s at 12pm, sugar hit. Drive 2 hours to Phillip Island at 4pm.
- Evening: Buy 3 Park Pass at A$175.50 for family of 4. Penguin Parade at sunset, general viewing. Stay late for the broadwalk after the crowd left. Drive to San Remo Beachfront Caravan Park at 7.30pm, 1 night stay.
- Check In: San Remo Beachfront Caravan Park
Day 8(Sat): Phillip Island to Dandenong (120km)
- Morning: Brunch at the campervan. Phillip Island playground at 10am.
- Afternoon: Skip Koala Conservation Reserve at 12pm (1 male koala, waste of pass). Churchill Island at 1pm to 3.30pm.
- Dinner: San Remo Co Op fish and chips at 5pm
- Check in: Drive to BIG4 Dandenong Tourist Park at 7.30pm
- Supper: Cook at the BBQ pit, Steak porterhouse from Woolworths.
Day 9(Sun): Dandenong to Melbourne (70km)
- Morning: Coles Get Breakfast. Brighton Bathhouse quick drop for the photo.
- Afternoon: Car swap at East Coast Car Rental at 1.30pm. Return Campervan at 1.45pm. They close at 2pm.
Read the full campervan leg here: [Campervan Sydney to Melbourne: 1 Penguin Reveal, 1 Kmart Hack, 1 Cassette](#).
Leg 3: Great Ocean Road and Melbourne, Days 9 to 15
6 nights in a car. 900+km. Apollo Bay, Johanna Farm Stay, Twelve Apostles, Great Ocean Drive.
Day 9 (Sun): Dandenong to Melbourne
- Afternoon: Car swap at East Coast Car Rental at 1pm, got Staria upgrade over Carnival. Drop off campervan at 1.45pm, 15 min to unload (closes at 2pm). DFO South at 3pm.
- Evening: Check in to Seasons Botanic Garden Hotel at 7pm. Instant noodles for dinner. Bathtub for the kids, washer and dryer . Wash Clothes Day.
- Stay: Seasons Botanic Garden
Day 10 (Mon): Melbourne to Apollo Bay (200km)
- Morning: Brunch at 2 Birds and 1 Stone cafe in South Yarra at 10am. Start our next leg.
- Afternoon: Drive 150km from Melbourne to Apollo Bay. Teddy Lookout free view at 1pm. Lorne Beach park play at 3pm.
- Lunch at Lorne Chicken Joint.
- Evening: Check in to Apollo Bay house at 6pm.
- Dinner: Maggie Goreng for dinner. Kids had pasta.
- Stay: Apollo Bay Apartment
Day 11 (Tue): Apollo Bay and Colac (170km)
- Morning: Shelter Cafe breakfast in Apollo Bay at 9.30am.
- Afternoon: Drive to Little Organic Paddock – off season strawberry farm. Drive to separate blueberry farm, friend car stuck in the mud.
- Lunch at La Porchetta
- Evening: Drive to Colac at 3pm, Lunch at La Porchetta. Grocery top up at Colac Woolworths to prepare for 2 nights at Johanna Farm.
- Dinner at The Vault in Apollo Bay (Chinese Food)
- Stay: Apollo Bay Apartment
Day 12(Wed): Apollo Bay to Johanna (170km)
- Morning: Slow start, brunch at the Apollo Bay house.
- Afternoon: Drive 1 hour to Gibson Steps at 12pm (warm up). Drive to Twelve Apostles at 12.30pm, free view, boardwalk.
- Lunch at 12 Rocks Cafe at 2pm
- Evening: Check in to Johanna River Farm cottage at 4.30pm
- Dinner: Homemade burgers at 7pm.
- Stay: Johanna River Farm Cottage
Day 13(Thu): Johanna Farm Full Day + Triplet Falls Hike (170km)
- Morning: Free farm tour at 8.30am by the owner. Pet sheep, 2 horses, 1 donkey, 1 alpaca. Wild koalas in the eucalyptus tree.
- Afternoon: Drive to Triplet Falls at 12.30pm, 1 hour hike. Art Reach Gallery coffee at 2pm, no toilet so just coffee.
- Lunch Drive 1 hour back via 12 Rocks Cafe at 3.30pm
- Evening: Glow worm tour at the farm bridge at 6.30pm, torches, lights off, 3 glow worms spotted.
- Dinner: Eat steak and savory porridge at 7pm
- Stay: Johanna River Farm Cottage
Day 14(Fri): Johanna to Werribee (190km)
- Morning: Drive 2.5 hours from Johanna to Werribee.
- Afternoon: Werribee Zoo at 12.30pm. Open range safari at 1pm
- Lunch: Meerkat Bistro lunch at 2pm.
- Evening: Walk the Australian Trail at 3pm, wallabies, cheetahs, lions, hippo. Drive to Werribee house at 5pm.
- Dinner: Eat at Bangkok Express Thai at 7pm.
- Stay: Werribee Apartment
Day 15(Sat): Werribee to Melbourne Airport
- Morning: Drive to Melbourne Tullamarine at 8am. Car return at East Coast at 9am.
- Afternoon: Eat at Hungry Jacks at airprort.
- Evening: Home by 8pm because we went dabao Tze Char.
Read the full Great Ocean Road leg here: [Great Ocean Road with Kids: 1 Free 12 Apostles, 1 A$700 Farm, 1 Burger King](#).
The Numbers
About S$12,000+ for our family of 4 across 15 days.
The breakdown:
- Flights Singapore to Sydney, Sydney to Melbourne, Melbourne to Singapore: about S$4,000 (we got a good deal)
- Campervan 6 nights with insurance and one way fee: about A$2,000
- Car rental 7 days with insurance and tolls: about A$800
- Accommodation: 2 nights Sydney hotel, 1 night Melbourne hotel, 2 nights Apollo Bay house, 2 nights Johanna farm cottage, 1 night Werribee house A$2,500
- Petrol for campervan and car: about A$600 total
- Food, attractions, supermarket, eating out: about A$2,000
- Kmart heater, car seats, thermals, beach gear: about A$200
The savings moved the budget more than I expected.
The 3 Park Pass at Phillip Island saved A$32.
The 2 Kmart car seats saved A$60 to A$110 versus rental.
The Aldi thermals saved A$40 over Uniqlo. The DFO parking coupon saved A$30.
We slept in at times, so had brunch most of the campervan days. So saving $50-$80 a meal.
The total hacks saved about A$500-$600 across the trip.
Not life changing.
Worth the 15 minutes of planning per hack.
The 5 Wins Worth Repeating
Win 1: The Kmart Heater Hack, A$15 Saved The Trip
The campervan rental company said yes to a portable heater at booking. They took our A$20 extras. The heater did not arrive at pickup. We were 4 hours south of Sydney at Jervis Bay Holiday Park at 10pm. The van was a fridge. Aircon not working. So very cold night.
We went to Kmart on Day 4 to get a portable fan heater. A$15. We put it in the ensuite first to warm the room for the shower shiok!
Then we moved it to the van. Minimum heat, all night. Good sleep.
The trick: buy the A$15 Kmart portable fan heater on Day 1. Bring a clothes hanger line from home. Both fit in a suitcase. Both cost less than A$20. Both save the trip.
Win 2: The Aldi Thermals Beat Uniqlo
We needed gloves, beanies, and base layers for the Penguin Parade at sunset. Aldi at Merimbula had the deals. 2 sets of kids thermals, gloves, and beanies. Total: about A$60. The same gear at Kmart or Target would have been at least A$40 more. Uniqlo Heattech would have been 2x the Aldi price.
The trick: Aldi for the thermals, gloves, and beanies. Buy at the supermarket, not at the attraction town.
Win 3: The 3 Park Pass At Phillip Island
The pass at parks.vic.gov.au was A$58.50 per adult and A$29.25 per kid. It covered the Penguin Parade, Churchill Island, and the Koala Conservation Reserve. Buying each park separately would have been A$69 per adult and A$34.75 per kid.
The pass saved A$10.50 per adult. For our family of 4, that was A$32 saved.
The trick: buy the 3 Park Pass online before the trip. Show the QR code at each park entrance. The pass pays off if you visit 2 or more parks on Phillip Island. And on weekends especially holidays, book the tickets earlier. We saw the penguin parade was sold out on the Saturday.
Win 4: The Penguin Parade Broadwalk
The general viewing at the Penguin Parade is at the beach. Most of the crowd gathers at the front row, then starts to leave. We thought they were leaving because of the timing. We were wrong. The broadwalk above the beach was the show. The penguins walk up the path from the beach to their burrows on the hill. They are 1 to 2 metres away from the broadwalk.
The trick: take the general viewing. Stay late for the walk up. Be the sweeper team. The early leavers saw the landing. The sweeper team saw the landing, the walk, and the burrow.
Win 5: The Johanna River Farm Cottage, A$700 For 2 Nights
The farm is a cottage stay. A$700 for 2 nights for 1 family. The kitchen is full. The washer is included. The owner gives a free farm tour at 8.30am. The pet sheep, the horses, the donkey, the alpaca, the wild koalas in the eucalyptus tree. The glow worm tour at 6.30pm at the small bridge.
The trick: book the Johanna River Farm cottage for 2 nights. Stock up at Colac Woolworths. Use the kitchen. Do the farm tour at 8.30am. Do the Triplet Falls hike at midday. Do the glow worm tour at 6.30pm.
The 3 Skips Worth Avoiding
Skip 1: Sydney Seafood Market
The new building is clean. The vibe is fine for a 15 minute walk through. The food is overpriced by 30% to 50% versus a Sydney supermarket. A$10 for a small fruit tub is tourist pricing, not Sydney pricing.
The repeat: walk through the market for the vibe. Skip the food. Save the oyster money for the Oyster Shed on Wray Bay at A$25 to A$28 for 12 fresh oysters.
Skip 2: Lorne Chicken Joint, A$80+ Salty Batter
Lorne Chicken Joint is on the Great Ocean Road between Melbourne and Apollo Bay. We stopped for lunch. The chicken is salty. The batter tastes bland. 5 chickens for A$30+. Total with tenders and calamari: A$80+.
The repeat: skip Lorne Chicken Joint. Drive past. Go to the next town. Or eat the Maggie Goreng at the Apollo Bay house.
Skip 3: La Porchetta In Colac, Chain Italian Meh
La Porchetta is a chain Italian restaurant. The Colac location is the cheapest Italian in town. The cheapest is the meh one.
The repeat: skip La Porchetta in country towns. Find the local cafe.
Before You Go: 4 Things To Sort Out
1. Apply For ETA, Not Visa
Singaporeans do not need a visa for short tourist trips to Australia. They need an ETA at A$20 per person, including kids. Apply via the official AustralianETA app or australia.gov.au. Apply 1 month before departure. Apply for every family member, including infants.
2. Buy The Kmart Car Seat, Not The Rental
Kmart and Target sell kids car seats for A$49 to A$89. Rental companies charge A$80 per rental for the same seat.
Buy instead. Use it for the trip. Give it away or bring it home. The savings are real and stack across multiple kids.
We had 2 legs of vehicles. I don’t want to spend like $160 for both legs.
3. Check The Public Holiday Calendar
The 8 June 2026 King Birthday public holiday in Melbourne added an automatic 10% surcharge. Public holidays in Australia add 10% to 20% to food and service charges. Book meals around public holidays, not on them. Check service.nsw.gov.au and service.vic.gov.au.
4. Test The Campervan Heater At Pickup
If you are picking up a campervan in winter, Australia or New Zealand, you insist on a working heater. You test it at pickup. You do not drive away until the hot air comes out. If the rental company says yes to a portable heater at booking, confirm at pickup.
The A$15 Kmart fan heater is the backup.
The Verdict
Australia in winter with 5 kids is doable. It can be cheaper if you cook yourself or book cheaper accommodation.
Otherwise, the attractions are still pretty worth it for some.
The wins are real.
15 days. 5 wins. 3 skips. 1 verdict. Australia with 5 kids from Singapore is doable.
Book it.