Whether you love sea, sand or green escape, enjoy a perfect summer break with the family

Sail the high seas

What better way to explore the Whitsundays than by tall ship! Sailing from Airlie Beach, the Whitsunday Magic crew will take you to the most beautiful locations in the area aboard their luxury three-masted schooner. Choose from a three-night reef or island cruise, or combine the two for six nights at sea with gourmet meals, great service and a visit from Santa on the Christmas cruise! Perfect for families with kids of all ages, the refurbished cabins have bathrooms and air-conditioning. Adventurers can snorkel the reefs, visit unspoilt white sand beaches and go for guided bushwalks. Or you can just sit back on deck and let the gentle sway of the ship relax you as you watch the scenery go by. The crew offer interpretive talks and the cruise is eco-certified.

TO GO Fly to Whitsunday Coast Airport with Virgin Blue. Visit
www.virginblue.com.au

The green valley

Recently voted Australia's best hotel under four and a half stars, the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley offers the perfect family escape. It's the only accommodation in
the Hunter Valley with a purpose-built children's club for kids
aged from three to 12. The Water Dragons Club is open year-round and is free for hotel guests.
You'll feel safe knowing qualified childcare workers are looking after the kids while you head out for a round of golf, or a visit to a winery or the spectacular Hunter Valley Gardens. The kids can take part in arts and crafts, table tennis, soccer and tennis, and Saturday night is Water Dragons cinema night. The resort has two restaurants onsite, or you can dine at the exquisite nearby Rock Restaurant, awarded a coveted Chef's Hat. Maybe you'd like a family barbecue - the hotel offers a choice of three barbie packs, where you eat overlooking
a sparkling lake.

TO GO
For more information, visitwww.rockrestaurant.com.au To book the Crowne Plaza, call 138 388, or visit www.crowneplaza.com.au

If your idea of adventure is taking the kids on a dune buggy ride, nothing beats a trip to the Lancelin sand dunes in Western Australia. See Perth and Lancelin on a full-day Desert Storm four-wheel drive adventure, which begins sedately with a visit to the koalas at Yanchep National Park. Then the adrenalin pumps as you ride in the monster four-wheel drive bus across the sand dunes of seaport Lancelin. Afterwards, sandboard down the dunes, then enjoy a good old Aussie barbecue. A walk on Cervantes beach precedes a guided tour of the Pinnacles in Nambung National Park. It's a perfect way to discover the Turquoise Coast.

TO GO A Perth Desert Storm four-wheel drive adventure for a family of four, including two nights accommodation at Mounts Bay Waters Apartment Hotel is just $958. To book, visit www.lastminute.com.au