Torquay with kids
Torquay is an easy place to holiday with children. The town beaches are calm and patrolled in summer, there's a playground on almost every stretch of foreshore, and most of the best things to do are free and within ten minutes of the house. You can fill a week without a long drive, and save the Great Ocean Road for one big day out. Pack swimmers, hats, a spare change of clothes and a bucket and spade, and most days will look after themselves.
This guide is the activities, sorted by what the kids are into. For staying here with a family, including cots, the fenced backyard and the playroom, see our family holiday guide.
Beaches and rock pools
Front Beach and Cosy Corner
The family beach, about five minutes away. Small waves, a gently shelving sandy bottom and summer lifeguards make it the best place for a swim with kids, and Cosy Corner, at the sheltered southern end, is the favourite with toddlers. There's shade under the pines, toilets, showers and two playgrounds on the foreshore.
Rock pools at Point Danger
At the end of Cosy Corner, the reef of Point Danger Marine Sanctuary uncovers on the lowest summer tides. Crabs, limpets and mussels for the little ones to find, as long as everything stays where it is. Go on a falling tide, and watch the channel filling as the tide comes back in.
Whites Beach
Our local beach, a 400m walk from the house, with a playground on the foreshore. It isn't patrolled, so it's for sandcastles, paddling on calm days and long walks rather than a proper swim.
Playgrounds
There are more than 15 playgrounds in Torquay and Jan Juc. The big ones are on the foreshore: the Torquay Foreshore Play Park on Elephant Walk, the Front Beach Play Park and Cosy Corner. Closer to the house, Deep Creek Playground is about 600 m away and Whites Beach Playground is by the beach. For older kids, Djilla Tjarri in Torquay North puts an all-ages playground right next to the skate park. Our playgrounds guide has every one, with ages and facilities.
Surfing, skating and bikes
Surf lessons
Torquay is the place to catch a first wave. Go Ride a Wave runs 90-minute kids' sessions for ages 5 to 14 in the school holidays, and Surf Groms for 6 to 12-year-olds. Torquay Surfing Academy's two-hour group lessons are for ages 8 and over, at $80 a person when we checked. Book ahead in summer.
Skate parks
Djila Tjarri in north Torquay has a deep bowl and a covered street plaza, and there's another park on Beach Road behind Surf City Plaza. Bring scooters as well as boards.
Bike parks
Spring Valley and Jan Juc have jump parks, Kalkarra has a pump track for beginners, and the big ones at Anglesea and the new Ocean Grove Ride Centre are about half an hour away. All free.
Photo: Go Ride a Wave,
used with permission 
Photo: Cameron Murray/Assemble Agency,
courtesy of Visit Victoria Treats
Every beach day needs an ice cream. Gilbert Street, a block up from the beach, has Dooley's and Augustus Gelatery, and Nordenfine on Bell Street has made its own since 1999; our ice cream guide has them all. For a bigger treat, The Chocolateries at Bellbrae, about 20 minutes away, has 24 house-made ice creams, free chocolate tastings and lawns to run around on.
Rainy days
The Australian National Surfing Museum on Beach Road is open every day from 9am to 5pm, and it's good for an hour or two with kids who've been in the surf all week. At Wurdi Baierr in north Torquay, the indoor courts have casual play from $6.30 a person, and the new pools are due to open in early 2027.
On a bigger rainy day, Geelong has museums and cinemas, about 25 minutes away. Our rainy day guide has the full list.
Big days out
Koalas at Kennett River
Wild koalas in the gums along Grey River Road, about an hour and a quarter down the Great Ocean Road. Kids love spotting them, and there's no ticket to buy. Stop in Lorne on the way for a swim and lunch.
Geelong waterfront
About 25 minutes away: the Eastern Beach children's pool, lawns, a playground and an original hand-carved wooden carousel built around 1892, with the painted Baywalk Bollards to spot along the way.
Adventure Park Geelong
The big water park at Wallington, about 35 minutes away and open from late November to March. Funnel slides for kids 122cm and over, and splash zones and a lazy river for the little ones.
The Otway Fly
A treetop walk through the rainforest of the Otways, about two hours away. A long drive, so make a day of it, with lunch in Forrest or on the coast.
Biplanes over the coast
For older kids after something unforgettable, Tiger Moth World flies vintage open-cockpit biplanes out of Torquay Airport on Blackgate Road.
By age
Toddlers: Cosy Corner in the morning, the Front Beach playground, a nap, then a walk to Whites Beach before dinner. Keep the day close to home, and save the big drives for when they're older.
Primary school: rock pools at low tide, a kids' surf session, scooters at Djilla Tjarri and an ice cream on Gilbert Street. One big day out, to the koalas or the Geelong carousel.
Teens: a group surf lesson, the skate and bike parks, the clifftop walk from Jan Juc to Bells Beach, and maybe a biplane flight if the budget stretches.
Kids in Torquay FAQ
What's the best beach in Torquay for kids?
Front Beach, especially Cosy Corner at the southern end. It's sheltered, with small waves, and patrolled in summer.
How old do kids need to be for a surf lesson?
Go Ride a Wave's school holiday kids' sessions start at 5, and Torquay Surfing Academy's group lessons at 8.
What can we do with kids when it rains?
The Australian National Surfing Museum, the indoor courts at Wurdi Baierr, or a trip into Geelong for museums and cinemas.
Where can we see koalas?
At Kennett River on the Great Ocean Road, about an hour and a quarter from the house.
For everything else, see things to do in Torquay. Planning a family trip? Check dates at Holyday House.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources on 23 October 2026. Opening hours, patrols, rules and closures change — check with the source before you go.
- Torquay Front Beach — Visit Great Ocean Road
- Point Danger Marine Sanctuary — Parks Victoria
- Playgrounds — Surf Coast Shire
- FAQ — Go Ride a Wave
- Group lesson — Torquay Surfing Academy
- Australian National Surfing Museum — Australian National Surfing Museum
- Tiger Moth World — Tiger Moth World