Once the kids know a Gold Coast holiday is on the cards there’s no way to avoid their pester power – you’re going to the theme parks, Warner Bros Movie World, Dreamworld, Sea World and Wet ‘n’ Wild. During school holidays there’ll be wall-to-wall crowds but if you’ve timed your visit for the off-season, weekdays are likely to be fairly low-key. To plan your day around bathroom breaks and food stops, download maps from the parks’ websites before you set off.

^{Image: Village Roadshow Theme Parks}