'Bluey' Is an Incredible Travel Guide. These Are Its Top Australian Destinations

Bluey and the Heeler family may be fictional—but most of the show’s stunning locations are, as Bluey would say, “for real life.” Rhiannon Steffensen, a production manager on the show, told Australian website Domain that, “with every location that exists in Bluey, we try to be really, really accurate to the real world reference.” Whether finger puppets are trekking the hazy Blue Mountains, the kids are staying with Nana on the Gold Coast, or the Heelers are enjoying the best sites in their hometown of Brisbane, the settings—and their real counterparts—are enough to inspire a quick check of Quantas ticket prices and fill itineraries for families and adults alike.  

Whether or not you love the show, there’s a lot to love about the places Bluey visits. Here are the top places in Australia featured by the show.

Best Bluey Destination: Brisbane

Queensland’s capital city is home for the Heeler family, and a charming, sun-drenched stop for first-time visitors to Australia. It’s smaller than Sydney or Melbourne, with a warm climate year-round (mid-60s Fahrenheit during the day in winter, reaching the 90s in summer), laidback vibes, and a focus on the outdoors. Locals love enjoying the water and green spaces that run through what they call their “river city.” Think: picnics on the foreshore, kayaking, al fresco dining, bars overlooking sunsets on the water, excellent cycling trails, and signposted running routes. You can even hike Mount Coot-tha from “The Sign” episode. This is the highest lookout point in the city, with spectacular views.

Brisbane’s Southbank precinct features in the “Ice Cream” episode of season two and is an urban oasis. The area hubs around a man-made beach where you can swim and relax on the edge of the river, right next to 37 acres of green space with free-to-use barbecues and picnic areas at South Bank Parklands. Southbank is also known for its art scene thanks to Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA).

Stroll over pedestrian-only Story Bridge to Fortitude Valley to find the city’s buzzing waterfront bar scene. Felons Brewing goes off on Friday and Saturday nights, with a river deck that feels like it’s floating on water and a brewery inside where specialty beers are poured fresh from 1300-gallon tanks.

Brisbane will also become home to a world-first Bluey theme park that is planned to open in November 2024. It’s pitched as a “guided immersive experience” that will take you through built sets of the iconic home, backyard, and recognizable scenes from the hit TV show.

Where to Stay: Hotel X, located in heart of the action between the river, fashion, and restaurant scene of Brisbane. An edgy design matches the locale, with interiors featuring striking abstract shapes with pops of color. Base yourself here to be just minutes from the bars of Howard Smith Wharves with stunning views across to Storey Bridge, plus a rooftop pool, classy apartment-style suites, and a 24-hour gym.

If you’re bringing the kids, try the luxury apartments at FV Brisbane by Peppers. All the convenience of your own kitchen plus the added luxuries of a yoga studio and gym, private cinema, and rooftop pool.

Best for Beaches: Sunshine Coast

The Heeler family got it right for “The Beach” episode. The Sunshine Coast is one of eastern Australia’s most stunning stretches of coastline, with white sand fringed by grassy beachfronts and cozy cafes dotting the shore. The region stretches for 50 miles with 36 beaches ideal for swimming and surfing, and a million spots to roll out your towel.

The episode showcases Coolum Beach, a laidback family holiday area with fewer people and more space to relax. Another episode, “Piggyback,” features Noosaville, an area where the bush meets the sea, which encompasses great surfing, hikes, national parks, and river activities. You’ll likely spot a big pelican, just like in the show, and it’s common to see koalas if you keep your eyes up toward the gum tree canopies.

Hike your surfboard along the Noosa Heads Coastal Walk while watching some of Australia’s best right-hand point breaks. Simply climb down and join the lineup when you’re ready to paddle out. Refuel afterwards at Betty’s, a classic burger shack serving Angus beef patties with typical Australian add-ons like pineapple, beetroot and avocado smash. Garlicky, chili-spiced shrimp topping pizza is another Aussie must-try—best tasted on the wood-fired sourdough of Somedays Pizza.

Where to Stay: Peppers Noosa Resort & Villas feels like a luxury treehouse nestled in the bush of Noosa National Park, a short walk uphill from the hustle and bustle of the main strip. It’s close enough to the action yet far enough away to feel totally private, and the indulgent breakfast buffet spread across timber decking in an open-air setting is the perfect way to while away a morning punctuated by native bird calls.

Best for Lakeside Fun: Currimundi

A Bluey hot list would be incomplete without mentioning the sandy resort featured in “Relax” and “Stickbird.” Currimundi is technically a coastal lagoon on the Sunshine Coast, an hour north of Brisbane, but offers a lakeside holiday that can be slightly different to the rest of the region. If you love fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and calmer lagoon waters, Currimundi Lake is your spot.

The nearby town of Caloundra is under 10 minutes away and is the bougiest spot to caffeinate when the sun rises—or sip cocktails as the sun sets. Try a flat white from The Pocket Espresso Bar or White Picket Fence. Tuck into gorgeous plates of “all day brunch” and nourish bowls, alongside peroxide-blonde-haired surfers shaking saltwater out of their ears.

Where to Stay: The modern Oaks Sunshine Coast Oasis Resort is steps from the beach and walking distance to Caloundra’s bustling cafes and restaurants. You can expect an outdoor pool, but the more surprising amenities include a putt-putt golf course, children’s waterpark, climbing wall, and tennis and volleyball court on site.

Best for Camping: Scenic Rim

The Heelers head inland to the bush in the “Camping” episode. Most fans agree this episode is set in the Scenic Rim, which is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed area just over an hour’s drive from Brisbane.

Here, Mount Barney National Park, part of the Gondwana Rainforests of Queensland, sits among craggy volcanic peaks that erupted 24 million years ago. The park is brimming with cascading creeks, lush forests, and impressive mountain views. It’s swarmed by wildlife, with blue kingfishers swooping to pick up fish from the water. While day trippers can try the moderate hikes here, camping areas in the national park can only be reached by foot—and, contrary to the show, dogs are not allowed.

Meanwhile, the lowlands of the Scenic Rim are becoming a haven for foodies, with a flourishing food and wine industry, thanks to its rich volcanic soil. The Paddock Restaurant is a chef-hatted standout delivering unpretentious fine dining with a farm-to-fork focus. Thirsty? Tamborine Mountain Distillery has won more than 300 international awards, while Sarabah Estate Vineyard welcomes all campers and tourists to stop by for a taste of their famous grapes.

Where to Stay: Set in the undulating hinterland of the Scenic Rim, O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat villas are perched on a hillside overlooking a rainforest. For a truly unique and romantic stay, Spicers Hidden Vale is an uber-luxe Australian ranch retreat built on a former cattle ranch covering 12,000 acres.

Best for Snorkeling: Fitzroy Island

The “Fairytale” episode features a story of Bluey’s father Bandit as a child on holiday with his parents in the 1980s. Fans generally agree the location is the resort on a tropical island off the coast of Cairns in far North Queensland called Fitzroy Island. It’s an untouched paradise in the heart of the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef and a UNESCO World Heritage-listed snorkeling spot. The fairytale name is appropriate. Picture azure water with turtles bobbing their heads up occasionally, rainbow-colored fish and marine life, all drifting over kaleidoscopic coral.

Getting to the island is a 45-minute ferry ride from the mainland town of Cairns, which has an international airport and is considered the gateway to Queensland’s tropical north.

Where to Stay: There’s only one option for accommodation in the otherwise untouched nature of Fitzroy Island and that’s the Fitzroy Island Resort. You can choose between tropical hotel-style suites looking into the leafy canopies of the surrounding rainforest, or find a little piece of paradise in a beach cabin or bungalow. If you prefer to bring a tent you can also book campsites for as little as $25 per night.

Best for Surfing: Gold Coast

“Charades” showcases Australia’s Gold Coast, where Nana Heeler has a beachfront apartment surrounded by high rise hotels and the iconic five-star Langham. This region is something of a mix between Miami beach clubs and coastal Californian towns, blessed by warm water (minimums of 70F in winter) and shimmering green waves, all about an hour south of Brisbane.

The aptly named Surfer’s Paradise is a great place to hone your craft at Broadbeach Surf School. More experienced riders will love the point breaks further south, such as Duranbah, Coolangatta, Snapper Rocks, and Burleigh Heads. Surf Clubs are a quintessential part of Aussie surf culture, and many come with laidback bistros and bars perfect for sunset schooners (a standard beer glass in Australia). For a more chic atmosphere, Burleigh Pavilion pours the region’s best frosé, with former pro surfers like Paul Fisher and Dimity Stoyle occasionally razzing the DJ decks on weekends.

Where to Stay: The three crystal towers of the Langham are iconic for good reason. They encase a five-star luxury resort that opened in 2022 and remains the crown jewel in the skyline. Elegant interiors match the glassy exteriors, and there’s a sunny sand-edged lagoon pool with swim-up bar, plus indoor pool and gym overlooking the waves.

Best for Adventure: Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains, which have a season two episode named after them, offer a starkly different setting to the beachside locales the Heelers usually frequent. The region is about a 90-minute drive inland from Sydney, and an incredible outdoor playground. They’re rugged and wild, sprinkled with soaring sandstone ridges and waterfalls, brimming with birdlife and rock wallabies (like asmall kangaroos). Expect much colder winters dipping just above freezing level; however, summer can reach into the 70s and 80s.

Hike to waterfalls, spy koalas, kookaburras and kangaroos, or learn the Dreamtime stories of the local Indigenous Australians, the oldest living culture on Earth. Blue Mountains Adventure Company leads rappelling, rock climbing, canyoning, and cycling tours, as well as more accessible e-bike tours. Refuel afterwards with fresh-baked pastries from Black Cockatoo Bakery in the village of Lawson. Avalon Restaurant and Cocktail Bar seats you in the dress circle of a former 1930s theatre, serving some of the best beef tenderloin and rustic potato chips in the country.

Where to Stay: Fairmont Resort & Spa perches on the edge of Jamison Valley escarpment, with a well-manicured golf course, the Leura Golf Club, next door. Rooms are simple but comfortable, many offering panoramic views of the valley and fairways, while the two swimming pools, gym, day spa ,and tennis court can keep the whole family entertained.

Related: Best Places to Visit in Australia for Every Type of Traveler

When to Visit

Southern Australia enjoys a sunny and mild climate year-round, with Sydney experiencing similar weather to Los Angeles, while the climate up north is tropical. Southern Hemisphere summers (December to February) can be busier for tourists and very humid. September brings the best spring sunshine and dry days without being too hot in the east coast cities of Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne. Meanwhile, opt for cooler months (June to September) if you want to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef without the risk of being stung by box jellyfish.

Flights to Australia

If you live in Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Vancouver, the journey to Australia is straightforward. These western cities offer nonstop flights to Sydney or Melbourne starting from $1,000. The flight across the Pacific is a mammoth 15 hours, but often preferable to lengthy stopovers. Hawaiian Airlines flights stop halfway in Honolulu, and can make for a nice holiday if you want to surf and hang out a few days en route.

Keep in mind that Australia is a big country. The distance from Sydney to Perth (a couple thousand miles) is about the same as Las Vegas to New York. Getting around to the best bits of a place this massive will often require further internal flights, which are fortunately fairly inexpensive, especially when factoring in a stronger U.S. dollar. Book well in advance (six months is preferable) for the cheapest deals.

Why You Should Trust Me

I’m a local born and bred Aussie, who is currently living in Sydney and has travelled across most of this vast country. It started when my parents took me out of school for six months when I was 10 years old to circumnavigate Australia’s endless coastlines in a 4WD and tents.

I’m uniquely acquainted with many of the destinations on this list, as a regular commuter to Queensland for work as a sports broadcaster and journalist. I recently spent three weeks working on the Gold Coast as a commentator on Australia’s National Swimming Championships and have holidayed many times to the Sunshine Coast and other regions. As for the Blue Mountains? They are my city’s backyard and a short day trip for adventurous Sydney types.

To build this list, I drew on my own experiences, plus gathered input from the experts at Tourism and Events Queensland, Destination NSW, and Bluey’s public relations team at Disney.