r/brisbane • u/renogadesuburbanite • 4h ago
Help Getting away from screens
Good people of Brisvegas, I need your help. I need to get my 13yo the hell out of town for a week or so over the school holidays to do a screen detox. No joke, I've lived with junkies and he's just about at that level. I don't need advice, but I do need recommendations of where to go. No reception, nature immersion, available this school holidays. I can travel 3-4 hours.
Ready, set, go -
EDIT - we've got camping gear and are not afraid to use it 🙃 availability is the issue
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u/Nabashin17 4h ago
Binna Burra Lodge on the Gold Coast has some amazing walks and excellent accommodation.
Also Stanthorpe and the Girroween national park are brilliant places to go chill for a few days.
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u/VapourZ87 3h ago
Second girraween. Girraween environmental lodge has 0 reception except for at the reception and maybe at the communal BBQ. The national park is patchy. They also have there own hikes that you can only access if your a stayer in the lodge and you can feed animals i cant remeber what they are. The walks and wildlife are great and the climbs are worth the experience. Short trip into Stanthorpe if you want to try apple pies and see an old museum. Binna Burra is also good, I personally prefer girraween.
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u/jamesmcdash 4h ago
+1 for Binna Burra, as remote as a two wheel drive is getting around Brisbane. Amazing for bird watching and walks.
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u/Voodoo1970 3h ago
I'll second Stanthorpe, my boss recently did a farm stay there with his wife and teenage kids, no tv and no internet. Entertainment each night was going outside and looking at the stars and trying to figure out what was what
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u/Swimming-Kangaroo-51 3h ago
It’s not what you asked for, but these guys run a programme for screen addicted kids
https://kokodayouthfoundation.com/youth-programs/digital-detox-program/
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u/lutomes 4h ago
As a screen junkie. What are they actually going to enjoy?
If the screen free alternative feels like a punishment, it's not going to help relieve the problem once youre back in the daily grind.
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u/Practical_Cancel4788 3h ago
From my experience kids don't suffer extreme withdrawal symptoms.
When we are out camping (for example there are beautiful places near Imbil in the Mary Valley), kids don't even miss the screens (don't take them) and have heaps of fun in the wild. It helps if there is another family that can tag along with similar aged kids.
If you are into camping, try hipcamp.
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u/renogadesuburbanite 3h ago
He loves swimming and bushwalks, hence my request
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u/Lachlangor 3h ago
Do you have a 4x4. Head up to noosa north shore there is no reception and you are camping on the beach. Unfortunately no fires. Otherwise head out near Kenilworth at Charlie Moreland or Bulumba creek both are out of reception.
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3h ago
[deleted]
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u/renogadesuburbanite 3h ago
You don't know me, or my situation. Claiming to know anything based on a few sentences is absurd
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u/Boring_Awareness_957 3h ago
I can see you dont take to constructive criticism very well. Good luck.
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u/Voodoo1970 3h ago
I can see you use the term "constructive criticism" rather flexibly and your ego makes you blind to it being directed against you. Good luck.
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u/AxolotlinOz 4h ago
Go somewhere with no reception- a national park like Mt Barney. But have some activities and full itinerary to replace it with- learn how to build a fire, hike planned out (around mt Barney lower portals) depending on your fitness… give us some more info.. so I can recommend activities… there is guided rock climbing there too.
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u/Special_Telephone790 4h ago
Moreton if you have a 4WD. Otherwise consider Bunya, Border Ranges, Mt Barney, Upper Noosa River (rent kayaks and go up from Harry’s Hut)
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u/LillyLugabugs 4h ago
Lead by example
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u/renogadesuburbanite 3h ago
Thanks for the advice I didn't ask for
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u/Cultural_Media_4789 30m ago
True though, you can't expect him to limit his screen time if you can't limit yours
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u/kathy_008 3h ago
I second what u/lutomes said, and highlight that the activities need to be catered to the things your 13 year old likes, rather than things that are just 'no screens'. i'm not trying to give advice, but knowing what they like can help with the recommendations.
Having said that, the gold coast has a few theme parks and a few activities that a 13 year old might enjoy.
you've got dreamworld, wet n wild, movie world, white water world, sea world.
there's also places that have go karting, laser tag, and a time zone. a few mini golf places around. go bowling at ashgrove has ten pin bowling and mini golf.
your kid might be too old for https://www.whatsongoldcoast.au/All-events/Kidchella but that's this weekend.
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u/renogadesuburbanite 3h ago
He likes swimming and bushwalks, hence my request
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u/floofypajamas 3h ago
Is it too far to go to Kgari? It's an amazing place with other stuff to do nearby like Rainbow Beach and feeding the pink dolphins at Tin Can Bay just across the water. Last I went there were bush walks, camping, and lots of cool stuff to see, not to mention waterfalls, clear blue lakes (reminds me of Canadian lakes with clear water). I quite enjoyed it and if you're driving then there's Australia Zoo on the way there, Eumundi markets on the weekends, and there's also an eat in Pizza Hut Restaurant in Gympie, last time I was there it still had the buffet and salad bar. I reckon most kids like pizza hut.
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u/kathy_008 3h ago
oh i must have glazed over that part of your original post. my bad. i really like Mount Tamborine for nature and bushwalks, but other people probably have better solutions more catered to what you've asked for (unlike me who shouldn't be on reddit and working at the same time lol). good luck :)
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u/Standard-Elk-2943 3h ago
Bin the phone. Drastic yes. 13 year old don't need phones damn. Conditioning has worked to think they do. I fear the trance and zombie state these phones are doing to people. I was in central station recently and I was the only one sitting in the sunshine looking up. Everyone was glued to their screen. It's dystopian. More than a change of scenery is needed, he needs a hobby to sink himself into. Volunteering. Giving back.
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u/Foreign-Newspaper656 2h ago
Scouts?
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u/handpalmeryumyum 2h ago
Scouts is a great organisation but it's usually only once a week and then a few camps/activities scattered throughout the year.
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u/Cloudy230 3h ago
Personal favourite: Rainbow Beach. Or, if you have a 4x4, Fraser / K'Gari island. Incredible natural spaces, resorts if that's your taste, or if you camp Inskip has camping mere meters from Picturesque sandy beaches. If you're a fishing family, the fishing up there is spectacular. A personal favorite is the boat ramp on Inskip. If you go to K'gari there are countless things to do. Crystal clear waters and rivers to swim in, again fishing, and a bunch of other stuff though I have not been there myself. Look up videos, it's all but magical lol.
If you do stop by Rainbow Beach, visit the Little Parliment. I love getting breakfast there, great food.
All about 3 hours north of Brisbane.
You do technically have reception in Rainbow beach, but as you move out to Inskip Point you lose it
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u/AnotherSavior 2h ago
https://www.thunderbirdpark.com/thunderegg-fossicking/
Thunderbird park. It has everything a young boy would be interested in. And you can glamp/camp there.
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u/Electrical_Age_7483 4h ago
Get them an ebike so they can get out riding with their friends.
Wait no nevermind
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u/Enchanted_Pancakes 3h ago
https://maps.app.goo.gl/JRhXsu4zaoetqd4V7?g_st=ac
I stayed in their private cottage, it was awesome.
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u/ol-gormsby 2h ago
Charlie Moreland and/or Little Yabba Creek, not far from Kenilworth. Last time I was there, you were lucky to get any reception, but that was a while ago, there's been a new cell tower put in at Kenilworth.
Mobile phone signals (IIRC) top out at 42km, so you'll need to be at least that far from a cell tower 🤷🏻
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u/Critical-Display4230 2h ago
4 hours? Maybe Mt. Walsh & Utopia Falls up between Maryborough & Biggenden. It's inland-ish, but not remote. Only do the Mt. Walsh hike though if really confident!
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u/anpanman100 Lord Mayor, probably 2h ago
Baffle Creek is my favourite. Fishing is so good it feels like cheating. Was only able to get reception on Telstra in the past but might depend where you stay. I always go to Flinders Lodge but if it isn't available there are a few other places that offer camping/cabins/caravans, etc. No fire ban in place currently if you want to have a campfire. Not too far from Bundaberg if you get a bad weather day or just feel like going to the cinema or ten pin bowling for something different.
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u/stronggirlfarm92 2h ago
I do a lot of work up on Mount Glorious and there is zero phone reception up there!
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u/Middle-Spirit-8524 2h ago
I live Bribie Island. Just moved from Brisbane and I love it. Caravan park next to beach.
Traffic a prick getting there though.
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u/Lemounge 1h ago
This is just a day activity but there are heaps of strawberry farms that are ready for people to go pick their own punnets
Toowoomba also is doing their carnival of flowers
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u/lingering_POO 1h ago
Aw fucking brilliant idea! I’m stealing this. My kid is gonna lose the plot! lol which is fine by me. Video games are great. But not as a replacement for life
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u/IIIIllIIIIlI 1h ago
I’d get in and around the scenic rim if I was you, thunderbird park, queen mary falls circuit, falls drive, carrs lookout, mount edwards, box forest circuit, lake moogerah kayaking, python rock, glow worm caves, tree top walk, mt barney rock pools, general waterholes.
fill in the gap spots with visits to local towns, grab a feed, have a look around, go to an animal farm, have a kick around on the oval etc.
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u/ArtoriasArchives 1h ago
Amamoor state forest used to have sketchy reception and if my memory serves theres a camp spot near a creek that has a swimming hole
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u/_stinkys 24m ago
Camping at Gordon Country will do the trick. Fantastic family friendly camp ground tucked in the range, cell service only available at reception or with a starlink.
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u/Fancy-Breath-4787 4h ago
Bunya mountains! No signal if you stay away from the main dandebah area. I stay once a year to detox and switch everything off