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11 Fun Half Day Trips on the Shorncliffe Train Line

Explore Shorncliffe with a convenient train ride! We’ve listed 11 half-day trips from the Shorncliffe train line that will guarantee a fun day out in this article.

We know that when you have little people who need naps, you don’t always want to do a full day trip. Try these half-day trips on the Shorncliffe train line.

Caboolture | City Stations | Ferny Grove Line | Gold Coast | Beenleigh

Easy (Green): A nice easy walk. Expect less than 6/7 minutes from the station to the destination. There are usually one or two very close destinations for a nice, relaxing half-day out.

Medium (Yellow): Looking for a bit more of an adventure? These stations are usually no more than 15 minutes from their fun destinations. These stations often have multiple destinations too so there is tons of fun stuff to see and do!

Hard (Red): An adventurous day out. Expect longer than 15-minute walks from the station to the destination and there may be multiple destinations. A great choice for those who want to enjoy a good walk and have an active day out!

Shorncliffe Line train stations

1. Eagle Junction station: Easy

11 Fun Half Day Trips on Melrose park playground equipment
Melrose Park

Go down Rose Street for about 10 minutes until you reach Melrose Park. Melrose Park is a wonderful park perfect for families to visit and it offers a variety of fun things to do.

Some of its playground equipment include swings, slides, a flying fox and monkey bars. For the sporty types, it has a half basketball court and a cricket net. There is also a skate ramp built for kids. It also provides facilities such as BBQs and picnic tables for a perfect picnic.

2. Toombul station: Easy

11 Fun Half Day Trips on the Shorncliffe Train Line, Ross Park
Ross Park

From Toombul station, walk about 5 minutes down Parkland Street until you reach Ross Park. Ross Park has several different aspects to it making it the perfect place to go for a day out. There is a playground featuring swings and a small climbing frame. The park includes a BBQ and picnic areas perfect for having lunch out. It also includes a skate and BMX facility.

3. Nundah station: Easy

11 Fun Half Day Trips on the Shorncliffe Train Line, Boyd Park
Boyd Park
11 Fun Half Day Trips on the Shorncliffe Train Line, nundah giant checkerboard floor
Checkerboard floor at Boyd Park

Once you leave Nundah station, go down Station Street until it turns into Boyd Street. Go down Boyd Street for 5 minutes and then turn right and you will reach Boyd Park.

The park has many different activities for families. The playground has a variety of fun play equipment to use, such as swings, a rope ladder, a rock climbing wall and a fireman’s pole. It also has a cricket field for children to play on and a half basketball court. The park also boasts a large chessboard and a fitness station. There are BBQs and plenty of places to enjoy a shady picnic.

4. Northgate station: Hard

northgate park with swingset , seesaw and other balance equipment.
Northgate Park

From Northgate station, go up Gympie Street until you reach Northgate Road. Continue down this road until you reach Flower Street. Turn left and continue up Flower Street until you reach the park. This walk shouldn’t take you longer than 20 minutes.

Northgate Reserve provides the perfect place for a day out with the family. The playground features a slide, swings, seesaw and a fireman pole. There are also picnic facilities including a BBQ. There are plenty of grassy areas to run around on, and cricket nets, making it the perfect place to go for a half day out from the Shorncliffe train line.

nortgate skate park with covered seating area
Northgate Park Skatepark

5. Banyo station: Easy

11 Fun Half Day Trips on the Shorncliffe Train Line, Banyo Memorial Park
Banyo Memorial Park

Once we got off the train at Banyo on the Shorncliffe train line, we headed straight for the Banyo library – about a 2 minute walk. They have a lovely children’s section. We had enrolled in one of the free workshops, so we enjoyed making & doing it along with the other kids who were taking part.

The Site Café is a lovely, kid-friendly venue with comfy chairs and a tasty menu, and it’s just across the car park from the library, so it’s super simple to access from the train station.

Behind the Banyo library is the lovely Banyo Memorial Park with climbing frames, swings, slides and fitness station, and a skate facility. There are also some pretty awesome trees to climb if you (or your kids) feel so inclined!

6. Nudgee station: Easy

Nudgee Beach playground
Nudgee Beach playground

Nudgee station is close to Showgrounds Park. The park is just a 2-minute walk away from the station and is located on Hayden Street.

Showgrounds Park offers plenty of places to enjoy a picnic, and there are also BBQ points. The facilities in the park include a playground with swings, climbing frames and monkey bars. There is also a half-sized basketball court so be sure to bring along a basketball with you.

11 Fun Half Day Trips on the Shorncliffe Train Line, nudgee beach basketball court
Nudgee Beach basketball court

7. Boondall station: Hard

Once you leave Boondall Station, travel for about 20 minutes through the Boondall Entertainment Centre and you will reach Boondall Wetlands and the Boondall Wetlands Centre. The Boondall Wetlands Centre features a variety of different interactive displays. You can go on a self-guided nature walk through the wetlands or participate in a tour with a volunteer guide. There is an option to go bird watching in the bird hides and there is a checklist provided to help find all the birds in the wetlands. If you wish to bring lunch with you there are picnic tables surrounding the parks in the wetlands.

You can read our review of Boondall Wetlands here.

8. North Boondall station: Medium

11 Fun Half Day Trips on the Shorncliffe Train Line, north boondall ice skating rink entrance
Iceworld

About 15 minutes away from North Boondall station, down Sandgate Road is the Iceworld ice skating rink. The rink has various skate sessions to choose from. Prices are $29.50 for those aged 15 or older, $24.50 for children aged 6-14 years, and $13 for those aged 3-5 years (including skate hire). However, there are family packages and deals for frequent skaters. The ice rink also has a cafe featuring meals and hot drinks.

Just a few minutes down from the ice rink is Barlow Park. Barlow Park features a playground which includes swings, slide and a rocker. There are also grassy areas to play on and bike paths, making it a perfect place to take the family.

11 Fun Half Day Trips on the Shorncliffe Train Line, Barlow Park
Barlow Park

9. Deagon station: Medium

Stanley Park with swingset and monkey bars and many other playground equipment
Stanley Park

Go up Albury Street from Deagon Station and after about 7 minutes you will reach Stanley Park. Stanley Park features a children’s playground. This playground includes a seesaw, a swing and a slide. Not only that, it has a cricket field for young cricket enthusiasts to play on and there is plenty of grass to run around on.

10. Sandgate station: Easy

11 Fun Half Day Trips on the Shorncliffe Train Line, Sandgate library
Sandgate Library

About a 3-minute walk away from Sandgate Station down Bowser Parade is Sandgate Village. Sandgate Village features a historical trail that goes from the station to the pier and town hall. The village also features several different cafes to visit. The village also contains Sandgate Library, which like most libraries in the Brisbane region often has activities going on during the holidays and throughout the year.

11. Shorncliffe station: Medium

Hutchison Park is just a few minutes across Swan Street from the station. It features a small playground that includes a slide, swings and monkey bars. There is also a large grassy area perfect for ball games or a nice picnic.

About five minutes down Swan Street from the park is Preece’s on the Park, a café offering a range of delicious sweet treats and main meals and the perfect place to get your caffeine fix.

A couple of minutes away from the cafe is Moora Park. Moora Park features a fantastic children’s playground. This playground includes a variety of slides, climbing walls and forts. There are also picnic tables and BBQs to use if you wish to bring your own food.

11 Fun Half Day Trips on the Shorncliffe Train Line, Moora Park
Moora Park
11 Fun Half Day Trips on the Shorncliffe Train Line, Moora Park at Shorncliffe
Moora Park

Which half-day trips will you choose on the Shorncliffe train line?

There are lots of half-day trips on the Shorncliffe train line and it’s so easy to explore on the train. Which one will you choose next?

Do your kids love trains? Check out these half-day trips from City Stations, Ferny Grove Line, Gold Coast, Caboolture and Beenleigh!

Photo of author

Janine Mergler

Janine Mergler is a veteran Queensland teacher, graduating from QUT with a BEd majoring in Social Sciences. After many years in the classroom, Janine moved on to academia. She has proudly trained new generations of teachers in her role as a lecturer at Queensland University of Technology Faculty of Education. She has also worked in the Queensland Government as an education specialist, developing education resources and delivering community awareness programs to help families conserve water. Currently she is the owner and editor of Families Magazine, a publication specifically targeted at parents who value a quality education for children.  Janine leads a team of professionals who write about family lifestyle, early childhood, schools and education information and family-friendly events.

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