Whether you are local to the Brisbane or Gold Coast areas, or are planning a family holiday there soon, there’s a new attraction to add to your to-do list. Last month, Australia’s first mini excavator park for kids ­ opened at the stunning Thunderbird Park, Tamborine Mountain, and after spending a fun couple of hours there with my family last weekend, I’d highly recommend adding Dig IT to your weekend plans! The adventure park is located in the Scenic Rim, an unmissable destination in the hinterlands of the Gold Coast, with plenty of other attractions and activities worth exploring – and it’s just an hour drive from both Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

What is Dig IT?

Dig IT has been custom designed for both children and their parents who love to play, featuring a range of activities that are fun, educational, and engaging. Kids will learn about the construction industry, earthworks, engineering, building, the importance of safety, and teamwork. It’s the only park of its kind in Australia, and it’s the stuff real memories are made of!

Over the course of the 2-hour session, kids can get in the driving seat of the real 1.7 tonne CAT excavators and try their hand at operating them. You don’t need any experience, or even a driver’s license – just a willingness to give it a go!

@digittamborinemountain 🚜💥QLD’s 1st excavator park for KIDS 🔗🌲linktr.ee/digittamborinemountain 👷‍♂️👷‍♀️ Our experienced instructors will be on hand to guide you every step of the way as you dig, drop, and move dirt to your heart’s content. Plus, our unique play areas, like crocodile catching and a wrecking ball, make for the perfect family-friendly fun day out. Join the Dig IT family and dig your way to bucket loads of fun with your loved ones. Book your session today! 🚜💥 #digIT #familyfun #constructionplay #playtime #kidstoys #outdooractivities #excavatorfun #minidigger #heavyequipment #bucketloads #canyoudigit #tiktokkids #tiktokfun #tiktokfamily #tiktokfyp #CapCut ♬ Choo Choo

What the DIG IT Experience Involves

As you can imagine, safety is paramount at Dig IT. Participants are asked to arrive to their session around 30 minutes before the start time. This will give you time to collect their little high vis jacket and put their hard hat on before the fun begins! Although the attraction is geared towards younger kids, my 15-year-old was not going to pass up the opportunity to operate excavators, knock things over, build things up and dig, dig, dig! I’m not joking when I tell you the parents there were having just as much fun as the kids.

At the commencement of the session, parents and children are shown a short safety video that introduces families to the safety procedures at the park. These are made easy for children to follow and include things like holding their hands up in the air and away from machinery controls when they hear the whistle at the end of their turn.

After being divided into four groups, everyone takes a short walk up a gravel pathway to the where the real fun begins!

Over the session participants can experience;

Mini Excavator Digging

Kids get hands-on experience operating a mini excavator, digging and moving dirt and rocks. Experienced instructors teach the basics of excavation and safety, making sure that everyone has a great time while staying safe. At the completion of each challenge, kids receive their induction card, meaning at the end of their session they have been fully inducted into the DIG IT worksite.

The Dig Zone

Kids get trained on a 1.7 tonne excavator digging in the earth.

The Demolition Zone

The challenge is to use the wrecking ball to knock over the Dig IT towers with a BANG!

The Croc Zone

On a 1.7 tonne excavator, using precision, try to hook a croc or build a tower with tyres.

The RC Zone

Using state of the art remote control machines like dozers, dump trucks, excavators and rear loaders the kids will get to use machines, just like on the worksite.

Mini Excavator Challenge

Kids can compete against friends, navigating obstacle courses and completing tasks, while learning about teamwork and safety.

What You Need to Know About Dig IT

• Dig IT is located an hour from both Brisbane and the Gold Coast, at the stunning Thunderbird Park on Mount Tamborine.
• Children under 4 years old can participate but will need to be accompanied by, and sit on the lap of an adult whilst on the machinery. Children over four are permitted to use the machinery solo, but a parent or guardian is also permitted to stand on a platform nearby to supervise.
• DiG IT make sure that all activities are age-appropriate and suitable for all skill levels.
• Each zone is fenced off, so children who are waiting for their turn can safely roam around the Dig IT park with their family. There is also a sandpit area where they can play.
• The Dig IT park features nine magnificent CAT mini excavators, and up to 40 participants can be booked into each session. So children do need a little patience while they wait for their turn, but everyone gets at least one turn in each zone, and it’s worth waiting for!
• Open every weekend and school holidays. 4 x 2 hour sessions daily.
• The cost for each participant is $45.

For more information, or to make a booking click here.

Other Things to Do at Thunderbird Park

• Adventure Mini Golf

• The Treetop Challenge
• Thunderegg Crystal Mine
• Laser Skirmish

• Natural Rock Pool Swimming
• Cedar Creek Falls
• Camping
• Glamping
• Rooms and Lodges

Other Things to Do in the Scenic Rim

Referred to as the ‘green behind the gold’ the Scenic Rim is home to the ancient World Heritage-listed Gondwana Rainforests, historic national parks, charming towns and villages, boutique wineries and a whole host of sites of natural beauty that are well worth hiking to. Some places that my family and I have been to and can highly recommend are:

Gallery Walk

Gallery Walk in Mount Tamborine is one of the go-to places I take friends when they are visiting me on the Gold Coast. If you love antiques, art, bric-a-brac, gourmet food, boutique wineries and distilleries, souvenirs, clothes and pretty much anything else, Gallery Walk is a great way to spend a few hours. The German Cuckoo Clock Nest is a personal favourite of mine, along with Granny Mac’s Fudge Store.

Tambourine Forest Skywalk

This exciting Eco-Adventure offers guests a unique and thrilling way to explore the beautiful rainforest canopies. Set in a magical 30 acres of privately owned rainforest beside the crystal clear rock-pools of Cedar Creek on Mt Tamborine, Queensland, Australia.

Curtis Falls, Tambourine National Park

The trail to the Curtis Falls is open year round and is generally considered a moderately challenging route, taking on average 47 minutes to complete the round trip to the Curtis Falls and back through the lush rainforest. The waterfall is simply beautiful and can range from a torrential pour to a gentle flow. I’d highly recommend wearing suitable footwear as the trail does involve a descent to the waterfall, and it can be muddy particularly after heavy rainfall.

The Bearded Dragon Hotel

The Bearded Dragon hotel is one of my husband and I’s most favourite pubs. When we have family visiting from interstate or overseas we always take them for a day out in the huge beer garden to enjoy a meal, live music and some good ol’ fashioned toad racing! It’s so much fun!

We are admittedly still exploring the Scenic Rim though, and there are many places for us still to discover. For a more comprehensive overview on what the Scenic Rim has to offer visit www.visitscenicrim.com.au

Disclosure: My family and I were gifted a weekend stay in the Scenic Rim at the Thunderbird Park in order to experience and review the new Dig IT attraction. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. With special thanks to visitscenicrim and Thunderbird Park for an incredible experience.