I took the family on the ultimate Bluey fan road trip - for real life!

Tracking down the iconic Brisbane locations for real life is something every (big and little) fan should do. Here's where to go...

I remember being around the age of 10 and obsessed with The Sound of Music when my dad shared the news that we were visiting Austria and Vienna during an upcoming family trip to Europe. 

We were driving to the airport when I asked him: "If we're going to the place where my favourite movie is set, can we visit the locations they filmed at?"

He smiled. It was obviously his plan all along. We ditched the expensive guided tour but followed their map (cheeky!) and to this day, sitting by the lake where Fraulein Maria and the Von Trapp children fall in is one of the fondest memories I have as a child. 

So as I was planning a trip to Brisbane recently, I knew my Bluey fan family would get a kick out of visiting some of the real-life locations that served as inspiration in the much-loved ABC animation. 

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Planning the ultimate Bluey road trip to Brisbane

Any fan would know that Bluey is 'set' in and around the suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. Being from Sydney, that meant a pretty long 10-12 hours in the car to get there. 

To avoid the constant "are we there yet?" questions, we opted to fly to Brisbane and hire a car from there via Turo, a car-sharing website. 

We chose a fancy BMW for the ultimate, comfy ride - we were going to be in the car for a while tracking down these locations, after all! We picked up the keys from Brisbane airport and off we went. 

Hiring a car via Turo made the road trip easy. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot

First stop, Bluey's home at Bluey's World!

Fans have been flocking to Bluey's World since its grand opening in Brissy late last year. 

This interactive experience allows you to (literally) step into Bluey's home and world, playing in all the iconic settings seen on the show. 

Once you've arrived inside the Heeler family's Queenslander home, the fairies and garden gnomes come to life and lead the tour - playing lots of games while you browse around spots like Bluey's lounge room, bedroom, playroom, kitchen and even her backyard for a game of keepy uppy. 

Stepping into the world of Bluey is a must-do for any fan. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot

The home is filled with little easter eggs, like the Duck cake baking in the oven and random long dogs, that fans will be able to spot while they try and track down Bluey and Bingo. 

The kids had a ball wandering around the 'fake' world, so now it was time to drive around to the spots that served as inspiration for all of it. 

📍281 MacArthur Avenue (Dock D) Hamilton

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Streets Beach, South Bank Parklands

Located along the Brisbane river, Streets Beach is exactly that, a man-made beach located close to the bustling streets of the CBD. You'll recognise it from the series two episode 'Ice Cream'. 

Head to South Bank Parklands for a quick dip or stay the whole day and have a bite to eat at the many eateries around the shore - just look out for the (many... MANY) bin chickens who will most definitely try and steal your food!

📍South Bank Parklands, South Brisbane

Streets Beach in real life. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot

Streets Beach as seen in the Ice-Cream episode. Image: ABC

Ashgrove Library

Bluey makes her way to the library in the episode 'Promises' from season 3, which is all about the power of making and breaking promises. 

The library is located in the suburb of Ashgrove, where you'll also spot many Queenslander-style homes just like Bluey's and it was a lucky surprise that we saw a sticker by the door that boasted "Bluey was here"! A fun little buzz for those who recognise the spot. 

📍87 Amarina Ave, Ashgrove

Ashgrove Library in real life. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot

Ashgrove Library in Promises episode. Image: ABC

Golden Crown Restaurant, Ashgrove

'Takeaway' has to be one of the most famous episodes from season 1 and serves as a reminder to all of us that you can never be satisfied heading home without your favourite entrees (read: spring rolls). 

Rumour has it that creators took inspiration from this cute little eatery, appropriately named "Golden Crown Seafood Restaurant". You can spot it on the corner of the main town of Ashgrove. And yes, I was tempted to go in and order some spring rolls but it has sadly closed down. 

📍336 Waterworks Rd, Ashgrove

The Golden Crown Chinese restaurant seen in the Takeway episode was inspired by this eatery in Ashgrove. Image: ABC / Leah Goulis / Kidspot

New Farm Park

Located in the suburb of New Park, this public spot boasts 15 hectares that many local families flock to for a day of playing and catch-ups with loved ones. 

There's a lovely garden to walk through, BBQ and play areas and loads and loads of wide spaces perfect for a game of cricket. It is believed the episode 'Spy Game' from Season 1 was set here.

Don't leave without visiting the public toilet just near the corner entrance - you'll recognise that too!

📍1042 Brunswick St, New Farm

New Farm Park in real life. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot

New Farm Park is said to be the location where the episode Spy Game is set. Image: ABC

Hammerbarn - AKA Bunnings Keperra

Possibly one of the most iconic of Bluey locations is the Bunnings located in Keperra, about 23 mins out of Brisbane CBD.

It served as inspiration for the famous warehouse Hammerbarn in the animated series and once you see the mountainous backdrop, you'll recognise that this isn't like any old Bunnings - it's the famous one!

The excitement was real when we turned into the parking lot, with the whole car yelling "Hammerbarn!"

📍481 Settlement Rd, Keperra

The excitement is real when you spot Hammerbarn in real life. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot

Hammerbarn, seen in many Bluey episodes, was inspired by the Keperra store. Image: ABC

Mt Coot-tha Summit Lookout

Sure, the view of Brisvegas is gorgeous up there, but this isn't just ANY lookout - it's the spot made famous in season 3's 'The Sign' where Chilli manages to track down Frisky, who went AWOL ahead of her wedding day. 

“This is the lookout. Frisky and I used to come up here as teenagers too, um, think…” Chilli famously tells Bluey before trailing off, sparking a heap of fan theories about the Heeler mum's past. 

Make sure you soak in the view from the cabana up top as well as the lookout point where the binoculars are. We got a kick out of knowing that you need a lucky coin to operate it, just like in the episode! 

📍1012 Sir Samuel Griffith Drive, Mount Coot-Tha

The Mt Coot-Tha Summit Lookout can we seen in cartoon form in the episode 'The Sign'. Image: Leah Goulis / Kidspot, ABC

Wackadoo! This was a 10/10 family holiday we'll all remember - just like my Sound of Music moment all those years ago.

Allow around 2-3 hours (depending on how long you want to stop and look around) to visit all of these locations and plan out where you want to go first so you're not backtracking. 

Hopefully I've made it a little easier for you to follow along with your own family too. 

Leah was a guest of Turo and definitely recommends a self-guided tour of Brisbane for any Bluey fan. 

Originally published as I took the family on the ultimate Bluey fan road trip - for real life!