Where: The Lake Burley Griffin cycle track at Yarralumla.

Discover: Unfortunately, much of the cycle track around Canberra's centrepiece lake is relatively open and exposed. Luckily, the stretch of track between Weston Park and Dunrossil Drive that passes through the tranquil Westbourne Woods is shaded, making it perfect for that family cycle, even on a scorching hot summer day. It's also ideal for beginners as it is mostly flat, too.

Watch out for: Give the kangaroos grazing on the well-watered lawns of the Royal Canberra Golf club a wave as you pedal past and try to spot shy native water rats at the long bridge on approach to the Governor-General's residence.

Ice cream: Grab a cup of locally made Gelato Mio (made from 100 per cent natural ingredients) from the Yarralumla Play Station (8.30am-4.30pm Mon-Fri and 8.30am-5.30pm weekends), or pull up a seat under the trees at The Oaks Brasserie (10am-4pm Tue-Fri and 8.30am – 4pm weekends) where you can tuck into ice cream cones with sprinkles (or, if you ask nicely, bowls of ice cream).

Don't miss: Stop halfway, grab a handful of stones and skim them across the water. Good old-fashioned fun. The world record is 88 skips (by Kurt Steiner in 2013 in the US), but if you can get your kids to achieve five skips then they probably deserve another ice cream.

Tim's tip: If you have bigger kids, challenge them to the three-basin challenge — a circumnavigation of the East, Central and West Basins of Lake Burley Griffin, which many cycling pundits claim is one of the best half-day rides in Australia. Take plenty of water (and money for a pit-stop ice cream at each basin).

Beware: Some members of the lycra-clad brigade get a tad annoyed if everyone else isn't travelling at their breakneck speed on our cycle tracks. Just keep left, and smile.

More: The Visit Canberra website has a handy online map of the track around the lake.

Where: Birrigai Rock Shelter, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve.

Discover: An easy three-kilometre (allow 1.5 hours) walk along the Birrigai Time Trail to marvel at one of the most significant Indigenous sites in the ACT.

Watch out for: The track passes through grassland that is a popular haunt for many critters, including Tidbinbilla's resident emus. Like kangaroos, emus can't walk backwards, but I suggest you advise your kids to walk in a forward direction so they don't trip over.

Ice cream: Pluck one from the freezer at the nature reserve visitor centre, or for ice cream that's just "out of this world" drive across to the Moon Rock Café at the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Communication Complex (open daily 9.30am – 4pm).

Don't miss: Not far from the rock shelter is a 20-metre long naturally occurring crawl-through. Don't eat too much for lunch or you will struggle to fit in.

Tim's tip: While the rock shelter (which you can't enter) is signposted, the crawl-through isn't, so you'll have to fossick around nearby rocky outcrops to find it. That's half the fun. If you want to make an afternoon of it, after you've finished the Birrigai Time Trail, try the (shorter and shadier) Hanging Rock Track located deeper in the reserve.

Beware: Snakes - but if you take the advice of an indigenous ranger who once told me to "make a lot of noise when you approach the rock shelter to let the spirits know you are coming", you will likely also scare away any slithering reptiles.

More: Tidbinbilla Visitor Centre, Paddys River Road. Entry fees apply. Reserve gates open daily 7.30am-8pm in the summer, while the visitor centre is open 9am-5pm. Ph: 6205 1233 or click here.

Where: Australian National Botanic Gardens, Acton.

Discover: 74,000 individual plants arranged in 40 hectares of themed sections. OK, so the young ones might lose count after they run out of fingers and toes, but you could always issue them with the challenge to reach a certain number before they earn their ice cream.

Animal antics: The gardens are a haven for birds, but the kids will probably more enjoy observing the many water dragons sunning themselves around the pond located on the terrace just below the café.

Ice cream: Pollen, the gardens' café (open 9am-4pm daily), stocks take-away "kids-only" (I dare you to ask for an adult size!) ice cream cups.

Tim's tip: If it's hot, beat a path for the man-made rainforest gully, which represents all the rainforests on the east coast of Australia, and where it's usually several degrees cooler than the surrounding landscape. Phew! If you follow the track through the entire gully, you can effectively walk the entire east coast rainforests in ten-minutes. Talk about bragging rights.

Don't miss: Later this month, NatureArt Lab (which features art courses inspired by nature) is offering a range of natural history art workshops at the gardens for all age groups and abilities, including: "Marsupial traces: prints and poos", and "Floral emblem treasure hunt". Click here for dates and costs.

Beware: Parking inspectors. Don't forget to feed the meter.

More: Ph: 6250 9588 or click here.

Where: Yarrangobilly Caves. Located within the northern section of Kosciuszko National Park, just off the Snowy Mountains Highway, 109 kilometres from Cooma. The last six kilometres of road is unsealed but suitable for 2WD.

Discover: Be dazzled by a range of spectacular show caves. Oh, and best of all, you'll also escape the heat – in the caves the mercury, even in January, rarely rises above 12 degrees.

Animal antics: Above ground you'll be enamoured by wandering wombats, while when you're underground keep an eye out for cave crickets – real-life troglodytes.

Ice cream: In the Jersey Cave, some of the flow stones resemble a giant ice cream. But for the real thing, you'll have to head to the ticket office at Yarrangobilly (open daily 9am–5pm) which peddles a range of prepackaged ice creams. Alternatively, pop your favourite flavoured tub in an esky with some ice bricks before leaving home (or if you are worried it might melt, buy a tub in Adaminaby on the way).

Don't miss: While all the self-guided and ranger-led tours of caves are family-friendly, if you crave some adult time, book the kids on one of the knock-out kids-only nature play programs (ages 4-12). Two dates only: January 7 and 12. They are popular, so book ahead. Daredevils aged 10-plus will jump at the one-off River Odyssey adventure on 13 January, which includes climbs, slides, and water-filled passages and river rock-hopping. Wow!

Tim's tip: This is a long day trip, so consider bunking down overnight in the two-storey Caves House. Ensuite rooms with shared kitchens. The littlies will love playing hide and seek with other in-house guests in the grand circa 1917 lounge room.

Beware: Mountain weather can be fickle, and it can get chilly (really!) even in mid-summer, so pack a few winter woollies just in case. Best to be prepared.

More: Open daily. Entry and cave tour fees apply. Ph: 02 6454 9597 or click here.

Where: Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary, Forde.

Discover: By torchlight, explore the sanctuary where, protected by a predator-proof fence, native animals are thriving in the absence of feral animals such as cats and foxes.

Animal antics: Be surprised by the range of critters you will see once the sun sets, and you may even glimpse an eastern bettong. After becoming locally extinct around 100 years ago they were successfully reintroduced to the fenced sanctuary in 2012.

Ice cream: You have several options here, including Cold Rock and Gelatissimo which are both open daily in the Gungahlin Town Centre (but only until 9.30pm, so don't get carried away too much with the spotlighting).

Don't miss: For some insider knowledge on the sanctuary, join a guided Kid's Night Walk. $15 per person, at 8pm each Thursday in January.

Tim's tip: If you prefer to wander around the bush by sun rather than torch light, book a Hollow Homes walk, an easy walk where your expert guide uses a spycam to spy on the animals in tree hollows. Kids: $12 each (ticket includes 1 adult). 9am, every Tuesday in January.

More: Click here to find out more.