Gifts for Dad

Top Experiences and Gifts for Dad

Great gifts for your dad come down to one thing: matching the experience to his personality. If you’re stuck on what to buy for the family patriarch, switch from physical gadgets to something he’ll actually look forward to. From a quiet weekend away to a high-speed day on the track, these are the moments that turn ordinary gift-giving into a genuinely good story.

Explore the collections below to find the perfect gift for dad.

– For the food and drink lover: book him a craft Beer Tasting tour or sharpen his skills with hands-on Cooking Classes.

– For the thrill seeker: take him up in a Jet Fighter Flight that hits genuine combat speeds, or tick a big one off the list with Skydiving.

– For the motorsport fan: hand him the keys with Sports Car Hire, or get him sideways on the dirt with Rally Driving.

– For the outdoors lover: slow things down with a Tiny Homes and Cabins getaway, get out on the water with Jet Ski Tours, or send him out with premium Fishing and Boat Hire.

Gift Ideas for Dad

If you need specific inspiration, here are hand-picked gifts for dad that don’t involve a single box to wrap.

Craft beer and culinary masterclasses

– Byron Bay Brewery & Distillery Tour with Tastings and Lunch: Take him behind the scenes of Byron Bay’s craft beer scene. This 6 hour guided tour includes transport, stops at local names like Stone & Wood and Lord Byron Distillery, a custom tasting paddle, and a brewery lunch. One of the more useful gifts for dad, if you count a full belly as useful.

– Brew Your Own Beer or Cider (25L) in Melbourne: A genuinely useful gift for dad, and a hands-on one. Guided by micro-brewery experts, he’ll formulate, brew and bottle 25 litres of his own preservative-free beer to take home and actually drink.

– Maggie Beer’s Farm Seasonal Cooking School & Long Lunch: Set in the Barossa Valley, this intimate 2.5 hour class has dad cooking seasonal dishes with fresh garden ingredients, finishing with a relaxed, shared long lunch at the table.

– The Texan Way BBQ Class in Perth (4 Hours): Let him learn low and slow barbecue technique from a third-generation Texas pitmaster, perfecting smoky brisket and ribs before sitting down to a Southern feast he helped cook.

Jet fighter and skydiving thrills

– Jet Fighter Flight in Sydney (25 Minutes): For the dad who calls himself a daredevil, this ride in an L39 Albatros jet fighter hits genuine combat speeds of up to 910 km/h, with tactical manoeuvres and real G-force to match.

– Warbird Aerobatic Flight Experience in Moorabbin: Let him fly a piece of military aviation history over Melbourne and Port Phillip Bay, pulling over 4Gs in a vintage-style WWII fighter trainer. A memorable pick if you’re after a 60th birthday present for dad.

– Midweek Tandem Skydive Over Byron Bay (Up to 15,000ft): 60 seconds of freefall at 220 km/h over Cape Byron, with coastal and lighthouse views he won’t stop mentioning.

– Midweek Tandem Skydive Great Ocean Road (Up to 15,000ft): He’ll ride the air currents directly above Bells Beach, the kind of surf break most people only ever watch from the sand.

Sports car hire and rally driving track days

– Melbourne GT500 Mustang One Day Self Drive Car Hire (Midweek): Give him the keys to a classic 1967 GT500 Mustang Convertible for 24 hours, complete with a V8 engine and a 400km driving allowance. A strong choice for a 50th birthday gift for dad, or any birthday that calls for a proper car.

– Lamborghini and Ferrari Drive Yarra Valley (60 Minutes): Dad drives a V10 Lamborghini Gallardo for 30 minutes, then swaps into a Ferrari for another 30, both through open country roads in the Yarra Valley.

– WRX Rally Drive 4 Laps Plus 1 Hot Lap in Brisbane: Dad takes the wheel of a turbocharged WRX rally car for four sideways laps with an instructor, then rides shotgun for one hot lap with a pro driver.

– Rally Driving 8 Laps & 1 Hot Lap Experience in Hunter Valley: A 2 hour motorsport session on a dedicated dirt track. He picks his rally-spec turbo Mitsubishi or Subaru and pushes it to the limit with an instructor alongside.

Jet ski safaris and water escapes

– Whitsundays Jet Ski Tour – 90 Minutes – For 2: Explore the Whitsunday Island Marine Park on a late-model jet ski. This 90 minute guided tour out of Airlie Beach is a proper high speed ride, with sea turtles, dugongs and sea birds regularly spotted along the way.

– Perth Jet Blast Jet Ski Tour – 90 Minutes – For 2: Get his heart rate up across the open waters of Garden Island and Cockburn Sound. Riding a high performance Yamaha VX jet ski, dad opens up the throttle while keeping an eye out for local dolphins, pelicans and sea lions.

Fishing charters and hire

– Deep Sea Fishing in Port Phillip Heads from Sorrento – 5 Hours: A 5 hour sport fishing trip for dad, guided by an expert skipper through Bass Strait or Port Phillip Bay. He’ll use proper fish-finding tech to chase snapper, salmon or flathead, with any legal catch cleaned and filleted on board.

– Noosa Fishing and Crabbing Adventure – Half Day: A relaxing 4 hour charter on the calm waters of the Noosa River. From a custom 7 metre Pro Punt with its own casting platform, dad fishes for bream, whiting or flathead, then eats fresh sand crab and mud crab cooked right there on board.

Cabin getaways

– 2 Night Central Coast Tiny House Stay with Hamper and Champagne: Two nights in a tiny house on the Central Coast, complete with a local gourmet hamper and chilled champagne. A relaxed option if you’re after a 70th birthday gift for dad that doesn’t involve an itinerary.

– 2 Night Yallingup Getaway in an Off-Grid Premium Cabin: Set on a family-owned winery in WA, this solar-powered retreat has an outdoor bath, coastal bushland views, and nothing on the agenda but quiet.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best gifts for dad?

Skip the material stuff. The best gifts for dad are the ones he’ll actually talk about afterwards, like flying in a jet fighter, touring a working winery, or drifting a rally car around a dirt track.

What are unique gift ideas for dad?

Try something he wouldn’t book for himself. A hands-on brewing class, an off-grid cabin getaway, or a low and slow Texan BBQ class all make properly unique gifts for dad.

What are practical gifts for dad he will use?

Useful gifts for dad don’t have to mean another tool or a pack of socks. Think gourmet cooking classes or a brewing session where he takes home something he actually made.

What are the best gifts for new dads?

New dads rarely get a minute to themselves. Give him one, with a quiet weekend away, a laid-back brewery tour, or a scenic drive that has nothing to do with parenting.

What are good last-minute gifts for dad?

Running out of time? RedBalloon Gift Vouchers land in his inbox instantly, come with a personal message, and stay valid for 5 years, so he picks the date.

What are the best personalised gifts for dad?

Real personalisation isn’t a name engraved on a mug. It’s an experience that matches what he’s actually into, like driving a classic Mustang or a Ferrari through wine country.

What are the best gifts for dad from a son?

Shared experiences make good gifts from a son. Think a two-seat track day, a rally driving session, or a fishing charter you can both be part of.

What are the best gifts for dad from a daughter?

Daughters often lean toward quality time. A cooking school, a scenic flight, or a relaxed weekend at an off-grid cabin all give you proper time to catch up.

What are the best gifts for a dad who wants nothing?

Every family has one. If he already owns everything he needs, stop looking for things: these are gifts for dads who don’t want a thing. Skydiving from 15,000 feet, flying an aerobatic warbird, or a behind-the-scenes distillery tour all work, because none of them come in a box.

Looking for More Gifts?

Celebrating something else, or shopping for another man in your life? Explore more of the range to find the right fit.

– By milestone: Birthday Gifts For Him, Father’s Day Gifts For Him and Christmas Gifts For Him.

– By recipient: Gifts For Husband and Gifts For Men.

– By price: Gifts Under $100, Gifts Under $200, Gifts Under $300 and Gifts Under $400.