Camping Melbourne

Drag yourselves away from all the antics at the park and a good first port of call is the mighty Saint-François River, a kilometre away and a top spot for canoe and kayak adventures. If you’ve not got your own kit, an activity centre in Richmond (five minutes’ drive) will sort you with days of family paddling or more challenging white-water routes. If that’s not your idea of a great way to get around, perhaps instead saddle up for horse riding from Ulverton (10 minutes), tackle a bit of Québec’s famed Green Route cycle path or set forth on the Chemin des Cantons route to take in the area’s villages, bridges and characterful round barns. Also on the list for family days should be Richmond’s Slate Museum, Granby Zoo (50 minutes) and the magical illuminated trails at Foresta Lumina (50 minutes). If you haven’t got the kids with you, perhaps some exploration of the local vineyards might be in order instead? For a full-on day out, it’s about an hour and a half’s drive to the fab city of Montreal.