Splash parks, outdoor cinemas, petting zoos and dolphin feeding – not all caravan parks are created equal. Here are seven of Australia’s best family caravan parks ramping up the happy squeals for kids these school holidays.
How do you get kids off screens? A bush survival challenge, rescue mission and a tub of commando paint should do the trick. Welcome to the Bear Grylls Survival Academy at NRMA Darlington Beach Holiday Resort. The program will keep kids busy learning how to forage for bush tucker, build a shelter and survive in the wilderness. The Survival Academy runs at various NRMA holiday parks, but there’s something about Darlington Beach, sandwiched between rainforest and the sea, that’s a bit special.
Located on the Arrawarra beachfront, about 30 minutes north of Coffs Harbour, the 45ha park provides the perfect mix of nature play and holiday park fun. On site you will find a splash park, swimming pool, jumping pillows, tennis courts, lawn bowls, archery and a BMX track. The nine-hole waterfront golf course and licensed restaurant keep the adults happy, and the park even has a resident mob of kangaroos. There’s an excellent kids club and oodles of space to ride a bike. If that’s not enough, the beach beckons.
Handfeeding wild dolphins at Monkey Mia is the ultimate show-and-tell experience. But there’s more for kids at RAC Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort than just ‘Flipper’. This beachside beauty on the shores of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area is a destination resort with all the trimmings of an upscale hotel. After the daily ranger-led dolphin feeding sessions, kids make a beeline for the two swimming pools and pirate-themed playground. There’s a recreation room and huge beachfront lawn, ripe for a kick of footy. And the game just might be interrupted by a mob of wild emus. From the beach, you can swim, take a sunset cruise and hire a kayak to try your luck spotting turtles, dugongs and sting rays. There are two restaurants on site. Parents, rejoice! You’ve got the night off cooking.
Most visitors come to The Grampians/Gariwerd to hike, but at Halls Gap Lakeside Tourist Park kids come to jump. And swim. And spot kangaroos. The park has a whopping eight spring-free trampolines, ensuring everyone gets a bounce – and no one pinches a finger. Wedged between Lake Bellfield and the dramatic Mount William and Wonderland ranges, the park has a tranquil setting ensconced in nature. Kangaroos come out to graze on the open grass at dawn and dusk, joined by an army of ducks, cockatoos and emus. And the camp kitchen and alfresco deck wouldn’t look out of place on a trendy Melbourne cafe strip. But it’s the two wood-fire heated pools and the ice-cream cart that kids love the most. That and scoffing toasted marshmallows by the campfire.
©️NRMA Sydney Lakeside Holiday Park
Want to get away during the school holidays but can’t venture too far from the big smoke? NRMA Sydney Lakeside Holiday Park in North Narrabeen has you covered with a staycation that’s just 17km from the CBD. Bordered by Narrabeen Lake on one side and a patrolled surf beach on another, this is city-fringe camping at its best. The kids can go nuts at the splash park (nippers don’t feel the cold), dry off in the playground and then take the pedal karts for a spin. Hit North Narrabeen Rock Pool for a protected ocean swim, or brave the swell at the surf beach next door (wetsuits recommended). The family can also take to the lake on a kayak or stand-up paddle board. If the kids tire of this trifecta of magnificent swim spots, there are 21 beaches on the park’s doorstep.
If your kids are lucky enough to make it to the Red Centre, no caravan park can ever match those vast desert landscapes and wondrous star-lit skies. But then along comes Discovery Parks – Alice Springs with it’s cool pools and waterslides. Cue the kids losing their minds. This park, on the southern fringe of Alice, has a spectacular backdrop against the craggy red peaks of Mount Johns. Like an oasis in the desert, the park has three swimming pools, one with a twisting waterslide, as well as a jumping pillow, go karts, basketball court, playground and games room. At dusk, the whole family can climb atop Sunset Hill for scenic sundowners and join a guided stargazing session after dark. If that’s not enough, the Sunday pancake breakfasts are lip-smackingly good.
©️BIG4 Renmark Riverfront Holiday Park
At this Murray River beauty in far-eastern South Australia, there’s something to float everyone’s boat. Quite literally. The BIG4 Renmark Riverfront Holiday Park is, as the label suggest, right on the water, with a staggering 1km of river frontage. This is a boating mecca, where families come to waterski, fish, kayak, paddle board or simply frolic on the riverbank. Winter activities are a little more subdued, but the games room, adventure playground, pump track, tennis court and pedal karts soon warm everyone up. The park also has a movie room, indoor toddler play space, giant chess board, gym and a sensory room for kids on the autism spectrum. Come summer, it’s all about the water, and the park doesn’t disappoint, with a water park, pool, spa and outdoor cinema.
Some caravan parks have a resident doggo, BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort has a whole menagerie of farmyard animals. This enormously popular Airlie Beach caravan park also has the mother of all splash parks – with a whopping 13 waterslides. With daily farmyard feedings sessions and a dizzying array of wet and dry play, this BIG4 is a resort and theme park in one. You’ll find the usual mix of kid-friendly facilities – including a playground, tennis court, basketball hoop and jumping pillows. But what surprises are the extras – a mini-golf course, outdoor cinema, visiting food trucks and a program of year-round activities, including wildlife visits, scavenger hunts and guided nighttime animal spotting. The resort even has a kids’ club where the little tackers can play with kinetic sand and make chocolate balls. Adults don’t miss out. The free Paint & Sip sessions are surpassed only by the poolside massage hut.
