Emerald beach
An new van, a new summer destination! A time to escape as a tribe to warmer weather before the beginning of the school year starts. The criteria was by the ocean, pet-friendly and a waterpark to surprise our warriors with! Emerald Beach delivered the goods!
This was our first summer getaway in the new van. Traditionally we stayed at Shoal Bay with our Jayco Flamingo each year but times are changing, the place was getting busier and busier, all of our favourite places to eat were being replaced and the sites were going to be a little tight for our new van, so it was time to do some research and find a new summer holiday destination! Emerald Beach looked perfect! Only 15mins north of Coffs Harbour, big sites and located right on the beach! Perfect!
We stayed at Emerald Beach Holiday and Caravan Park on powered site 127. The site was massive and close to amenities. It was a little stroll to the pool and waterpark but that meant that our end of the caravan park was less busy. Our warriors practically lived at the waterpark! The waterslide, tipping bucket and splash-pad kept them entertained for hours. There are picnic tables and massive huts where parents can chill and supervise the children. Just across the street is the swimming pool with a wading pool. The caravan park is dog-friendly for most of the year, excluding 20th December to 10th January each year. A Taste of Aloha is a regular food truck that visits the caravan park. The food was delish!
We stayed at Emerald Beach Holiday and Caravan Park on powered site 127. The site was massive and close to amenities. It was a little stroll to the pool and waterpark but that meant that our end of the caravan park was less busy. Our warriors practically lived at the waterpark! The waterslide, tipping bucket and splash-pad kept them entertained for hours. There are picnic tables and massive huts where parents can chill and supervise the children. Just across the street is the swimming pool with a wading pool. The caravan park is dog-friendly for most of the year, excluding 20th December to 10th January each year. A Taste of Aloha is a regular food truck that visits the caravan park. The food was delish!
Just behind the caravan park is Emerald Beach. The off-leash dog beach is north of Fiddamans Creek but still on the same beach. Great beach for swimming and surfing. Just south of the beach is Dammerel Headland Track that you can access via some paved steps. Please note that the headland is part of NSW National Parks so dog aren't permitted, and for good reason, we saw wallabies each afternoon grazing at the headland. Our warriors enjoyed being creative in nature by climbing the rocks and making troughs and bridges with natural materials. There is also a funny thong tree along the beach where all lost thongs go to retire.
Emerald Beach was central to many destinations and attractions. As we had a week booked, below are some places that we traveled to and visited.
byron bay
Ok so you're probably thinking how did Byron Bay make it into our holiday plans. Well apart from the fact that we love Byron Bay and that it was only a 2hr drive, we also had a mission to pick up our new Foamie surfboards from Ballina after the courier sent our boards back to the warehouse after losing our delivery information. Since we were so close and it guaranteed that we would have our new boards safely in our possession, we thought it was a no-brainer. Plus we could then use our boards while on holiday. We spent the day at Tallows Beach since it was dog-friendly and had some pretty fun party waves pumping. We couldn't resist staying for an early dinner at Treehouse Byron Bay which we might add was also dog-friendly! The post surfing pizzas and margaritas went down an absolute treat and our puppy Ochre was spoilt with attention.
big banana
It wouldn't be a visit to Coffs Harbour without visiting the Big Banana! The must-have is the famous chocolate-coated frozen banana with your choice of hazlenuts or sprinkles for toppings. Dogs can join you for a coffee or bite to eat if you snag a table on the deck. Parking can be a little hectic for larger vans so we suggest popping in when you aren't towing the van. In saying that, Coffs Harbour has a huge array of shops including Camping World which is part of Watsons Leisure Centre. You can find heaps of caravan parking behind here.
moonee beach hotel
Only an 8min drive from the caravan park, this pub is the bee's knees! Ticks all the boxes for everyone! The dogs are welcomed, there is a putt putt course for the kidlets, plus an opened grassed area to kick a ball around. The food was amazing with the kids dishes coming with some fresh fruit. The service was quick and there was live music to keep us all entertained. In the same complex is where you will find Coles to top up on your supplies.
There are two cafes in Emerald Beach that we visited. Emerald Beach General Store was a cute cafe with an earthy vibe and the other was Surf Street Cafe which had ocean views. We ordered take-away from Emerald Beach Pizza and Pasta which was yummy and just up the road. We were disappointed that we couldn't get a booking at La Hacienda 101 Mexican Cantina or were even able to order take-away as they were that busy. The restaurant had come highly recommended to us so we can understand why we missed out! There is always next time.
Peace + love,
Peace + love,
wandering wildfolk
| copyright WANDERING WILDFOLK © 2021 | all photographs are owned by us |
| logo by gypsyandbearstudio | watercolour images by beatriceviyiwi |
| logo by gypsyandbearstudio | watercolour images by beatriceviyiwi |