Visiting Urunga with Kids

Urunga, NSW is a perfect family holiday destination on the Coffs Coast

If you’re around the Coffs Harbour region you do not want to miss stopping in at Urunga for a visit. Whether you’ve got an hour or a week, Urunga needs to be on your list. I think because Urunga is off the highway now, and it’s little, and it’s about 20mins south of Coffs Harbour, it’s often missed by people who come to visit the Big Banana and then think they’ve seen the region. Well if you don’t see Urunga, you’ll have missed a gorgeous, unique and fun place to visit.

Here are some of the things my family loves at Urunga:

The 1km boardwalk out over the river that goes all the way to the beach. This boardwalk has so many things that appeal: The spectacular views for the parents, being able to see/feed little fish for younger kids, chairs along the way to have a rest, steps to access the river for fishing or playing, and the fact that it is wide and maintained enough for a wheelchair, pram or toddler bike. (When my son was little I let him ride his bike on the boardwalk because he didn’t want to walk that far – the older men would constantly stop and tell him “that’s a great bike you’ve got there!”.)
The pontoon/jetty. This newish jetty is a highlight with older kids for jumping off and playing around in summer.
The shallow waters and sandy bay, ideal for younger ones to have a splash around in.
Calm waters, no waves, perfect for stand up paddleboarding, kayaking, boating and more.
Fishing!
The playground right near the water has sections to appeal to older and younger kids, as well as exercise equipment.
There is a nice path to walk/ride along.
There are public amenities and barbeques.
The walk out to the beach offers opportunities for animal spotting. We’ve seen hermit crabs, different types of fish, different birds – pelicans, egrets, eagles etc, lizards, insects, kangaroos, and even a snake (down on the rocks).
The beach itself is an unprotected, 4wd and dog beach. I wouldn’t suggest swimming here, but it’s great for taking the kids for a play, as there is usually driftwood along the beach and sand dunes to climb. Over the years, and particularly after a massive flood back in 2021, so much wood ended up on the beach that people are still making huts/shelters two years later. The older kids love contributing to the builds and the younger ones love playing in them for hours.

The best time to visit Urunga, in my opinion, is when it’s not too windy, so you can enjoy the boardwalk. Otherwise you can do water activities, including fishing, or just enjoy the walk, play and scenery any time of year. Urunga really is spectacular.

If you’ve got time, stop in for a quick visit at The Honey Place, where the kids can see inside a beehive and taste different types of honey. Yum!

When I first moved to the region I rarely went to Urunga because I couldn’t see the point of having to walk 1km to get to a beach. And look, if you want a beach day, I’d recommend Sawtell or the Jetty Beach in Coffs Harbour. Urunga is a river town, and it offers a different type of play and exploration experience to the rest of Coffs. Now I love that I get to do a walk in nature and the kids don’t even realise how far they’re going because they’re having too much fun. I love how excited the kids are to go on the playground, to go looking for crabs and fish, and to go out to the ‘wood houses’ on the beach. It’s become a classic mini-adventure day for my kids and I.

If you’re looking for an easy adventure on the mid north coast, add Urunga to your list.

Here are some of the things my family loves at Urunga:

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