NRMA Darlington Beach Holiday Resort with Kids
If you’ve only got a weekend and want to go somewhere where everyone is guaranteed to have fun, Darlington Park is a safe bet. It’s the local holiday spot we always choose to limit the amount of gear we need to pack while maximising the fun. Here’s what we love about this place:
Waterslides (unlimited, free – the kids can’t get enough)
Pools with different depths, temperatures and more waterslides. There is a baby pool, small child pool and bigger kid pool. Oh and a spa/hot tub!
Jumping pillow
Holiday activities (crafts, movies, adventure stuff, hoola hoops and beanbags in the afternoons by the waterslides, etc)
Kart hire (multiple options depending on who is driving - my four-year-old could drive one and so could my husband).
The camping kitchen is amazing and fully decked out – two sinks, a huge fridge, an electric kettle, a microwave, stove top, barbeques and tables.
The amenities are huge and nice. So many showers, toilets, sinks, mirrors and a couple family bathrooms. Laundry services (AMAZING when you get a big downpour of rain and have to pack everything up soon!). See pictures of all the amenities below!
Large camping sites – there is so much space.
Lots of room for riding bikes around the camp site, without being near other people.
More sports options like tennis courts, pump track, basketball court, lawn bowls and a bmx dirt bike track.
A café/restaurant (which does drinks and food, dine in or takeaway). It’s right next to the pool too!
A beach! The park has direct access to the Arrawarra Beach, a gorgeous spot.
Wildlife – the kids adore seeing kangaroos up close (but not too close!). There are literally kangaroos that live in the holiday park, they are everywhere and very comfortable.
Safety – we always felt safe and it’s a real family-friendly place, with wide roads, kids coming and going by themselves all around the park, and boom gates which limit traffic through the park.
The trees everywhere are absolutely gorgeous, the park is stunning just to look at. I love in the camping area how there is grass around the base of the trees to protect them and keep it natural for the wildlife.
When you are camping, it is very much bush camping, but then you can just pop out into holiday-land and amenities and lattes by the pool. Best of everything.
It’s close to Coffs Harbour (30min north).
Image created using Google Maps
The only downside to this place is that it is so popular. It’s super busy, especially in peak times (when all the holiday bonuses are on – like activities and free afternoon sausage sizzles, and lots of kids to play with). I am glad we bush-camped and could escape the wild sensory overload that is the fun centre of Darlington Park. It’s a big weekend if your kids are into pools and waterslides, everyone ends up exhausted by Monday!
We’ve been going to this park for a few years. Every time we tell literally anyone from the Coffs Harbour region we are going to Darlington, they say, “oh we love it there!” And it seems to be true, we always recognise local faces whenever we go there. (HINT: If locals tell you about Darlington Park, that’s the same place - it’s the old name!)
It’s a great spot for families with kids. We’ve been going since our daughter was three, and my son was a toddler. Now my kids are older (6 and 4) it is a lot easier and more fun (and I’m not so worried about them getting hurt on the slides). A friend of ours had a teenager who enjoyed beach fishing.
If you want a quiet relaxed weekend with the kids, don’t pick this one, this is a spot for pure fun.