Month long trip up the east coast (NSW/QLD) suggestions please

[dadmum+3kids]

Hi everyone so we have decided instead of going to our usual haunt for xmas holidays this year (Umina last year was a bad experience) we would do a month long trip up the east coast (NSW/QLD) we will be leaving around 17th December and returning around the 20th Jan.

Anyone got any suggestions on places to visit things to see and how far up into QLD we should go?? We will be travelling with 3kids aged 8 & 6. Not really interested in doing QLD theme parks at that time of year!! But beaches must be included we love the BEACH!!

Thanks in advance

 

[expanda]

Hi there, we do pretty much the same trip for us its always been

Gold Coast > Hervey Bay & Fraser Island > Lennox Head (Lake Ainsworth) with about a week or two at each location

Gold Coast = Theme Parks, Tweed River, The Rock Pools @ Currumbin, Waterfalls and Art run at Mnt Tambourine and the Natural Arch / Bridge

Hervey Bay = Fishing, Seafood, 4Wd'ing and a day two letting loose at Fraser. Personally this has always been the cut off from the monson season. Hervey Ba still gets the lower end of any tropical weather further up north but its about the last place I would usually go in terms of length up the coast to avoid the weather patterns further up north.

Lennox Head = Has to be the best spot on the coast, sorry I am biast . It has a tea tree oil lake on one side and the beach on the other all within 5 steps from your door. I can sit, drink a beer and watch the kids in the lake from my annexe. Then on the odd occassion go to Byron, Bangalow, Lismore, Yamba etc for day trips.

This year we are looking at, which is further than Hervey Bay but we are going to have a crack.

Cairns > Whitsundays > Gladstone / Hervey Bay > Lennox Head (Lake ainsworth)

What happened at Umina if you don't mind me asking?

 

[mfexpanda]

1770 ? :high5:

 

[Deano]

What about stopping at BARGARA. Check it out on the WEB.
Cheers
Deano

 

[relgate]

Hi everyone so we have decided instead of going to our usual haunt for xmas holidays this year (Umina last year was a bad experience) we would do a month long trip up the east coast (NSW/QLD) we will be leaving around 17th December and returning around the 20th Jan.

Anyone got any suggestions on places to visit things to see and how far up into QLD we should go?? We will be travelling with 3kids aged 8 & 6. Not really interested in doing QLD theme parks at that time of year!! But beaches must be included we love the BEACH!!

Thanks in advance

What happened at Umina?
We are thinking of going there for first time next Xmas

 

[Burnsy]

Hi relgate,
We go to manning point at Chrissy time, situated about 25min east of taree on the manning river. It has a beach which is unpatrolled but good for driving on and fishing. It gets busy christmas/newyear but a great spot and has activities for the kids and beach access from the park. There are two caravan parks there but the one we like is called weroona holiday park, check it out on the net and see what you think. It's also pet friendly, the big 4 is the other one but not many trees, it does have a good pool though but that's about it. Weroona is more of a camping atmosphere which suits us!

The park at umina, was it blue lagoon? We've been there a couple of times and really like it, although it wasn't peak time when we were there, I know they are pretty strict with the rules!

Cheers

 

[Burnsy]

The missus just informed me that it's probably not that park at umina, I was thinking of somewhere else! Doh!!

 

[Deano]

Try Lake Monduran. 20 min north along Bruce HWY from GIN GIN QLD. Then another 10 mins and you arrive there.

 

[relgate]

Hi relgate,
We go to manning point at Chrissy time, situated about 25min east of taree on the manning river. It has a beach which is unpatrolled but good for driving on and fishing. It gets busy christmas/newyear but a great spot and has activities for the kids and beach access from the park. There are two caravan parks there but the one we like is called weroona holiday park, check it out on the net and see what you think. It's also pet friendly, the big 4 is the other one but not many trees, it does have a good pool though but that's about it. Weroona is more of a camping atmosphere which suits us!

The park at umina, was it blue lagoon? We've been there a couple of times and really like it, although it wasn't peak time when we were there, I know they are pretty strict with the rules!

Cheers

Sounds good
We normally go south to Bawley Point. Nice campsite but the staff are REALLY cranky which puts you off a little.
We looked at Umina at easter time when we drove through and thought it looked pretty good (as far as resort style camping goes!). We normally go with a big group and lots of young children, so a pool and playground is essential for our christmas glamping experience.
I think we might just be 'lazy' and go back to Bawley Point for Chirstmas and look elsewhere during the year.

 

[Deano]

Then these 2. You have 1770 Campgrounds and also Tannum Beach. We are doing 1770 campgrounds for Easter next year. We still yet to experience Tannum Beach. We have heard good reports about it though.
Cheers
Deano

 

[Deano]

Agnes Water is 1hr 20 north of Bundaberg. Nice and very clean park. Beach is very close by. Still yet to stay there.
Cheers
Deano

 

[ragracing]

We stayed at Captain Cook Holiday Village at 1770 at Easter time but next time we are going to stay at The First Point caravan park at Agnes Waters on the beach, it looked great with nice grassy sites and right on the patrolled beach.

The only thing at Christmas Time is to keep an eye on the weather and be prepared to head south to get away from the cyclones etc.

Duncan

 

[dadmum+3kids]

Thanks everyone I will go through your suggestions in detail and see what suits us!

Basically Umina the Big 4 its called ocean beach owned by NRMA was disastrous we have been previously and loved it great park for kids!!Great facilities & kids club over holidays but we booked as a group of 4 vans and specifically asked to be on sites beside or backing onto each other but we were spread up & down one street but when some in the group have 2yr olds its very difficult and the children were running between vans and of course stress levels were super high with cars and night times we were unable to be a group we were all seperated and not able to enjoy our camping!! WE made several calls over the year leading up to our stay as we had booked on departure the previous year!! It is clearly stated in their policies that all group bookings will be kept together!! This clearly was not the case one group of 5 vans that was located across from us actually had to go to NRMA direct they were lucky enough to have contact details of someone quite high up who they were able to make a complaint with prior to arriving and be moved back together as they had also been separated! However this was the least of our worries during our stay there a really and I mean really bad vomiting & diarrhoea bug went through the park one of our group had to take their family home (we are 1.5hrs from home) and leave their van where it was we then had to hose their annexe out!! The amenities were horrendous they were filthy!! One set of Mens amenities had faeces on top of the showers that cleaners did not clean until 2hrs after complaints were made!! This vomiting bug was through the entire park so many people were sick and even though we have a shower in the van hubby used the amenities that was until he went to a set that were on the opposite side of the park hoping that they were cleaner and the bug had not spread that far only to be half way through his shower and happened to glance underneath the bench seat in the cubicle and underneath between his cubicle and the one beside someone had vomited and left it there!! He literally came running back to van dripping wet and got in the van shower and disinfected himself!! we didn't use the amenities again!! There was also issues with fights within the park we understand that this is not the parks fault but a very serious fight (lots of yelling abusive language derogatory remarks etc) broke out between what we understand was a father & son in law at 2am it went on for at least an hour before security stepped in and broke it up they were removed from the park in the morning but all those factors put together has unfortunately put a bad taste in our mouths for the park which is very disappointing as I said its a great family park & the facilities provided for kids & families is great the location is fantastic but we just can't get past our bad experience!!

Thanks again for the suggestions Im off to look at them all in detail!!

 

[Burnsy]

Oh my god, that was a weekend from hell, don't blame you for not going back. My suggestion (manning point was meant for you guys, sorry I thought it was relgate (no offence relgate). Hope you guys have a more enjoyable trip this time. I have also had to take my family home due to illness when we have been away then I had to go back and pack up a camper trailer, but you get that at times I guess....what is that saying s##t happens!

 

[dadmum+3kids]

Not a weekend 3 weeks the first 1.5weeks were fine no one really there its was the 2nd part when the park was at capacity that things clearly started going wrong!! I figured your suggestion was for us

 

[Turtle]

hey guys, the bad experiences can happen anywhere unfortunantly!
we had a fantastic time at Batmans Bay one year (and it wasn't an EASTS park) and then the next year, had an experience that we decided to never go back.
When we stay at parks, we look at how many "permanents" reside there and this seems to be the factor that determins the quality of the park.
We've noticed that a lot of east coast parks have the permanets at one end of the park and if you can get up the holiday end of the park, your stay is a lot more enjoyable as your with like minded travelers.
I feel as though at this point I should point out that we are no snobs although sometimes (unfortunantly) possession is 9/10ths of the law and people that live in parks feel as though they own them.
Park management should treat everyone equaly and consider the power of the internet and forums like this.
We have rebooked at (EASTS) Dolphin Beach as we had a fantastic time last year and hope to meet up with the same people.
As a child, our family used to stay 6 weeks at a park at Bateau Bay (central coast NSW). Same families on the same sites year after year! great memories!!!

 

[newbie]

We were also at the NRMA Umina van park during the Xmas holidays. 4 family groups. We had spent the better part of 12 months planning the trip, in conjunction with park management. We had the site detials provided too us up front - all 4 sites together. We we arrived only 1 family got the site we had been promised/booked. the other 3 families were spread across a number of streets. When we asked management about it they denied knowledge then concocted a story that no one believed. The crux of it is "Management just didn't give a sh%*"

That make 3 groups on this bog that had a similar problem at the same van site, a total of 13 families that either did not get what had been promised or had to make a lot of noise to get it. Management there clearly have some work to do or they will start losing customers

On a positive note, the park itself was great, easy access to the beach & lots for the kids to do.

 

[chartrock]

Just came back from 12 nights at Sydney Gateway CP at Parklea. Previously owned by NRMA and was great, now run by Big4 but is being redeveloped as "Sydney Gateway Lifestyle Village" and all van sites are being 'sold' off for permanent van style accommodation. Currently charging $45 per night, I think they are trying to discourage vans from using the place and they are actively discouraging families by closing children's things like the jumping pillow. I'm sure it will be closed to campers by this time next year.