This is an ideal spot if you're not wanting to stray too far from the park for any of your eating and drinking options thanks to a convenient Camp Kitchen area and BBQ located on site.

If you're wanting to leave the park there's of course plenty of options, the closest of which are located in the Coffs Habour CBD area which is less than 10 minutes walk from your accommodation. For a morning, coffee and perhaps something to eat, our favourite spot is Palate and Ply Espresso Bar, a trendy cafe and roastery where you'll find experienced coffee professionals at the helm and a fantastic all day takeaway menu available.

The Coffs Hotel located just up the road on Grafton Street is always a favourite. A popular spot for a refreshing drink on a warm day or a counter meal on any given day of the week. It's beautiful facade is hard to miss and one of the most iconic pubs in Australia. Depending on the night music lovers may also be in luck with some great gigs often rotating through the famed backroom.

For something a little smarter, The Jetty Pavilion does long lunches beautifully, with fennel salted snapper, share plates and the kind of breezy verandah that begs for a second bottle of local rosé.

A short drive away but for lovers of the beach, Park Beach is the obvious headline act, with the patrolled flags going up over summer and a generous stretch of soft sand and easy surf right across the road. We wandered down each morning before the heat kicked in and watched the bodyboarders work the shore break while flat whites went cold in our hands. The kids will likely disappear toward the on-site games room and firepit area the moment you arrive, so plan accordingly.

A five-minute drive north and you cannot miss The Big Banana Fun Park, a Coffs Harbour rite of passage built around the country's most photographed piece of fruit. The water park, toboggan run, ice skating rink and laser tag will swallow most of a day, and entry to the giant banana itself, the lolly factory tour and the opal display is free. Pack swimmers if the weather is warm.

For something gentler, the walk out to Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve along the marina breakwall is a Coffs Coast must. From August to April thousands of wedge-tailed shearwaters nest in burrows across the headland, and the views back to the harbour at sunset are quietly spectacular. Between June and November we kept the binoculars in the car for migrating humpbacks, which often track close to shore.

Animal-loving families should set aside a half day for Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary, formerly Dolphin Marine Conservation Park. Established in 1970 as a rescue and rehab centre, it is one of the only places in Australia to meet bottlenose dolphins, Australian sea lions and little blue penguins up close, with daily encounters that sell out fast in school holidays. Round the day off with a wander down the Jetty Strip or a paddle at Diggers Beach if the swell is up.