The on-site kiosk handles morning coffee runs and the basics like ice, milk and bait, but the real joy is dragging the camp chairs to the river's edge with a takeaway dinner and watching the boats drift home as the light softens. The shaded BBQs and camp kitchen make easy work of a bring-your-own-prawns night, and we found ourselves cooking simply just to spend more time outside.

The five-minute walk across the footbridge into the village is what makes this park so good for breakfast people. We made a beeline for Bruns Bakery on the first morning and grabbed yourself a cream-filled vanilla slice and a still-warm cheese-and-bacon roll, then thanked us later. It's been baking out of the same shopfront since the 1950s and the Campos coffee keeps pouring all day. For a sit-down brunch, Footbridge Cafe is family-friendly and gluten-free friendly with a fresh, daily-changing menu, while BK's does a famous bacon and egg roll on a soft potato bun and breezy views across the park to the river.

Lunch leans coastal-Mexican at La Casita, the breezy cantina from the Fleet team, where confit pork collar and battered local fish tacos are built on housemade tortillas just steps from the sea. We slipped in for a long lunch on a hot afternoon and stayed for a second round of margaritas. Around the corner, Pink Lotus is the go-to for steaming bowls of pho, herb-heavy rice-noodle salads and banh mi to go.

For an easy back-to-the-park dinner, Birds of Paradise does smoky charcoal-roasted chicken with all the trimmings, and Old Maids keeps a loyal local crowd coming back for stacked burgers and very good all-day breakfasts.

The park sits right on the Brunswick River with its own boat ramp and fish-cleaning station, so the days start slowly with a kayak launch, a cast off the bank or a stroll to the footbridge with the dog. Kids tend to vanish towards the river edge with a hand line the moment the tent goes up, and the dog wash near the amenities is a small but very welcome touch after a sandy beach day.

Torakina Beach, tucked at the river mouth, is the family pick with calm, sheltered water perfect for paddling and snorkelling. North of the breakwall, the long surf beach is great for board riders, anglers and dog walkers, and from May to October you'll often spot humpbacks tracking up the coast. We loved hiring a kayak and pottering up Simpsons Creek, which runs parallel to the ocean and turns a brilliant turquoise around the middle of the day.

Back in the village, Brunswick Picture House puts on a vibrant rotation of film, circus, cabaret and live music in a beautifully restored hall and is well worth checking the program before you arrive. If you're around on the first Saturday of the month, the Brunswick Heads Markets sprawl through the riverside park with local makers, vintage finds and a steady supply of pastries.

Further afield, Crystal Castle & Shambhala Gardens is a quietly otherworldly day trip 20 minutes inland, with some of the largest natural crystals on earth set among rainforest gardens. Byron Bay is only 15 to 20 minutes south for surf lessons, lighthouse walks and a different kind of buzz, and the music festival sites at Tyagarah and North Byron Parklands sit either side of the park if your trip lines up with Bluesfest or Splendour.

 We loved that the village is a five-minute footbridge stroll from the park, so morning bakery runs and twilight dinners back at camp don't need the car at all.