There is no on-site cafe at the park, but the camp kitchen here is genuinely useable, with a fridge, stove, toaster, sandwich press and kettle, and the BBQs near the foreshore are perfect for a sunset cook-up while the kids run off the day's energy. We picked up fresh prawns and a dozen Sydney rock oysters from the Wallis Lake Fishermen's Co-Op on the way in and shucked them at the picnic tables overlooking the lake. It is a five-minute walk over the bridge from the park gates to a tidy little restaurant precinct, so you are never far from a proper meal.

Mornings belong to coffee. We wandered across the bridge to Beach Bums Cafe for poached eggs with ocean views from Forster Main Beach, then came back the next day for one of their gourmet toasties. Tartt Cafe roasts its own Little Street Roasters blend and is our pick for a slower brunch, while their tiny sister site Wingman Espresso on Main Beach is ideal for a quick takeaway flat white before a swim.

For dinner, Pezzella's Pizzeria does proper wood-fired pizza that feeds a family without breaking the budget, and Thirty Three Degrees on the Forster waterfront is the spot if you want those Wallis Lake oysters served three ways with a glass of something cold. Save room for dessert at All Things Yum where the homemade scones with jam and cream became a daily ritual we are not ashamed of.

A short walk from the park you'll find Pacific Ocean Brewery tucked into a Tuncurry laneway, with a giant Connect Four out the front and a tasting paddle that is well worth the detour. Cross back over to Forster for a Lime Leaf Gimlet at Wharf St Distillery on a balmy evening.

The lake and the ocean are essentially at your doorstep, so most days here start with a beach walk along Nine Mile Beach or a cast off the rocks near the breakwall. The kids will likely make a beeline for the playground and the tennis and pickleball courts, and there is a boat ramp and fish-cleaning station on site if you have brought your tinny. We loved finishing the day around the seasonal communal firepit with a glass of wine and the last of the lake light.

Five minutes' stroll across the bridge is Tuncurry Rockpool and the Tuncurry Water Park, a free splash pad, tower and slide that bought us a very welcome hour in the shade. The mostly flat Bicentennial Walk starts at the Bull Ring near Forster Main Beach and curves around the headland to Pebbly Beach, with whale spotting from June to November.

Wallis Lake is the real headline act. Book a half-day with Free Spirit Cruises for dolphin spotting (a 300-strong resident pod lives in these waters) or hire a boat and weave between the oyster leases yourself. Closer to nature, the climb up to Cape Hawke Lookout in Booti Booti National Park is around 400 stairs and rewards you with one of the best coastal views on the MidCoast.

Time your visit with the Forster Farmers Market for local produce, the Great Lakes Food Trail in March, or the Wallis Lake Oyster and Craft Beer Festival in October if you want to taste your way through the region in a single afternoon.

We found the lakeside sites catch a beautiful afternoon breeze that keeps mosquitoes down at sundown, and booking a few months ahead for school holidays is well worth it because this park books out fast.