The riverside camp kitchen and free barbecues sit right by the water, so you can grill the afternoon's catch while pelicans drift past, and every cabin comes with its own kitchenette.

For breakfast, wander down to the Nambucca Boatshed & Cafe. It hangs right over the river, and we took our coffees out onto the deck to watch the tinnies head out for a morning fish. It doubles as the local hire shop, so you can pick up bait or book a kayak while you wait for your bacon and egg roll.

Come evening, Matilda's is a local institution, a beloved spot trading for over 30 years that turns out wood-fired pizza, fresh Nambucca River oysters and a sharp little wine list. It is deservedly popular, so book ahead on weekends.

For a classic pub-style feed with a view, V Wall Pavilion at serves casual meals built around local produce and fresh seafood, just back from the famous painted breakwall. Our pick is a basket of local fish and chips as the sun drops over the river mouth.

You barely need to leave the park. Fish off the jetty or the pontoon, launch the tinnie from the private boat ramp for a day on the Nambucca River, or just float around the swimming pool while the kids splash in the toddler wading pool. 

A few minutes away at the river mouth is the V-Wall, the breakwall where decades of visitors have painted their holiday messages and memories onto the rocks. It is one of the coast's most charming free attractions, and we spent a happy hour reading the rocks before adding wander time along Wellington Drive.

Climb up to Captain Cook Lookout above Shelly Beach for two viewing platforms over the coastline, and between May and November keep your eyes peeled for humpback whales cruising the migration highway.

Further afield, Dorrigo National Park is a little over an hour's drive inland, where World Heritage Gondwana rainforest walks lead to waterfalls and the famous Skywalk over the canopy. Closer to Coffs Harbour, about 40 minutes north, Treetops Adventure strings ziplines and rope courses through Orara East State Forest near Sealy Lookout for a big day out with the kids.

If you are aiming for bream or flathead off the pontoon, the fishing is often at its best right as the tide turns after dark.