I once posted in the North Shore Mums Facebook group, asking for recommendations for a summer holiday. We wanted to go to a beachy area, stay in a self-catering good-quality apartment (which had a nice pool), be walking distance to the beach and shops, and a few hours drive of Sydney.
As usual, I was flooded with lots of fantastic suggestions! It inspired me to compile all these suggestions into an article for the NSM website ‘Driveable, kid-friendly summer holiday accommodation’…. but in the process, I also booked one.
We chose Mobys Beachside Retreat at Boomerang Beach, Pacific Palms. We left it quite late to book for Christmas, so by early September the choice of dates was quite slim – but luckily they had a three-bedroom beach house left, so we booked in for a week over the New Year break. With two adults and two children, we probably could have managed with a two-bedroom, though it was quite useful having the girls in separate rooms (like they are at home).
GETTING THERE
Boomerang Beach is about a 3-hour drive from Wahroonga. Check-in was 3pm, so we had a leisurely morning packing up the car and tidying the house (there’s nothing better than returning to a tidy house!), and left just after 11am. This worked well with sleeps, as both girls had a good sleep in the car too, so we had an hour or so of peace. To keep them entertained at other times, sticker books, storybook CDs and lots of snacks (cut up fruit, vegetables, muesli bars etc) kept things relatively calm. The drive went much better than I expected!
CHECKING IN
We were impressed with Mobys the minute we arrived. The staff at reception were welcoming and friendly, and we set off to find our apartment. The apartments are all set around a large circular private road, where all cars drive with extreme caution due to the number of kids whizzing around on bikes, scooters and skateboards. Our apartment was located at the end of a cul-de-sac, which gave us lots of privacy. We were very impressed with the accommodation – it was modern, clean and had a lovely beachy vibe. We didn’t realise, however, that the 3-bedroom beach houses have the master bedroom located at the top of a steep wooden set of stairs… as we discovered, this was a nightmare with a curious toddler who loves nothing more than a set of stairs! So, a word of advice – if you have a toddler and book a 3-bedroom apartment… bring a stair gate! Luckily, there were no accidents, but our 2-year-old required constant supervision.
GETTING SET UP
You can either bring all your food from home, buy it from the little supermarket in Blueys Beach or drive 20 minutes to Forster to the huge Stocklands Shopping Centre (which has a Woolworths, Coles, Aldi and lots of other speciality stores). I pre-ordered my supermarket shopping with Woolworths online, and had it delivered the afternoon we arrived. Too easy!
OUR DAILY ROUTINE
From the first day, we fell into a routine that worked really well. We’d go to the beach at about 9am for a couple of hours (to avoid the harsh rays!) – usually Elizabeth Beach, as it was the calmest. Then, back to Mobys to hang up the towels and have sausage sandwiches for lunch (gotta love a BBQ lunch!). My 2-year-old refused the sleep in the portacot during the day (she kept climbing out and screaming), so we’d then go for a drive exploring the area in peace while the girls slept in the car. When they woke, we returned to Mobys for a late afternoon swim in the pool. For dinner, we usually had a BBQ on the deck but dined at the local Mobys restaurant twice too.
THINGS TO DO
- Go to the beach: There are three beaches in Pacific Palms – Bluey’s Beach, Boomerang Beach and Elizabeth Beach. Elizabeth Beach seemed to be the best one for little kids (which is about a five minute drive from Mobys). It’s patrolled, calmer and has a toilet. We walked to Boomerang Beach (which is across the road from Mobys) a couple of times at sunset, which was a lovely quiet time to visit for a run on the sand.
- Explore the area by car: We did quite a bit of driving during the middle of the day while the girls slept, and explored Seal Rocks, Smiths Lakes, Forster, Diamond Beach (which has a great playground next to the beach and near a café) and Hallidays Point.
- Swim in the Moby’s Pool: There’s a beautiful, heated, lagoon pool at Mobys, with a huge spa too. It’s perfect for kids of all ages, with ledges and gradual slopes, as well as deep bits for older kids. It’s right next to the restaurant too, so parents with older kids can relax with a drink from the bar.
- Eat Out: We ate at Moby’s very own restaurant Buddha by the Beach twice. It’s right next to the pool, and the menu is Modern Australian, with gourmet pizza and a decent kids menu. Although we didn’t try them out, The Recky (officially the Pacific Palms Recreation Club) was highly recommended by other travellers, as you can sit outside on the grass by the lake while the kids run around. There’s also a family-friendly Pizza Restaurant called Hueys at Blueys Beach (about a 10 minute walk from Mobys).
WHAT TO PACK
This list might be quite specific, but there are some things that I really wish I’d packed (and know I will do next time we go). It’s a self-catering beach house, but rather than having to buy everything new when you arrive, you might want to bring the following things from home:
- Olive oil, salt & pepper, butter, breakfast spreads (vegemite, peanut butter etc).
- Glad wrap, kitchen spray, paper towel, toilet paper.
- Coat hangers (each bedroom had a Built in Robe, but only about two coat hangers in each!).
- Citronella candle (to keep away the mozzies and add a bit of atmosphere when sitting outside after the kids have gone to bed!) and mosquito spray.
- Stair gate (if you book a 3-bedroom apartment and have a toddler!).
- Bikes & scooters.
SUMMARY
All in all, we had an brilliant holiday. Mobys is absolutely perfect if you’re looking for a place to holiday with young kids. There’s so much to keep them entertained, and we all know that if the kids are happy, we generally are too! We’ll be back…