Your ultimate guide to holidaying in Shoalhaven with kids

It’s best known for its sand and surf, but there are plenty of other reasons to visit the Shoalhaven shire in NSW. Shaney Hudson shares her top picks of where to eat, play and stay on a family camping getaway.

Your first visit to Shoalhaven will be for the region’s unspoilt coastline and pristine beaches. The first thing the kids will want to do is get in the water – whether for a quick splash or a kayak adventure. Shoalhaven has serene conditions and comfortable temperatures all year round.

In addition to crystal-clear waters, the region boasts spectacular walking trails with breathtaking views of the coastline. Kids love embracing their inner adventurer and keeping count of the different birds and animals along the trails.

The best things to do in Shoalhaven with kids

Kid-friendly swimming

Moona Moona Creek Lagoon and Honeymoon Bay are excellent swimming spots for young families. Ulladulla Harbour Outer Beach and Sea Pool is another family secret with its calm waters and 50-metre ocean pool. And a visit to Hyams Beach – recorded in the Guinness Book of Record as having the whitest sand in the world – is not to be missed.

Watersports

Water babies might prefer to grab a board and learn to surf at the Pam Burridge Surf Schools at Mollymook and Bendalong. Or head under the water with Dive Adventures Ulladulla (PADI) who offer scuba courses and daily dive charters to explore the abundant plant and animal life that calls Ulladulla’s ocean reefs home.

Jamberoo and Funland Ulladulla

Adventurous families might like to head to Jamberoo Action Park for thrilling and spilling rides and attractions. And there’s something for little adventurers too, with the foam slides, tubes and ramps at Ulladulla’s Funland.

Beachside bushwalks

There are plenty of bushwalking opportunities around Shoalhaven, but the easiest on little feet is the White Sands walk in Jervis Bay National Park, which crosses Greenfield Beach, Chinamans Beach and returns inland through the Scribbly Gum track, a 2.5-kilometre loop. The walk is popular as it extends to Hyams Beach and allows plenty of opportunities for rock-hopping and splish-splashing along the way. From May to November keep one eye on the bay for whales, as humpbacks may be breaching out of the water.

Another favourite is the Granite Falls Walking Track in green and serene Morton National Park. Explore a bushland oasis of spotted gum forest, woodland and hanging swamps at Bomaderry Creek.

Walk to a shipwreck

Take the Wreck Walk, starting at Abrahams Bosom Reserve in Currarong to spy the SS Merimbula shipwreck. This walk takes about 20 minutes one way and is stroller friendly too!

You’ll need to visit the beach at low tide to be able to walk across the rocky headland to see the shipwreck. There’s also lots of interesting rockpools along the way.

Meet the wildlife at Shoalhaven Zoo 

At Pebbly and Murramarang beaches wildlife fans are likely to be joined on the sand by the local kangaroos. For guaranteed encounters, Shoalhaven Zoo offers visitors the chance to get up close and personal with over 100 species of animals including big cats, monkeys and native wildlife including koalas and wombats.

Shoalhaven Zoo is open 9am – 5pm every day of the year except for Christmas day.  A family pass for two adults and two children is $85. They have a number of hands-on experiences like lion, meerkat and money feeding. Or cuddling up to a koala, kangaroo and dingo.

Climberes and gliders

If your kids have a taste for adventure and love a challenge, head to Nowra, considered one of the best places in the world for rock climbing.

Ropes courses at Trees Adventure

Kids can get acquainted with heights and safety equipment at Trees Adventure. This climbing course is in a stunning location along the banks of the Shoalhaven River in Nowra Shoalhaven Park. The courses and rockclimbing use the trees and natural rockfaces.

Here, kids over four years old can test out six long courses featuring more than 70 challenges. Fly through the air on flying foxes, scramble along rock faces or test yourself on a variety of aerial challenges. Start only 2 metres from the ground and work your way up to a height of 25 metres. You can even take a sneaky birds’-eye look into the animal enclosures at Shoalhaven Zoo, located next door.

Sessions run for 2.5 hours. Adult tickets are $51, children are $28 and spectator entry is free.

Sweet treats

Satiate your kid’s sweet tooth love at Berry’s The Treat Factory where you’ll find a huge a selection of Belgian chocolate and gourmet confectionery and chocolate-making workshops throughout the school holidays. Or head to the Kangaroo Valley Fudge House & Ice Creamery, for sweet treats made the old fashioned way.

Read: 4 unmissable towns on the Shoalhaven Coast

Dining out

Pelican Rocks Cafe

Recognised among the best fish and chips in NSW two years in a row, Pelican Rocks Cafe has carved out a reputation not just for its fabulous seafood, but also its friendly service. Located in the quiet village of Greenwell Point, the cafe offers breakfast and lunch, while the kids’ menu features the usual favourites – calamari, chicken schnitzel and cheeseburgers with fries – and includes ice-cream. Book ahead if you plan to eat in or, if it’s crowded, grab take away and sit by the water surrounded by the opportunistic pelicans that gather by the local fishing boats.

The famous Berry Donut Van

No trip to the Shoalhaven would be complete without a stop at the legendary Berry Donut Van, which has been operating in the historic village for over 50 years. The iconic food truck offers a fairly humble and classic menu sure to please the kids. There are hot dogs and meat pies, milkshakes and slushies (along with coffee for mum and dad), but let’s face it: everyone is here for the cinnamon donuts. Cooked to order from a secret recipe, they’re served piping hot in paper bags (be wary of burnt fingertips) and are best eaten fresh on the street.

Shoalhaven caravan parks

Stay with Holiday Haven Parks for locations among Shoalhaven’s finest beaches and national parks. The parks are within walking distance of charming local shops and restaurants. And you’ll find some of the country’s best kayaking, fishing and bushwalking right on your doorstep.

Afternoons at the parks are for relaxing with a movie or board game (while mum and dad enjoy a siesta), chowing down on a sausage sizzle lunch and running amok on the jumping pillows. After a big day of surf, sun and sand settle in to watch glorious sun sets.

Holiday Haven Huskisson Beach

Located just a 10-minute walk from Huskisson village, Holiday Haven Huskisson Beach is one of those places that families discover and come back to year after year. There are shaded camping areas, powered ensuite sites and, for those who like a little comfort, fully self-contained holiday cabins right on the beachfront looking out across Jervis Bay to the heads. Along with the beach and popular lagoon at ‘Husky’, there is a pool and playground with a tennis court, barbecues and camp kitchen. If you’re keen to bring your four-legged family member along on holiday, the park also allows dogs by special arrangement.

Holiday Haven Culburra Beach

A favourite with kids thanks to its giant rainbow jumping pillow, pool with splash pad and mini-golf, Holiday Haven Culburra Beach is located at the quieter end of one the Shoalhaven’s most popular beaches. The park offers two- and three-bedroom cabins (including a special-access cabin and spa cabins), powered ensuite sites and powered slab sites for campervans. Wi-Fi is also available. The park is a good choice for bushwalkers and families who like to fish, with a boat ramp located at the nearby Crookhaven River and great angling opportunities off the beach at Culburra. Don’t forget your tackle box.

Holiday Haven Currarong is right on the northern edge of Jervis Bay Marine Park. They have super spacious caravan sites, options for camping and cabin holidays. The kids will have a ball at the splash park and on the giant jumping pillow and unleash your competitive streak at the mini putt putt course. Then spend an afternoon at Zac’s Place enjoying ice-cream and the best fish and chips in town.

Set amid Termeil State Forest and Meroo National Park, and enjoying sweeping views across to Crampton Island, Holiday Haven Lake Tabourie is one for lovers of all things scenic. The park sports an excellent BMX pump track, gorgeous lake frontage for swimming and kayaking, a heated pool perfect for late afternoon swims and a mini-golf course.

Holiday Haven Shoalhaven Heads has beautiful campsites that overlook the Shoalhaven River. It has a jumping pillow and for-hire go-karts. Head to the Seven Mile Beach for the most magical sunsets from the boat ramp. It is just a short stroll from the park.

Pick a park

There are 12 properties in the Holiday Haven Tourist Parks portfolio, found between Kiama and Batemans Bay. The parks are either beachfront, lakefront or riverfront, and have a range of accommodation styles including holiday cabins and powered and unpowered caravan and camping sites. You can even bring your dog along.

Camping

Pitch a tent in one of Booderee National Park’s family-friendly campgrounds.

This article originally appeared in Caravan & Camping with Kids magazine. To subscribe to the latest issue, click here.

Planning a holiday to the South Coast? You can read our complete family-friendly travel guide  here.

Main image Little Hyams © Chris van Hove

Keep reading: 

• What to do in Kiama
• Whale watching on the NSW South Coast
• 3 unmissable towns on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales