A kids' guide to the best family holidays in NSW

NSW has endless kids-holiday options. Whether they like watersports, snow, fishing, exploring or swimming, adventure awaits every interest. Pack fun in your bag and embrace silliness with this guide to kids’ holidays, told by kids.

Destination NSW

Mar 2023 -

min read

We asked 10 well-travelled kids what their favourite holidays were, this is what they said.

Charli, 6, Mollymook, Shoalhaven

Mollymook is my favourite place to go in NSW. We played in the pool and I saw dolphins swimming in the water. I did roly-polies down the sand dunes and landed in the water. We also got to see kangaroos in the wild. There was a cool pool where we stayed. I would recommend it to other kids because I think it's an adventure-y place where lots of kids could have fun and see lots of cool wild animals like kangaroos, wallabies and brush-tailed possums.

Mollymook Caravan Park is a great place for families to stay.

Mollymook Beach, Mollymook - Credit: Katie Rivers

Sunny, 7, Barangaroo, Sydney

I like Sydney because it's a really nice place and a really big city. I like Marrinawi Cove, the new swimming spot at Barangaroo. The water is really nice and I love jumping off the rock — it was really fun, I wanted to do it over and over. When we went swimming the seaweed was tickling my feet and that was really funny.

Pier One Sydney is a harbour-front hotel just down the water from Marrinawi Cove.

Marrinawi Cove, Barangaroo Reserve

Dede, 12, Umina, Central Coast

My favourite place to holiday in NSW is Umina. There's a big caravan park and lots of fun things to do. You can swim in the pool, go to the beach and to the water park (at the caravan park). The beach is very fun, you can surf, and the pool has a little baby pool. There's also a big slide to go into the pool. My favourite memory is jumping on the jumping pillow (an inflatable, trampoline-like pillow) and riding my bike with my friends.

Dede and her family stayed at NRMA Ocean Beach Holiday Resort.

Children swimming in the pool at NRMA Ocean Beach Holiday Resort, Umina

NRMA Ocean Beach Holiday Resort, Umina - Credit: NRMA Ocean Beach Holiday Resort

Gracie, 9, Hunter Valley

The Hunter Valley is my favourite place to holiday in NSW because we had fun there and it makes me happy. My favourite memory is when we went to the Hunter Valley Gardens and we went on the Christmas carnival ride, big swing. The food at the breakfast buffet was very yummy and there was a pancake maker. We also went go-karting and did lots of swimming in the huge pool.

Gracie and her family stayed at Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort.

Dede and Gracie in Christmas light tunnel during the Christmas Carnival, Hunter Valley Gardens - Credit: Supplied

Chloe, 11, Nelson Bay, Port Stephens

My favourite place would definitely be Nelson Bay because there are lots of activities and fun things to do. My favourite memory is the inflatable water park, it's on the ocean. There were trampolines where you're strapped into a harness and go really high. The beaches are really nice. We also took a boat trip out to Broughton Island with our boogie boards and there were massive sand dunes that were fun for four-wheel driving. We also went snorkelling up on the point and there were fish everywhere.

Shoal Bay Holiday Park is a great spot to stay with kids.

Aerial view of Shoal Bay Holiday Park, Shoal Bay

Shoal Bay Holiday Park, Shoal Bay - Credit: Shoal Bay Holiday Park

Leela, 13, Thredbo, Snowy Mountains

Thredbo is my favourite place to stay because it's such a cool place. It's full of really soft snow and fun things like snowboarding, skiing, building snowmen, snow angels, gondolas and throwing snowballs at each other. After ski school, we would go to the top of the mountain and race each other down. We stayed at Lake Crackenback and there was archery, a trampoline, indoor pool, gym and a restaurant. Every morning we’d go outside and the lake was completely frozen. Also, you can eat at pretty much the highest point in Australia, Eagles Nest, and have a hot chocolate and look over the mountains. My favourite memory was when I met Torah Bright (Australian professional winter Olympian). Even if you're not a big winter sports person you can still go out every day to sightsee, play in the snow and eat at nice restaurants.

Leela and her family stayed at Lake Crackenback.

Leela and her father on a gondola, Thredbo - Credit: Supplied

Ashton, 7, Port Stephens

Port Stephens is my favourite place because you can go to Toboggan Hill Park and the Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, plus there are nice beaches. My best memory of Port Stephens is going really fast down the toboggan and seeing dolphins at Corlette Beach. My funniest memory is when the stingray was splashing me and tickling my toes. We stayed at The Anchorage and there's a pool and a buffet breakfast with a chocolate fountain. Also, Fingal Bay is really good because there's a really shallow beach and you can play beach soccer.

Ashton and his family stayed at The Anchorage.

Ashton and his dad playing ball on the beach, Fingal Bay

Ashton and his dad at Fingal Bay - Credit: Supplied

Emily, 10, Mogo, South Coast

Mogo is my favourite place to go in NSW. It has a lot of cool activities like the beach, swimming pool, stand-up paddleboarding, all the places you can get ice-cream and going to Mogo Zoo. When I went to the zoo the tiger stuck its tongue out at me. I like all the dog beaches and how my dog went swimming because he doesn't usually. I definitely love going to Mogo Lolly Shop and playing big chess in the courtyard. There's also the Botanical Gardens and they have a café and lots of different nature walks. We also went to a really good berry-picking place where you can pick blueberries and blackberries and more. I would definitely recommend going there because all the beaches are loads of fun with your siblings and pets and parents.

Emily and her family like Abode Malula Bay.

Emily eating ice-cream, Clyde River Berry Farm - Credit: Supplied

William, 14, Batemans Bay, South Coast

My favourite is Batemans Bay because there are lots of different things to do down there. I like how you can see kangaroos everywhere, it's pretty unusual. There's a dairy shed in Bodalla that makes their own cheese and ice-cream, and they have really good milkshakes. I also went to Tuross to fish one time with my friend. You fish off the wharf and get food while you're doing it. There's a carnival at Batehaven as well that runs from Christmas to 26 January and there are a lot of fun rides there. You can walk along the beach, kayak and stand-up paddleboard. Even just simple things like exploring the rock pools and going to the beach is really fun. Also, there's this new swimming complex in Batemans Bay called the Bay Pavilions with water slides.

The Bodalla Dairy Shed also offers Guest Rooms to stay in.

Photo of a dog and two kids on a timber bench. They are sitting in front of a timber fence and there are two cows on the other side of the fence. The cows are in a lovely green paddock with a forest-like bushland in the background, Bodalla

William at the dairy farm in Bodalla - Credit: Supplied

Beau, 5, Lake Conjola, Shoalhaven

My favourite holiday in NSW is Lake Conjola. I could hold rainbow birds and go swimming. I liked to go to the park and play with my cousins. We stayed in a big tent caravan in the caravan park. My favourite was the waterslide, when I saw the rainbow birds and went racing on my bike. We went fishing and it was so fun. It was so good for kids and I would tell them to go to the waterslide and swimming pool. We went to Funland and won some prizes, too.

Beau and his family stayed at the BIG4 Ingenia Holidays Lake Conjola.