My favourite place…
By.
I recently contacted some locals to send a short description of their favourite place on the Coffs Coast to take their kids and families. I received some fantastic responses, so here they are:
Kev & Lowanna own Kombu Wholefoods at Bellingen.
Lowanna: My favourite place to head with the children is down to the headland at Sawtell. You have the ocean pool on one side with the beach next to it, then on the other you have a great beach with some great rock pools for the children to play in. Great fun – and if one side is windy you can try the other.
Kev: Lowanna grew up on the beach but I grew up in the country – but we both love water. My favourite place to head with the kids on hot days would be any one of the many swimming holes on the Never Never Creek in the Promised Land. Great fun, gorgeous swimming, usually some great company and can be really cooling on a hot day with the water coming straight off the mountain. In the winter rock hopping up stream can be fun, and after floods have gone through the more intrepid allegedly head downstream on inflatable tyres – though you need to be careful about hidden obstacles with that one!
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Luke Hartsuyker MP is the Federal Member for Cowper:
Whenever I am able to get away from the responsibilities of Canberra’s Parliament House and get back to the beautiful stretch of coastline we call home, there is no place that I prefer to be than the picturesque Diggers Beach.
Being fortunate enough to live “on the doorstep” of this exceptional piece of creation, there is nothing more attractive, time and conditions permitting, than the opportunity to tuck that surfboard under my arm and head out to grab one of Diggers’ renowned waves.
In addition to being a free activity that has kept my family members (and the dog) occupied for hours, Diggers Beach is patrolled during the summer school holidays, making it an exceptionally safe holiday destination.
With a playground for the little ones, and the electric barbeques and picnic shelters for the budding beach gourmets, you can spend the whole day in paradise without having to once put your hand in your pocket.
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Fiona Poole is a Presenter / Cross Media Reporter, ABC Coffs and Mid North Coast:
Our favourite place is Mylestom, where the Bellinger River meets the sea.
When you’re in Mylestom you get the same feeling you had as a kid when time moved slowly and when the only plan you had was being in the moment.
Mylestom has a dreamy summer time vibe with kids jumping off the deck of the tidal pool, mums watching them splash around and dad’s manning the old-school fire lit bbqs.
On the river people are waterskiing or being towed on inflatable doughnuts.
Old fella’s stand on the sand and fish while kids try and catch toadies with their nets.
The streets are ruled by gangs of kids steering bikes one-handed and devouring icypoles before they melt.
No one has shoes on.
The general store is the only shop in Mylestom, so there are no cafes and fashion stores to drag the kids through.
Instead you swim, collect shells, look for dolphins, build sandcastles.
It’s just so relaxing.
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Mark Sultana owns Absolute Entertainment & Party Hire.
Our favourite place to go in Coffs Harbour is Moonee Beach Reserve.
Why? It is not overcrowded and relatively untouched. The BBQ’s are free and you don’t have to queue up for one!
What you like to do there? You can take your dog down there for a walk and play, there is a kid’s activity playground, you can go fishing and yabby pumping, kayaking or just hang around under the trees and have a good old fashion snooze/nanna nap!!
Why it is good for kids? It is great for kids because it is safe. They can have a play in the sand in the estuary during low tide. It is safe to swim in the estuary or you can head for the beach and catch a decent wave however it is not patrolled so be careful. You can also take a short bush walk up to the headland to take in the panaramic views.
In all Moonee Beach Reserve is the ideal place to take your family for a BBQ or picnic or a relaxing day out!!
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One of my favourite places to spend time with my family is Boambee Bay and Beach. The bay area is great for tiny tots who love to splash about in the calm water or dig around in the soft sand. There’s a great little playground a short distance away from the water, and loads of barbecue shelters.
For older children, or four-legged family members, a simple walk across the footbridge, (underneath the train bridge) offers access to the beach and a long leash-free walk for the dog. The beach is not patrolled by lifeguards, so be sure to keep the kids within arm’s reach.
The water is crystal clear, especially on an incoming tide. It’s a popular fishing, kayaking and four wheel driving spot as well. It really does have something to offer every member of the family, every month of the year.
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We love going down to the Jetty. It’s a great spot for the kids to learn to surf, and plenty of beach for me to sit and watch/read a book etc. When it’s calm, my son can swim over to the platform and do a ‘mini’ Jetty Jump! We’ve seen dolphins swimming in the waves, and I like to dream about owning my own yacht that we see cruise out of the harbour…
Whilst we are definitely a family of beach lovers, sometimes there is nothing better than the refreshing simplicity of a beautiful sand-free swimming pool and as our backyard is not blessed with such a thing, we head straight to the Bellingen Shire Swim Centre. Open seven days a week and now run by the YMCA, the pools and facilities are immaculate and offer something for every age and ability.
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Christy Bonham is the Manager of Genesis Toormina
I love taking my boys to the park near the Beachstone Café at North Sapphire Beach.
There is a fantastic playground for the kids and heaps to do. You can also bring along a scooter for riding around the pathways. There are great undercover BBQ areas and lots of grass to run around on.
I also like that the area is quite enclosed so kids can’t disappear!
And not to mention, the café – coffee a must!
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Alison Paul (that’s me!) is the owner of Coffs for Kids and the Made with Love Markets:
We love going out to Woolgoolga. Not only is there a fantastic beach, there is a great playground (totally fenced) where parents can relax overlooking the ocean.
And if that isn’t enough, about a 10 minute walk from the playground heading North up the beach is the remains of our famous local shipwreck “Buster”. Depending on the tide and sand buildup sometimes the shipwreck is more visable than other times.
Nearby there are heaps of fantastic cafes, restaurants and a really great fish and chip place. After a morning of playing, swimming and exploring nothing is better than fish and chips overlooking our gorgeous coast!
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