A great family holiday doesn't necessarily need a long list of activities. Sometimes it's about having nowhere you need to be.
Slow breakfasts around the kitchen. Bare feet after a morning at the beach. Grandparents and grandchildren playing a game together in the afternoon. Reading on the deck while the kids head back down to the water. Dinner made together, followed by a glass of wine and stories about the day.
That is the kind of family beach holiday Sundecks at Emerald Beach is made for.
Set on the Mid North Coast minutes from the Pacific Highway but surrounded by National Park, Emerald Beach Village offers a beautiful balance of beach, nature and local experiences, while still being close enough to Coffs Harbour and the surrounding towns to explore further afield. For families looking for a spacious and relaxing New South Wales North Coast escape, it makes an ideal base.
And when you're staying somewhere special, the house itself becomes part of the holiday.
Start the day at the beach
One of the best things about a family holiday at Emerald Beach is how easy it is to settle into a slower rhythm.
There's no need to organise an itinerary before breakfast. Wake up, make a coffee, grab the beach bag and head outside.
Spend the morning swimming, walking along the sand or exploring the coastline before returning home for a long, lazy breakfast.
Emerald Beach is around 20 km north of Coffs Harbour and is known for its beautiful coastline, swimming, surfing and family-friendly beach setting. The walk towards Look At Me Now Headland is another lovely way to experience the area and take in the coastal scenery.
For children, the beach can provide hours of entertainment without needing much more than a towel, swimmers and a bucket and spade. For adults, it offers something equally valuable: a reason to slow down.
Make the house part of the holiday
When you're travelling as a family, particularly with several generations, having enough space can make all the difference.
For families looking for family accommodation in Emerald Beach, a spacious beach house means everyone can spend time together without feeling like they're living on top of each other. Room for children to play, grandparents to relax, parents to enjoy a quiet coffee and everyone to come together for meals.
At Sundecks Beach House, the spectacular coastal outlook is part of the experience. Rather than simply having somewhere to sleep at the end of the day, you have a beautiful place to spend time together.
Cook, eat and linger a little longer
One of the pleasures of staying in a house rather than a hotel is being able to make meals part of the experience.
Pick up local produce, let everyone contribute to dinner and take your time around the table. The kids can help in the kitchen, while grandparents take over the important job of making sure everyone has a drink.
There's something particularly lovely about this on a multi-generational holiday. The kitchen becomes a gathering point, and meals become part of the reason everyone is together.
You don't have to dress up or rush to a restaurant reservation. You can simply stay home, open a bottle of wine and let dinner stretch into the evening.
Make room for a little adventure
Although it's easy to spend an entire holiday around Emerald Beach, the Coffs Coast is full of places worth exploring.
One of our favourite ideas for a family day out is to head inland towards Bellingen.
Take a day trip from Emerald Beach to Bellingen
Just under an hour's drive from Emerald Beach, Bellingen makes an easy change of scenery for a day during your stay. The drive is approximately 55 km and around 45 minutes by car, making it close enough to visit without turning your beach holiday into a road trip.
Spend the morning wandering through the town, stopping for coffee, exploring the local shops and enjoying the character of this beautiful hinterland town before heading back towards the coast.
It is the kind of day trip that works well for different generations because everyone can enjoy it at their own pace, and you can still be back at Emerald Beach in time to watch the afternoon light over the ocean.
For families staying at Sundecks, it also creates a lovely contrast: a morning exploring the hinterland followed by an afternoon back at the beach.
A family holiday that works for everyone
A family holiday doesn't have to be about ticking off attractions, sometimes it's the unexpected things that become the stories you tell afterwards.
Seeing kangaroos on the headland.
Spotting whales from the coastline during whale season.
Meeting a local surfer and hearing about the best places to catch a wave.
Stopping for breakfast at the local General Store.
Finding a quiet stretch of coastline.
Having a morning coffee together while the rest of the house slowly wakes up.
These are the experiences that make a holiday feel personal.
And because Emerald Beach is part of the Coffs Coast, there is plenty of opportunity to explore beyond when you feel like venturing out.
Your family beach holiday on the Coffs Coast
The perfect family beach holiday isn't necessarily about doing more. It's about having the space and time to enjoy being together.
Emerald Beach gives you the beach, the coastline and the wider Coffs Coast to explore, while a beautiful beach house gives you somewhere special to come home to.
Whether you're bringing three generations together, planning a family reunion or simply looking for a relaxing coastal escape with the kids, Sundecks Beach House offers a spacious and luxurious base for experiencing the NSW North Coast.
Spend the morning at the beach. Take a day trip to Bellingen. Cook dinner together. Watch the whales from the deck. Play one more game before bed.
And, most importantly, leave enough space in the itinerary to do absolutely nothing.
That might just be the best part of the holiday.
Book your family beach holiday at Sundecks
Ready to start planning your next family escape?
Book your stay at Sundecks Beach House in Emerald Beach and experience a spacious, luxurious coastal getaway where the beach, the Coffs Coast and time together are all part of the holiday.