I have just returned from 48 hours of fun in Casuarina, on the Tweed Coast. This wonderful and relaxed, seaside town, sits not far from the border between Queensland and New South Wales. For me it was an easy two-and-a-half-hour drive from the Sunshine Coast. I decided to take this vacation at the very start of the Queensland school holidays and travelled with my three children who were 6, 5 and 2 years old. We left my husband at home and set off on an adventure, which I will admit was originally a little nerve wrecking though turned out to be absolute perfection.
Accommodation
We arrived on a Monday at the Oaks Casuarina Santai Resort, the idea place to relax, rejuvenate and recharge, even with three little ones in tow. We chose a two-bedroom apartment which featured two separate bedrooms, a separate lounge, small kitchen, two bathrooms, laundry space and a balcony. The apartment has absolutely everything we needed for our stay. The rooms range for studio to the two bed and have something to accommodate everyone.
The style of the resort is truly stunning, I admired the Balinese influence. There was a spa onsite, and their restaurant Spice Den served Thai Fusion cuisine. The pool was the most impressive feature for our family. It was large, with sun beds and umbrellas scattered all around it. The weather and pool where cool, due to the winter season, but this did not deter the children. There was also a jet spa which we loved, and it was as warm as a bath, so we spent hours I there.
The hotel location couldn’t be more ideal, only a short five-minute walk to the beach and equal distance to shops, restaurants and a pharmacy.
Itinerary
We arrived late in the afternoon and after checking out our room we went straight to the pool, naturally. For dinner we walked across the street to The Crafty Cow. There were meals to suit all our tastes, including lots of vegan and vegetarian friendly options for me.
The next morning, we enjoyed breakfast in our room, which I prepared in our kitchen. It is so good to have these facilities available to make life easier.
After breakfast I hired a bike for myself from the hotel lobby, if came with a child seat which was perfect for Rosie. I had packed Ari and Chloe’s scooters from home, so we were all set for a morning adventure. We travelled down to the beach where we were met by a path that runs between a line of beautiful houses, each as amazing as the next, and on the other side the ocean. We made our way 5km along, stopping at three parks along the way and to admire various statues. Our ride took us to Cabarita Beach, which is another seaside town on the Tweed Coast. We had lunch at Nectar Juice House and shopped for toys at The Adventure Shop, then it was time for the 5km journey back!
Once we arrived back at the hotel we spent an hour in the pool, before an hour of relaxation in our room. It sounds like we already packed a lot into one day doesn’t it!
In the afternoon we headed back to Cabarita, this time in the car. We headed straight to the Lions Park for a play at the children’s park and then a walk to watch the sunset from the hill. It was beautiful.
After sunset we took a slow drive to Kingscliff for dinner and chose the Kingscliff Beach Hotel. It was the perfect spot for a family, with its children’s friendly meals and colouring in packs.
On the final day or our stay after having another breakfast in our room, you guessed it, we headed to the pool for one last swim. At least you know the children loved it!
On the drive back the Sunshine Coast we stopped in at Tropical Fruit World, which as only 10 minutes from the hotel. It is a working fruit farm fully set up with activities for families, a cafe and a fruit market. You can book and do tours of the farm which take you on both a tractor and a boat, then end with a fruit tasting. Next, we drove another 5 minutes to Farm and Co which was just beautiful. It is owned by a beautiful family who have opened their farm up to the public. We enjoyed feeding the pigs, cracking our own macadamias under their huge trees, picking out own sunflowers to take home and smoothies from their cafe.
We had the most wonderful two nights, and all came home buzzing from all the excitement and memories made.
Lots of love,
