Secret Destination: Merry Beach Caravan Resort, NSW South Coast.
The Stunning South Coast of New South Wales, Australia.
Merry Beach Caravan resort is situated on the NSW south coast, 4 hours south of Sydney, 45 minutes south of Ulladulla and Mollymook.
Secrets….
Every now and then I come across special places, destination secrets known only to certain people and kept that way…Hush!Hush! Don’t tell everyone, this is the best caravan park in New South Wales….Merry Beach, shush! Don’t tell!Only friends invited!
Merry Beach Caravan Resort is right on the Beach. NSW, Australia
Camping by the sea…
I was brought up going on camping holidays almost always north of Sydney on Australia’s east coast. Our yearly trek would be a 4 to 6 week affair going to the coastal towns along the east coat north of Sydney– Port Stephens, Foster, Tuncurry, Mile Lakes, Port Macquarie, Cresent Head, South West Rocks, Coffs Harbour, Nambucca, Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise, Caloundra….I think the furthest we travelled from Sydney was Noosa. Really we were travelling from beach to beach. This was not a bad effort by my dad in his GTS Monaro and later various holden commordore’s towing a variety of camper trailers, tents and caravans and of course, three darling children on the back seat, with mum alternatively ignoring or umpiring our disputes from the front. Ahh the fond childhood memories!
Having had so many camping experiences while growing up needless to say coastal caravan park camping is not what I often choose today as a holiday adventure. I don’t mind camping but the sort I prefer is remote trek camping as opposed to the caravan park. My brother then was quiet shocked when I agreed to join his family for a weekend in the middle of their two week Merry Beach camping holiday. He was relieved to find out however, that I had booked one of the Parks Executive Cabins…
Merry Beach Caravan Resort, NSW, Australia.
Executive Park Cabin, (the mind boogles?)
This all sounded very unAustralian to me. The cabins I had stayed in to date had been rustic affairs where you were lucky if the bed was sleepable, the linen clean, the oven usable and the toilet flushable. What exactly did this entail – was the bathroom clean? nice? would I have a dishwasher? A Fridge? Was there room service? What about WiFi?
Well things have changed since I last stayed in a Park Cabin and I can report – for the better thankfully!
I had never been to Merry Beach before and was pleasantly surprised by what it offered and didn’t offer! Situated on the coast a 45 minute drive south of Ulladulla and close to many national parks, Merry beach is a small community of houses with a large caravan park right on the beach. The beach is very pretty with good swimable surf but not overly large. Self sufficiency is a must for campers with only one takeaway but the Parks ambiance makes for a pleasant family beach camping holiday. There is a large pool for the kids when they tire of the beach. Bikes and skateboards are more common than cars. Fires are allowed in controlled settings and on the beach at night and you really get that old camp feel with big groups of friends and families mingling over dinner and drinks by the fire a bit later.
Kangaroos at dusk, Merry Beach Caravan Resort, NSW, Australia
Kangaroos as common as kids!
The Park also abounds with native widelife – Kangaroos are nearly as common as kids! and the colourful laurakeets drawn to the park’s birdbaths are bound to impress our overseas visitors.
Birds everywhere! A laurakeet on the cabin balcony, Merry Beach Caravan Resort, NSW, Australia.
Family friendly
This park offers the best type of camping holiday – you can be as active or inactive as you like (or the kids allow!) Start the day with a walk along the beach and a swim, alfresco breakfast or bacon and eggs on the barbe, back down the beach with kids, boogie boards, surfboards, swimming, goggles, sunscreen, umbrella and towels in tow. Back to camp for a ham and salad lunch. Off to the pool or grab a deck chair for a quiet read in the shade and an afternoon nap. A sunset walk along the coast to get the heart rate up before pdd’s(predinner drinks) as dinner preparation gets underway. Barbecue and salad for dinner, social drinks by the fire and all to do again tomorrow with maybe a four wheel drive excursion to Pebbly beach for some variety….summer in Australia by the sea…I’ve missed it!
Merry Beach, NSW South Coast, Australia.
The nitty gritty
The executive park cabin we had the good fortune to get, had distant views of the beach, a native garden in front complete with visiting widelife. Consisting of 2 bedrooms the cabin itself was air conditioned (a very definite step above camping!) and had a lovely big verandah with an electric barbecue. Large full glass sliding doors revealed a spacious lounge dining and open plan kitchen complete with Fridge and dishwaher. The cabin had a large bathroom with double shower, spa and laundry. Next to this was a separate toilet. Very importantly the main bedroom had a comfortable queen bed while the second bedroom had 2 double bunks. Both rooms had lots of wardrobe space. It wasn’t too far away from a mid range holiday house at all. Wifi was available and included in the price. Parking was beside the cabin so no issues with access.
Executive Cabin, Merry Beach caravan resort, NSW, Australia.
Nothing to really fault with the cabin – the décor is a bit out of date but in good repair. The cabin overall was spacious, clean and modern with all the mod cons, a short walk to the beach and importantly you are not camping and you are not sharing facilities! The park itself was clean and tidy with clear rules. Merry Beach is a delight but water temperature a tad cool even in late January but the Park is a great environment by the beach and a fisherman’s fantasy.
Whats not to like?
Well this depends if caravan parks are your thing or not. If they are and you want a more luxurious stay than a caravan or tent then this is it. It won’t get any better. But if its not – there are a lot of people around going this way and that, and although the cabin dulls the sound, there is a steady humm of kids from dawn until you fall asleep. Shops are sparse with one takeaway and travel is required for proper food shopping to Ulladulla.
Even the ducks love Merry Beach Caravan resort, NSW Australia.
Would I revisit?
Absolutely! Merry Beach is lovely and remote and surrounded by National Parks and iconic Australian seaside towns to explore. It is full of Australian wildlife. The caravan resort and the cabins exceeded expectations and I got to share the camping experience with family without getting my hands dirty. Yay! Thats a first!