Updated 2026
Looking for a family-friendly holiday park on the NSW Mid North Coast? NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort combines a pirate-themed waterpark, a swimming pool, kids’ activities and a choice of accommodation ranging from camping sites to luxury lodges.
Sure, we expected sun, sand and sea but we didn’t expect pirates! Two of them, as fierce as can be, lurching around a shipwrecked galleon, battling the twisting tentacles of a kraken and the blasts of water cannons.
OK, so the pirates are small and BYO, but NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort’s Shipwreck Island Waterpark has unleashed the inner swashbuckler in both the kids, so I take cover on a lounge under a rather convenient umbrella while they plunder the waterpark.
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Where is NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort?
An hour’s drive north of Port Macquarie along the mid-north coast of NSW, NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort integrates a five-star resort experience into one of Australia’s most pretty locales, though with a family-friendly price tag. One of the best of the caravan parks in South West Rocks, it is a family holiday heaven.
The resort is at 161 Phillip Drive, South West Rocks. It’s a useful base for exploring the town’s beaches, Back Creek, Trial Bay Gaol and Smoky Cape Lighthouse, although you’ll want a car if you’re planning to explore the wider area.
Things to do at NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort
When the kids aren’t rampaging through Shipwreck Island or cannonballing into the pool, they’re leaping on the giant jumping pillow, swinging through the playground, whacking tennis balls around the court and putting around the mini golf course. They also find time to play the worst game of pool I’ve ever seen attempted by two humans in the convict-themed games room. Luckily there’s also a ping pong table, which they fare way better at.
There’s even a kids club that, come summer school holidays, will host a series of cultural and craft sessions with local Dunghutti people.
The appeal is how much there is to do without having to organise an outing every day. Current facilities listed by the resort include Shipwreck Island Waterpark, a swimming pool, mini golf, a jumping pad, games room, pedal kart hire, kids’ activities and kayak and stand-up paddleboard hire. Some activities are seasonal or may incur an extra charge, so check what’s running during your stay.
Accommodation at NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort
The park boasts 18 accommodation types, from powered and unpowered camping and caravan sites right through to glamping tents and luxury villas. We’ve gone top of the line and are staying in one of the seriously sexy two-storey Ngurra Lodges.
The stunning lodges are thoughtfully named for the Indigenous Dunghutti word for ‘dreaming house,’ which we learn when Liz, one of the park’s gorgeous permanent residents and Indigenous Dunghutti elder, joins the kids and me for tea.
Adorned with a two-storey photograph of the Melaleuca and Banksia trees they overlook, the lodges are so cleverly designed they seem to disappear into the bush as if they are wearing Harry Potter’s Cloak of Invisibility, at least according to my daughter.
Inside, the design is equally impressive, with huge windows and sliding glass doors that invite the bush into the two upstairs bedrooms, one with a marshmallow soft king-sized bed and the other with bunks and twin singles. Downstairs is a luxurious open-plan lounge and dining room with heaps of room for the kids to spread out, at least there would be, if said kids could actually stay inside and still for more than five minutes.
The Ngurra Lodge was a highlight of our stay, especially for a family wanting more space than a standard cabin or camping setup. If you’re comparing accommodation, the resort also offers cabins, villas, glamping-style accommodation and caravan or camping sites. Check the individual room descriptions for current layouts, bedding, kitchen facilities and occupancy limits before choosing.
→ Check rates and availability at NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort
A holiday park where kids can be kids
You see, a holiday park stay affords us the chance to let the kids off their proverbial leashes … something we rarely feel safe to do on holiday. But the safe sense of community within the boundaries of the South West Rocks caravan park means we can set them free to play and make new friends without the lurking shadow of their adults. Of course, there are actually more sets of eyes on the kids than ever, including our own, but they don’t know that as they roll by in pedal karts convoy with their new crew.
For parents, that balance is a big part of the appeal. The kids have activities and other children to play with, while grown-ups can take a breather between adventures. Naturally, the level of independence that works for your family will depend on your children’s ages and the areas they’re using.
Wildlife encounters at NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort
When the sun finally dips below the horizon and the kids return from their ratbaggery for an al fresco dinner, we’ve been joined by more visitors. A kangaroo hops right up to our veranda to soak herself in the fawning adoration of my children.
More cooing bursts forth as a cute-as-a-button joey wiggles his feet clumsily out of her pouch, so tiny he appears to still be working out the physics of marsupial exit and entry. His little ears twitch as he takes in the world beyond his mum’s built-in nursery, while the kids look on as though they’ve just witnessed the most extraordinary magic trick.
For a few minutes, the waterpark, the games room and all thoughts of pirate adventures are forgotten. There’s something pretty special about sharing a moment like this with the kids, especially when it happens right outside your holiday accommodation.
Sunrise sees Sugarpuff and I set off to the fairy garden in search of magical creatures. As butterflies flirt with streams of sunshine, it’s easy to imagine they’re actually fairies, such is the magic of the moment.
Tinkerbell and I meet the boys for a barbecue breakfast in the camp kitchen, then kit up for a little kayaking on the resort’s private lagoon in search of Captain Hook.
The natural setting is another reason this stay stood out. Between the bushland, birds, butterflies and kangaroos, there was plenty to capture the kids’ imaginations beyond the pool and waterpark. Wildlife sightings aren’t guaranteed, of course, and it’s important to give native animals plenty of space and never feed them.
Exploring South West Rocks beyond the resort
Of course, there are more watery adventures to be had outside the boundaries of the park, including South West Rocks many irresistibly sun-soaked beaches and waterways. Main Beach and its scattered rocks, conveniently located right next to a fish and chip shop and Chillati Gelato, prove popular with our kids, but it is paddle boarding and splashing about in the waterways of Back Creek that they love best of all.
While nature headlines in the picturesque hamlet of South West Rocks, there are some amazing historic man-made support acts, including historic Trial Bay Gaol and the gorgeous Smoky Cape Lighthouse.
If you’re staying for several nights, it’s worth setting aside time to explore beyond the holiday park. The sheltered waters of Back Creek, the beaches around town, Trial Bay Gaol and Smoky Cape Lighthouse all make worthwhile additions to a family itinerary. For more ideas, read our guide to the best things to do in South West Rocks with kids.
But for this family, the real star of this holiday show is NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort and its chorus line of kid friendly activities and piratical marauding in Shipwreck Island.
So much so that the kids are already tossing up whether to return or plunder another one of NRMA Holiday Park’s 33 East Coast holiday parks.
Is NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort good for families?
If your children love swimming, water play and having plenty to do, NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort is an incredible resort. Its broad choice of accommodation also makes it a great option for families who want to camp, bring a caravan, or stay in a more spacious lodge or villa.
The biggest advantage is the range of activities on-site, which can make a family holiday easier to organise. The trade-off is that you’re staying at a busy family holiday park rather than a quiet, secluded retreat, particularly during school holidays. If your priority is a beachfront location, compare the resort’s location and facilities with accommodations closer to Horseshoe Bay or the town centre.
Before booking, compare the cost of your preferred accommodation type for your dates, check which facilities and kids’ activities will be available, and confirm the current cancellation conditions. Prices and activity schedules vary by season.
→ Check rates and availability at NRMA South West Rocks Holiday Resort
Disclosure: We were guests of NRMA Holiday Parks, but all fairy flirtations, swashbuckling and opinions are our own.
Aleney de Winter is one of Australia’s most influential family travel journalists. She has been writing about travel and food for almost 20 years and is the long-standing editor of Holidays with Kids and its sibling titles, Caravan & Camping with Kids and Ski & Snowboard witk Kids. Her travel stories also appear in Signature Luxury Travel & Style, Escape, 9Travel, Vacations & Travel, Mindfood and Concierge, among others. Her work has earned a PATA Gold Award for Travel Journalism and eleven Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, and she served seven terms as the society’s Vice President. This website, which she started in 2011, has been named ASTW Best Travel Website three times. 