What to do in Tuncurry NSW with Kids

During the last school holidays we took the kids up the north coast of New South Wales to a town called Tuncurry. Its about 4 hours north of Sydney and about 2 hours north of Newcastle. We camped at a place called Tuncurry Lakes Resort and I have to say I give this place 4/5. Generally speaking, when our family camps, I prefer not to camp at a caravan park or anywhere that has some sense of civilisation. When we camp, we go out bush and the closest creature comfort is a public pit toilet or if we go all out a toilet that flushes! Its a great way to really get away from it all in my opinion. This time however, the friends we camped with, one of the women was 5 months pregnant, so going out bush was not really an option!

So Tuncurry Lakes Resort was chosen and for $50/night for our family it was a great experience. There was so much for the kids to do to keep them entertained. They had a scooter park, playground area, access to the pool, games room, plenty of open level space and a giant jumping pillow. I have to admit, I enjoyed the jumping pillow more than the kids did! I love jumping castles, and a jumping pillow is the same thing without walls to bounce off!! The only downside to the area was the sewage smell and slush around one part of the jumping pillow, you can avoid walking through it but the smell you can't avoid, which was a shame.

The best experience of all was hiring the boats. We hired a basic speed boat (doesn't go very fast but was sufficient for our needs) for a half day for $15! We went up the river and out to the harbour where the bridge connects Forster and Tuncurry. The water in the harbour was amazing, so clear we could see the bottom and see schools of fish, and even a turtle! It was an amazing experience for the kids. We stopped at a sandbar for an hour where James and the kids swam in the warm water - which was nice during Autumn to be in warm water. I would highly recommend anyone do this, with or without children.

As for food, we made our own meal the first night at the campsite and for the second meal, we thought we would do something different and head out for dinner. We came across a restaurant that James and I had eaten at about 11 years earlier which was a waterfront seafood restaurant then. Now is a Thai restaurant. Our biggest question was whether they made Pad Si Ew. We called and while it was not on the menu we were assured that the cook could make anything we asked for! So we were sold and headed to the Thai Waterfront Restaurant. When we arrived, we were the only patrons at the time,which was nice as it gave us time to talk to our waiter which happened to be the husband of the Chef. He is a lovely man and made us feel at ease. We have 4 kids, and between the two other families that were with us there was another 5 children, so you can imagine what kinds of reactions we sometimes get. But, our waiter was lovely and chatted and joked with us and was very accommodating.

The atmosphere was pleasant and the main window looks out over the harbour. To compliment the views and ambience, the food was amazing! I love my Thai and I have eaten enough to know good Thai and not so good and I would say that his Thai was the BEST I have ever had! It was so fresh, tasty and I wanted to eat more and more. The only thing stopping me was the size of my stomach! The Pad Si Ew was divine. We also ordered spring rolls for the kids,  chicken cashew and chicken pad thai, all our favourite dishes. The servings were ample too. The three dishes were more than enough for James and I and our 4 kids. The bill for the evening for our meal was $61.50 which I consider a great deal for the amount of food we had. The locals must also agree with how good the food is, because by the time we left, the place was almost full.
I give Thai Waterfront ***** Five Stars!
Be sure to give these places a try when you are planning your next holiday in Tuncurry. If you are a local, get your butts out to the Thai Waterfront Resaurant!

Thai Waterfront Restaurant
Cnr Ray & Wharf Sts, Tuncurry NSW 2428

(02) 6554 5019