merimbula Archives - Salty Sweet Journeys

Australia July 14, 2024

Top 8 Things to do in Merimbula with Kids

Merimbula in the NSW coast is a fantastic family friendly destination. With so many activities for kids of all ages, that includes fishing, outdoor adventures and even it’s own theme park, there is something to do for everyone! These are the Top 8 Things to do in Merimbula with Kids.

_{This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a booking, I make a small commission. This is at absolutely NO additional cost to you and helps me keep the site running!}

Why Merimbula is a great family destination

Lots of natural attractions to explore and opportunities to learn about the local wildlife
A proper town centre well equipped with everything you need and with things to do for the whole family, for younger and older children
Magic Mountain theme park is lots of fun and makes for an exciting day out in Merimbula

Read on to find out more on the Top 8 Things to do in Merimbula with Kids!

These are the 8 Top Things to do in Merimbula with kids.

Magic Mountain

Guaranteed fun for all the family is Magic Mountain, one of the Top Things to do in Merimbula with Kids. Merimbula’s own theme park has been around for over 30 years and popular with locals and tourist alike.

It is located just a few minutes out of town. Entry to the theme park gives you access to all the rides. It includes a toboggan ride, minigolf, a rollercoaster, dodgem carts, tube rider and more. In summer there are also 2 extremely popular (and steep) water slides and a play pool for younger ones.

Magic mountain roller coaster — Rollercoaster at Magic Mountain

There is plenty of space for picnics, as well as a playground, a maze, bouncy castle and of course a café to fuel up for the day. We spent the whole day here and the kids had an absolute ball.

DETAILS: Open daily in summer and on selected dates during VIC/NSW school holidays from 10am to 4pm – 59 AUD for adults, 52 AUD for children 4 to 12 yrs. Children below 4 years have FREE entry. Discounts offered for pre-booking online and for season passes. Some days the park can be closed for private functions, check the website first! More info on the website HERE.

Bega Heritage Centre

A popular place to the take the kids for a tasty cheese toastie is of course Bega! Bega is the home of popular Bega Cheese and you can reach it in just 30 minutes drive from Merimbula.

Head to the Bega Heritage Centre, onsite where the Bega Factory is to see the wonderfully recreated farmhouse, machinery and cows that the kids will love looking at and learning more about. The in-house buzzing café is great for lunch or to stock up on local goodies and cheese for a picnic.

DETAILS: Open daily 9 am to 4 pm. Entry to the Farmhouse is FREE for a look around! More info on the website HERE.

Merimbula Beach & Ford Park

The pristine 5 km stretch of sand of the Merimbula Main beach is a must see for families. It’s patrolled over summer and has plenty of space to play in the sand and water.

Ford park a popular playground — Ford Park

Just backing on the beach, Ford Park playground is perfect for little ones and popular with locals and families here on holidays. It’s fully fenced and also has lots of sitting areas and BBQs. The Merimbula Seaside Market is also hosted here on the 3rd Sunday of each month.

Merimbula Boardwalk

This stunning walk is an easy stroll for kids and stroller friendly. The Merimbula Boardwalk stretches from just off the main street at Market Streets and stretches for just over 3 km (return loop). Young ones will enjoy being able to see up close all the oysters, fish and oyster farms on the shallow wooden boardwalk.

Top Fun

For rainy days, Top Fun is an indoor and outdoor fun place for the whole family. Top Fun has a 10 pin bowling alley, laser tag, 18 hole minigolf, as well as a full arcade with heaps of games.

DETAILS: Open daily 10 am to 8 pm, longer weekends and summertime. Each activity is charged separately. Prices starting from 8 AUD for kids and 15 AUD for adults playing minigolf. Discounts offered COMBO deals starting from 26 AUD per person to play in 2 attractions to include Minigolf, Lasertag and Bowling. Check the website for the most up do date opening hours HERE.

Barefoot Bowls at Club Sapphire

Barefoot bowls in Merimbula — Barefoot Bowls at the Club Sapphire

Club Sapphire in Merimbula is a huge entertainment complex with restaurants and a full sized lawn bowls club. A fantastic budget family friendly activity in Merimbula is Barefoot Bowls, the spacious undercover lawn bowls also has a playground for kids right next to the lawns!

The attached Pacific Bistro serves up delicious pub meals with a kids menu and perfect for a feed after a game of bowls. Kitty’s Bar and Restaurant also onsite is a popular dining spot for delicious Asian fusion meals and has kid friendly dining on Wednesdays and Thursday nights.

Seafood platter in Merimbula — Dining at the Pacific Bistro

DETAILS: Club Sapphire is Open daily 10 am to 10 pm, longer weekends and summertime. 2 hour Barefoot Bowl sessions Prices can be booked HERE starting from 10.50 AUD for kids and 16 AUD for adults playing. Discounts Family Pass for 2 adults and up to 3 children at 42 AUD. Check the website for the most up do date opening hours HERE. Bookings necessary HERE for dining in the bistro or at Kitty’s.

Potooroo Palace

Another family – friendly popular attraction in Merimbula is Potoroo Palace. If you are an animal lover and are looking for experiences to interact and get up close with local wildlife and see some potooroos, Potooroo Palace is the perfect place. This wildlife park is less than 10 minute drive from the centre of Merimbula and allows you to Feed free roaming kangaroos, ride the miniature train and have close up encounters with koalas, reptiles and many more incredible animals.

DETAILS: Open daily 9am to 4pm – 25 AUD for adults, 16 AUD for children over 3 yrs. Children below 3 years are charged 5 AUD. Discounts offered for family tickets.

Merimbula Wharf and Aquarium

Merimbula Aquarium, one of the top attractions in Merimbula with kids — Merimbula Aquarium

Perched at the top of a popular fishing pier in Merimbula, the Wharf in Merimbula is not only a amazing seafood restaurant, it’s also a full size 70,000 litre aquarium with over 20 tanks with local and tropical sea creatures!

A highlight for little ones is seeing the fish during feeding times at 11.30am every Wednesdays & Fridays and on Thursdays also during school holidays.

DETAILS: Open Wed to Sunday 10am to 4pm, longer on weekends – 25 AUD for adults, 17 AUD for children. Discounts offered for family tickets. Check on the website for the most up to date details.

Where is Merimbula

Merimbula is located in NSW, 75 km from the Victorian Border, and approximately 7 hours drive from Melbourne. From Merimbula, you can reach Sydney in 6 hours drive, and Canberra in a 3 hours drive.

Merimbula is also served by Merimbula Airport that has local and charter flights operating across regional cities as well as Melbourne and Sydney (just one 1 hour flight time).

Where to stay in Merimbula

There are so many places to stay in Merimbula for families. From self catering accommodation to caravans parks, there is something to suit all budgets!

Luxury Family friendly accommodation

Coast Resort Merimbula is a great accommodation option for families! The resort offers luxury townhouses and apartments with stylish interiors as well as 2 swimming pools and a tennis court. The resort is also located just a short walk to the main beach in Merimbula and the popular Ford Park Playground, just across the road. You can read my full review here.

Check out prices and availability for Coast Resort Merimbula HERE

Midrange/Budget Family friendly accommodation

NRMA Merimbula Beach Holiday Resort is a fantastic resort for kids. A playground, pool and school holidays club will keep the kids entertained. With holiday cabins ranging from budget friendly standard cabins up to Spa Villas and Glamping tents, there is something to suit every budget.

Check out prices and availability for NRMA Merimbula HERE

NRMA Resort Merimbula – Photo Courtesy of Expedia

Want to read more about Merimbula?

Hope you enjoyed this post on the Top 8 things to in Merimbula with Kids!

Want to venture to more places in the area like the hidden Eden Rockpools or the Killer Whale Museum? You can read more about it in my other post on the Top 7 Experiences in and around Merimbula HERE.

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Hotel Reviews June 3, 2024

Coast Resort Merimbula Review

Located in a wonderful family-friendly destination on the NSW coast, just over the Victorian border, Coast Resort Merimbula has all that resort-style feel, with the advantage of being right near the ample Merimbula beach, and just a short walk away from the centre of town. This is my Coast Resort Merimbula Review.

_{This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a booking, I make a small commission. This is at absolutely NO additional cost to you and helps me keep the site running!}

What you are going to love about Coast Resort Merimbula

Spacious, modern and luxurious apartments and townhouses, the larger ones with 2 bathrooms perfect for families and big groups travelling together

Fantastic quiet location that backs onto Merimbula main beach (and a great playground). Merimbula town centre is just a 15 minutes walk away too!

Great guest facilities to enjoy that include 2 pristine swimming pools, a tennis court and BBQ facilities

To Check out prices and availability for Coast Resort Merimbula, click HERE

Coast Resort Merimbula Review: Facilities and Accommodation Summary

The Resort complex is made up of a combination of holiday apartments / townhouses and privately owned residences. The resort has the following facilities available for guests:

2 Swimming pools: Both outdoor. One family friendly with shallow end, and one lap pool
Tennis court
BBQ facilities
Secure undercover parking for most of the apartments/townhouses
DVD rental

Coast Resort Merimbula - resort pool — Pool view from townhouse

Pools and Tennis Facilities

Coast Resort Merimbula has 2 swimming pools that guests can use:

The Main Pool: with shallow end and ideal for younger children
Lap Pool

Both Pools are Solar Heated throughout the year. During the colder months they are also gas boosted (to 24 degrees) from September to May and during winter school holidays periods. The Pools are open throughout the day and close at dusk.

Lap Pool at Coast Resort Merimbula — Lap Pool

A Tennis Court is also available for guests – free to book a slot via reception. We brought our own from home but you can hire these from reception for 10 AUD per hour.

To Check out prices and availability for Coast Resort Merimbula, click HERE

Accommodation options

Coast Resort Merimbula has many types of self catering apartments and townhouses available and suitable for couples or larger families too.

The following categories available for booking, most of these vary slightly in style and face different parts of the resort complex such as the concourse (middle of the resort), pool, beach or lake. The views are specified as you book your chosen accommodation.

1, 2, 3 Bedroom Apartments facing the concourse or the pool
2, 3 Bedroom Townhouse
3 Bedroom Sub-Penthouse Apartment

We booked a 3 Bedroom Poolside Townhouse – pictured below. All the apartments vary slightly in style and furniture as they are individually owned.

Bedroom at Coast Resort Merimbula — King Bedroom in Townhouse

The Townhouse was set across two floors – ground floor with 1 master bedroom with ensuite with bath and shower, 1 king room with walk in robe, 1 twin room and one main bathroom with shower and laundry.

On the first floor, a large lounge room / dining area, balcony, kitchen with view over the pool and powder room / toilet.

Lounge room in 2 storey townhouse Coast Resort Merimbula — Lounge Room and Balcony

Some great facilities available in the townhouse included:

Generously stocked kitchen with high quality cookware & serving dishes
Dishwasher, microwave and full sized fridge
Heaps of storage in the wardrobes
Fully fitted laundry with washer and dryer

Kitchen, upper level — Kitchen in Pool View Townhouse from the First Floor

Room servicing Information

All the accommodation is fully self contained and there is no room servicing. A basic pack of cleaning products in included as you check in but it not replenished throughout the stay and guests must replenish their own. For stays longer than 8 nights a linen pack is provided. No room servicing provided.

Family Stays at Coast Resort Merimbula

I’ve summarized some of the amenities that makes this resort a great choice for families:

Family Pool with shallow end perfect for children
Children cutlery available in the kitchens
Single beds provided in the larger apartments, cots also available (additional fee per day)
Ford Park playground is a great play space located just behind the resort
The resort backs onto Merimbula Main Beach, right next to Ford Park

Ford Park, a popular family playground in Merimbula — Ford Park Playground, directly behind the resort and full fenced

Coast Resort Merimbula Location

Merimbula is located 75 km from the Victorian Border, and approximately 7 hours drive from Melbourne. From Merimbula, you can reach Sydney in 6 hours drive, and Canberra in 3 hours drive.

The resort is located in the stretch of land between Merimbula Lake and Merimbula beach, on 2 hectares of land. Coast Resort Merimbula is about 15 minutes walk from the centre of Merimbula (1 km).

Merimbula is also served by Merimbula Airport that has local and charter flights operating across regional cities as well as Melbourne and Sydney (just one 1 hour flight time).

Popular Tourist Attractions nearby

Whether it’s fishing, swimming, hiking or seeking thrills at the local theme park Magic Mountain, Merimbula has lots of things to do for everyone. You can read more about 7 of the Best Places to See in and around Merimbula HERE as well as the Top attractions for Kids COMING SOON.

Popular Dining nearby

Local Oysters, Merimbula — Fresh Merimbula Oysters

The most popular thing to eat around Merimbula is of course seafood – particularly, Oysters! You can ready more on my other post HERE to learn more about Merimbula Oysters and where to eat them from!

Some popular dining spots in Merimbula include

Club Sapphire: Huge entertainment complex with bars, restaurants, and Barefoot bowls also available onsite. Kids playground alongside bowls club also. The restaurants include the Pacific Bistro, and Kitty’s Restaurant (asian fusion).
Merimbula Aquarium and Wharf Restaurant: Perched over the water and specialized in fresh seafood, with an aquarium onsite too! (Paid entry, Fish feedings 11.30am Wed & Fri)
Dulcies Cottage: Beautiful original weatherboard cottage serving burgers, oysters and craft beers

Club Sapphire Barefoot Bowls and Playground — Club Sapphire Barefoot bowls and playground

Coast Resort Merimbula – Final Thoughts

It was hard to fault! I could have stayed longer and recommend it to anyone looking at a stay in Merimbula. The townhouse was so comfortable and the facilities were kept immaculate. The only thing that would have been a good addition is a service/clean of the apartments if staying longer than 7 days.

BOOK Coast Resort Merimbula

I hope you found this review on the Coast Resort Merimbula useful!

To Check out prices and availability for Coast Resort Merimbula, click HERE

Want to read more about Merimbula?

You can read more about Merimbula in my other post HERE on the Top 7 Attractions in Merimbula and Things to do with Kids around Merimbula COMING SOON. You can read more about Merimbula Oysters HERE.

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Australia May 27, 2024

Merimbula Oysters

The town of Merimbula, on the NSW Sapphire coast, is most famous for one thing. OYSTERS! Find out more about them and where to eat the best oysters around Merimbula.

Where is Merimbula?

Merimbula is located in New South Wales on The Sapphire Coast. It covers around 90 km of the NSW coastline and stretches from Bermagui to Eden.

Merimbula is 75 km from the Victorian Border and approximately 7 hours drive from Melbourne. From Merimbula, you can reach Sydney in 6 hours drive, and Canberra in 3 hours drive.

The small Merimbula Airport has local and charter flights operating across regional cities as well as Melbourne and Sydney (just one 1 hour flight time).

A Merimbula local specialty

If fresh oysters are your thing, Merimbula, is one of the best places to get the freshest Sydney Rock Oysters in New South Wales. Take a walk along the famous Merimbula Boardwalk, and all along the water on Merimbula Lake you can see kilometres of oyster farms!

Oysters is serious business here. The Sapphire Coast is in fact an area that produces some of the best oysters in Australia! 5 major estuaries are dotted along the coast, including Merimbula Lake, and they produce millions of oysters annually.

Sydney Rock Oysters vs Pacific Oysters

The variety that is most popular in the region is the Sydney Rock Oysters, which can be found across all of the eastern coastline.

They vary slightly from the equally as popular Pacific Oysters, which are found in cooler waters like in Tasmania. The main thing that is noticeable is the size, the Sydney Rock Oysters are a little smaller.

Flavour wise, Sydney Rock Oysters are slightly saltier, whether Pacific oysters have more of a creamier texture. One thing for sure though, equally as delicious when you can get them so fresh!

Pricing of Oysters in the Merimbula area

In Merimbula and surrounding towns like Pambula, you will see several places selling oysters. Oysters are seasonal, with the peak supply is usually from October to June. A heads up – as there is lots of competition selling oysters you could be fooled by some of the cheap prices you see at the door.

Here is one thing to look out for. The cheapest ones usually mean the oysters are very small (cocktail size). The oysters are generally priced according to size (small/cocktail, medium or large/premium) or for being unshucked or opened.

Expect to pay at least 20 AUD per dozen for opened medium-sized oysters. Premium, larger size oysters are usually sold at 30 AUD + per dozen.

Merimbula Oysters: Where to buy

All of the Sapphire coast has a number of farms dotted along it, you can even do a self guided tour of the most popular ones if you travel along the Oyster Trail.

Some popular spots to buy fresh Oysters to takeaway and eat in around Merimbula are:

Mckay Oysters (102 Arthur Kaine Dr, Pambula, Open 9am-5pm everyday), priced from 12 AUD per dozen for cocktail oysters, Take away.
Broadway Oysters – Pambula Lake, Shed 1/52 Landing Rd, Broadwater, Open 9 am – 4 pm Mon to Sat. Priced from 17 AUD per dozen for cocktail oysters. Also offer tours of the Oyster Farm Tours and small group as well as private dining experiences to learn more about the Oysters and how to shuck them. Eat in and take away.
Sunny’s Kiosk – 68 Lakewood Dr, Merimbula. Open 8 am – 2 pm Thu to Mon, changes seasonally. Located at the end of the iconic Merimbula Boardwalk and perched on a picturesque location on the lake. Eat in.
The Oyster Barn / Merimbula Gourmet Oysters – 49 Oyster Trak, Millingandi, is Open 10 am – 3 pm Wed to Sat. Priced from 20 AUD per dozen. Eat in and take away.

Sunny’s Kiosk, at the end of the Merimbula Boardwalk

Want to read more about Merimbula?

Learn more about Merimbula in my other informative posts on the Top Attractions in Merimbula and Things to do with Kids around Merimbula.

Need somewhere to stay in Merimbula? You can read my review of Coast Resort Merimbula HERE.

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