February 16, 2023
7 mins Read
The array of accommodation options in Kiama is endless. Here’s the guide to Kiama accommodation for families.
(Don’t miss our tips for where to eat in Kiama with kids and what to do with kids in Kiama.)
Although Kiama is an accessible day trip from Sydney, you’re guaranteed a good time that ticks all the right boxes if you stay and play for a few extra days. Mystics Beach Bungalows is one of the top five fab places for families with children of all ages to stay near to Kiama. The beautifully renovated bungalows are located near to the Minnamurra River and Mystics Beach, ranked by Tourism Australia as it’s No. 3 Best Beach and a bucket-list break for surfers. Each of the six low-key two-bedroom surf shacks have been tastefully renovated and are well-suited to a family of four.
The beautifully renovated Mystics Beach Bungalows.
From safari tents to surf shacks, beach shacks and unpowered camp sites, Seven Mile Beach has an accommodation offering to suit every family (even yours) and is pet-friendly, too. This Kiama Coast Holiday Park is located both on Seven Mile Beach and a bend of the Crooked River, making it well suited to camp trips with the extended family who can choose their own adventure. Sea air ruffles the trees surrounding Surf Beach Holiday Park and the Big 4 Easts Beach Holiday Park, which both have absolute beach frontage.
Big 4 serves up family fun in spades.
Visit the Ben Ricketts Environmental Reserve web page ahead of your visit to the Illawarra so you can have a plan of attack when it comes to chalking up outdoor experiences. Active families will appreciate the fact the three dinky cabins on the remote reserve are set near walking trails that wind through the towering forests of the Illawarra Escarpment. The Ben Ricketts boltholes are also within easy reach of Kiama, Carrington Falls, Minamurra Rainforest, Illawarra Fly and Jamberoo Recreation Park. As the sun dips, listen for lyrebirds, bowerbirds, catbirds, whipbirds, kookaburras and sugar gliders.
Active families will appreciate Ben Ricketts Environmental Reserve.
The aptly named Nanny and Poppy’s Beach House is the kind of sprawling, homely holiday house you wish your grandparents owned. There’s a shortcut to the beach from the rambling property on Headland Drive, which has views over Gerringong that are bigger and brighter than most. While older kids will froth on the surf scene, kayaks and wi-fi, families with younger tots will appreciate the boogie boards, board games and kids toys provided in the house, which sleeps 10 comfortably. If you want a bit of distance from the in-laws, book Casa Mar Azul, a five-bedroom house with a pool that leads directly onto Jones Beach.
Nanny and Poppy’s Beach House from above.
You will feel like a rock star when you hole up at Nirvana Seaside Cottages, which marries music with surf culture just a stone’s throw from Werri Beach and Werri Lagoon. The property comprises two separate dwellings – The Nirvana Cottage and The Loft Cottage – designed to accommodate two families so you can bring the cousins along and make an occasion of it. The light-filled cottage has books, toys and Lego for the kids; and a sunset seat purpose-built for sundowners. Salty-haired teens will appreciate the surf culture collectables and vintage vibe at the cottages, which are a 12-minute drive from Kiama.
You will feel like a rock star at Nirvana Seaside Cottages.
The oceanfront location in Kiama makes Amaroo an alluring spot for a family holiday. The expansive family home has multiple living areas with well-placed additions such as board games and beanbags and blankets to keep you warm as you snuggle down into the couch in the media room to watch a family movie. The restful family home sleeps eight, has five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, multiple living areas and an outdoor deck with sun loungers. Mix up a few cocktails while the kids play in the heated pool and order Uber eats to deliver from one of the buzz-worthy local restaurants.
Amaroo is an alluring spot for a family holiday.
A five-minute drive away from Kiama takes you to Kelly Cottage which, right now, feels like the most perfect place to get a breath of fresh air on the planet. Enjoy the theatre of your kids mooing at the cows on this working farm overlooking the Jamberoo Valley, which is also home to horses, cows, calves, goats, dogs and cats. The owners of the three-bedroom cottage, which was built in 1922, also breed cavoodles, so the place is perfect for those who have a soft spot for puppies.
Kelly Cottage feels like the most perfect place to get a breath of fresh air.
It’s not a surprise that Dovecote made our list of 100 Unique Stays Across Australia in the Unique Family Accommodation category.
It is another hideout on rolling farmland that will make you want to return to the region again and again. Fire up the wood-fired pizza oven and harvest some fresh herbs from the kitchen garden so that you can eat dinner on the verandah of this cute-as cottage with the green-on-blue view.
Dovecote puts you above Kiama’s beauty.
Saddleback Grove clings to a hillside overlooking rolling farmland and the open ocean stretched like too-tight denim around the curves of the coast. Sit in the spa watching the colours in the cornflower blue sky fade to pink, then velvety ink, before retreating to the lounge room for games of charades around the log fire. The expansive homestead, which has a ping pong table and games room, is best suited for a family with older children.
Saddleback Grove clings to a hillside overlooking rolling farmland.
Proponents of the paddock-to-plate philosophy who want to understand more about what they’re consuming can combine a fun Schottländers’ Wagyu Farm Stay that pleases the kiddies with some hands-on learning about environmentally sustainable and ethical farming practises. Stay in the original farmhouse dating back to the 1920s to experience the Schottländers’ way of life first-hand where you can collect your eggs for breakfast, harvest seasonal fruit and veggies from the cottage garden and learn all about the wagyu cattle born and bred on the farm. Toddlers obsessed with tractors will love watching the farm machinery in action, spotting native animals such as wallabies, kangaroos, wombats and echidnas and playing in the treehouse.
Learn about environmentally sustainable and ethical farming practises
The sandstone used to build historic Dunoon Farmhouse was hauled by horse and cart some 150 years ago and you will feel like you have taken a step back in time during your stay at the hillside retreat, albeit with up-to-the-minute amenities. Pick up a bottle of wine from Cupitt’s Estate and cheese from The Pines Kiama and enjoy a farmhouse-style lunch near the big-picture windows that frame the gorgeous views that stretch all the way to Kiama Beach. The lovingly restored homestead is set on one of the oldest (and first) land holdings in Gerringong and is the ultimate destination for a family weekend away.
The historic Dunoon Farmhouse.
To plan your visit to Kiama read our Ultimate travel guide to Kiama
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