Just 20 minutes from Queensland’s Gold Coast, but a world away in lifestyle, you’ll relish the relaxing pace of a Kingscliff family getaway.
It’s close enough to visit the region’s drawcard theme parks – but once you arrive in Kingscliff, on the NSW Tweed Coast, you’ll want to stay put and enjoy the attractions right at your door.
Stand on the vast sweeping beach at sunset, and it’s easy to forget that Kingscliff’s resorts, restaurants, cafes and bars are right on the other side of the boardwalk. It’s certainly harder to think that just 20 minutes down the road, the glittering lights of the Gold Coast are just flickering on.
You might as well be on another planet in the sleepy northern New South Wales coastal town of Kingscliff. It’s no wonder that it’s one of the best-loved NSW destinations for families – so dive into this guide and start planning your trip!
14 things to do in Kingscliff and beyond
Meet farm animals, cycle beside the sea, craft pottery, learn to surf, tour a fruit farm or bring out your kids’ creative side, and that’s just for starters! Kingscliff and the Tweed are full of family fun, so get your itinerary started with our top 14 activities:
1. Tour a tropical fruit farm at Duranbah
A short drive from Kingscliff, you can’t miss The Big Avocado and Tropical Fruit World, a vast plantation growing over 500 species of fruit. Join a guided farm tour for the full experience, which includes a tractor ride, fruit tasting, boat cruise and animal encounters in the fauna park (bookings required).
Refuel at the farm café and drop by the market to shop for souvenirs, as well as picking up some local produce to take home. There are no bookings or entry fees required to visit this part of the park. Saturday mornings are the best time to visit, as there’s a fabulous farmer’s market.
2. Water adventures on Cudgen Creek
Sign up for some sea air and immersive water play on a Junior Adventure Guru morning with Kingcliff’s aquatic experts, Watersports Guru. The two-hour outdoor program on Sunday mornings offers water sports such as stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking and snorkelling with fully qualified and fun local guides, focusing on life skills, environmental care and water safety.
3. Play with clay at Crockd Studios & Cafe
Family-owned Crockd Studios & Cafe in Kingscliff combines barista-made coffee and locally baked goods with a vibrant pottery studio running workshops for children and adults. For something the whole family can do together, consider the weekend all-ages classes where you can try wheel throwing and hand-sculpting.
You can also create memories and masterpieces in the adorable Mama’s & Minis pottery play sessions or drop off the kids for a school holiday workshop (for ages seven through to 13). Each workshop teaches basic clay techniques while allowing kids and tweens to unleash some creative energy.
4. Cool off at Tweed Regional Aquatic Centres
When it’s time to cool off, chill out or learn to swim, make tracks to TRAC – the Tweed Regional Aquatic Centre. There are three locations which welcome local and visiting families alike, including a smaller pool complex at Kingscliff.
For maximum fun, head to TRAC’s main base in Murwillumbah for the indoor and outdoor pools, waterslide, hydrotherapy options and shaded toddler play pool. There’s also a café and a grassed area to recline.
5. Explore Kingscliff and the Tweed by bike
Hire bikes and explore the Tweed’s gorgeous coastline, from Kingscliff and south to the villages of Casuarina and Cabarita. Over 100 km of sealed, off-road paths make up the Tweed Cycleways, winding along beside ocean views, with ample opportunity to jump off and hit a beach path down to the waves for a refreshing dip before pedalling on again.
Try a short spurt from Salt Village up to Kingscliff’s Esplanade ‘eat street’ for lunch or plan a full day cycle through bustling Tweed Heads, the multi-million dollar Salt and Casuarina developments and the sleepy seaside villages of Hastings Point, Cabarita and Pottsville.
Some hotels and holiday parks have bikes for hire, including Blue Water Motel, Tweed Holiday Parks Kingscliff Beach and Kingscliff North. You can also get your wheels from Kingscliff Bike Hire or Kool Bikes.
6. Take a day trip to Hosanna Farmstay
If it’s fresh air and farm animals you’re seeking, head to Hosanna Farmstay in the Tweed hinterland. Book a Day Visit Pass to immerse in farm life – feed the resident animals, take a swim in the dam, bring a picnic lunch and graze under shady trees.
The Farm Tour includes the chance to feed pigs, collect eggs and take selfies with the resident llamas. Grab an Adventure Passport at check-in to keep everyone busy with fun challenges. Can’t get enough of farm life? Book an overnight stay with your choice of camping, glamping, rustic cabin or Homestead accommodation.
🐮 KEEP EXPLORING: 14 fun animal encounters for kids on the Gold Coast
7. Go crabbing on the Tweed River
Set off aboard a Tweed River cruise with Catch a Crab Tours to take in stunning waterways and all manner of fishing fun. Haul in crabs, cooked fresh on board, hand-feed friendly wild pelicans, pump for yabbies or try your hand at fishing.
You’ll also visit a working oyster farm, where Sydney Rock Oysters are grown and shucked, with an optional fish-and-chip or seafood lunch at The Oyster Shed, where fresh crabs are chef-prepared to order.
8. Play and picnic at Salt Central Park
The friendly focal point of beachside Salt Village is Central Park, and you don’t need to stay at one of Salt’s resorts to enjoy it. Head down to enjoy the free barbeque and undercover picnic area while the kids lap the playground.
Tackling the tube slide 30 plus times can be sweaty work, so bring your bathers for a paddle at the beach just metres away. This is also the site of a popular market on the third Saturday of every month.
9. Browse the Tweed Region's diverse art galleries
Call in to the M|Arts Precinct to browse the buzzing warehouse studio for artists, or changing exhibitions at Gallery DownTown. Next up, visit one of Australia’s best regional galleries, the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre (MOAC), where you’ll find a range of activities including ART PLAY school holiday workshops for kids.
10. Check out the kid-friendly Tweed Regional Museum
Head off to Murwillumbah for a day of learning and creativity. Start at the Tweed Regional Museum, with engaging interactive displays as part of its Land|Life|Culture exhibition. If you’re lucky enough, you might catch the museum’s annual family-friendly Street Party or catch the roaming Museum on Wheels at a local market, festival or holiday park.
11. Learn to surf with the locals
Host to some of Australia’s leading surf competitions and big name champs including Stephanie Gilmore, you’re clearly in great hands while learning to surf in the Tweed. From small beginner wave classes to advanced one-on-one coaching sessions, get your groms on the go with one of the area’s many learn to surf outfits.
In2Surf has great beginners’ lessons and a five-day SurfGroms school holiday program for kids. Little girls can achieve their wave-riding dreams with all-female Salty Girls Surf School, which also offers teen and adult lessons.
12. Snorkel with turtles off Cook Island
Check out the Snorkel with Turtles tour for an unforgettable experience with kids six years and older. Leaving from Fingal Head, 15 minutes from Kingscliff, you’ll cruise a kilometre offshore to Cook Island, which has a permanent population of green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles. This wildlife water adventure is sure to be the highlight of your Tweed holiday!
13. Watch the sunset from Salt Beach
The long stretch of sand at Casuarina’s Salt Beach is almost surreally pristine. It’s a beautiful spot to take in the view as dusk casts a rosy glow across the squeaky sand. Kids will love to run in and out of the shallows, dodging the waves tickling at their ankles.
14. Visit Wollumbin National Park (Mount Warning)
A short drive inland is the Tweed Range and Wollumbin (formerly Mount Warning), the remnant of a long-extinct volcano that once covered much of the area. As a sacred Aboriginal Place, the mountain is closed to climbers.
However, you can still visit Wollumbin National Park to explore the caldera (or crater of the volcano) along the 1.2km Lyrebird Track, enjoy the Breakfast Creek Picnic Area or head to the swimming hole at Korrumbyn Creek Picnic Area.
🌳 KEEP EXPLORING: The best Gold Coast outdoor adventures for families
Where to stay in Kingscliff with kids
Peppers Salt Resort & Spa - Salt Beach
Located in the $1 billion Salt complex, Peppers Salt Resort & Spa has everything required for a top notch family holiday. There are four pools, including a heated spa pool. Complete with a sandy beach, the gorgeous lagoon pool is warm enough for a winter splash in the shallows or a cooling dunk in summer. Spread your towel on the sun loungers and settle into the tropical atmosphere, with the café within splashing distance.
All contemporary rooms, suites and apartments include spa baths ideal for small humans. Suites are even more spacious with a designer kitchen, living room and laundry. After putting the kids to bed, Foxtel and a minibar make it easy for parents to kick back with wine and a movie.
Blue Water Motel - Dreamtime Beach
Only steps from the beach, the retro styling of the Blue Water Motel sets the tone for a fun coastal getaway with kids. Suites are ideal for families with a retro toaster, kettle and fridge on offer, along with in-room WiFi, air conditioning and luxury toiletries. The property also features the four-bedroom Beach House to accommodate large families and group trips.
Kingscliff holiday parks
For a comfortable budget-friendly holiday in the Tweed, stay at one of the region’s many kid-friendly holiday parks. Stay in the centre of the action at Kingscliff Beach Holiday Park or head up to Kingscliff North Holiday Park for a more secluded getaway. Slightly further afield is Tasman Holiday Parks – North Star at Hastings Point, 20 minutes south of Kingscliff.
Family-friendly restaurants in Kingscliff
For plenty of kid-friendly places to eat, check out the Salt Village dining hub or stroll through the town of Kingscliff proper for even more options. You can also take a 45-minute drive to explore the cafes and eateries of foodie haven Byron Bay.
Fins Restaurant and Bar
5/6 Bells Blvd, South Kingscliff
Fins is probably the fanciest dining spot on the Salt Village strip, but it’s surprisingly family-friendly – there’s a dedicated children’s menu and sometimes ‘kids eat free’ promotions during school holidays. Littlies will be transfixed by the novelty of the fish tanks, and staff swiftly provide colouring sheets and crayons if they get bored.
As Australia’s most lauded regional seafood restaurant, everything is fresh, local and delicious here. If you can’t trust your brood in the dining room, Fins even does takeaway fish and chips.
Salt Village restaurants
1 Bells Blvd, South Kingscliff
There are many eateries in Salt Village. As well as Fins Restaurant and Bar, there’s another a Thai restaurant, pizza joint, Mexican cantina and and Salt Bar & Bistro, a big pub complete with indoor playground and colourful kaleidoscope slides.
Paper Daisy
21 Cypress Cres, Cabarita Beach
Hip hotel Halcyon House is home to much-lauded restaurant Paper Daisy. Bookings are a must for the daily two-course lunch and dinner sittings and the native-inspired desserts are to die for.
If you can’t get away for a leisurely date night, try to squeeze in a drink and a quick meal at the Paper Daisy Bar. Travelling with a group? Jump at the chance to book a share-style set menu for up to 20 guests.
Keep exploring the NSW North Coast with kids
Opening image: Go kayaking on Cudgeon Creek with Watersports Guru Kingscliff
Content contributors: Elisa Elwin, Anne Majumdar, Dan Campbell
