I am a massive fan of family holidays and these kind of holidays may look different to each family. It may mean staying with relatives interstate, camping on a beach, booking a resort down the road or even exploring overseas together. I believe that frequenting family holidays from an early age creates a great bonding opportunity for you all to grow and learn more about each other!

We are spoilt for choice on family accommodation on the Gold Coast but one of my most favourite places to stay is actually 30 minutes further down the coast from the Gold Coast. Conveniently it is super close to the airport and a perfectly quiet and humble little suburb named Coolangatta. Staying at the Oaks Calypso in Coolangatta has to be one of my highlights every year since having Elle.

We have the ability to create our own family traditions and ours is to stay in Coolangatta every year.

It’s not hard to love the place when the moment you drive in to your resort you know you won’t need to get in the car again until you leave. Oaks Calypso is right in the heart. You have the beach across the road, another beach in walking distance around the hill, Woolworths down the street, an array of cafes and restaurants front street and back and even the luxury of shopping for clothes, seeing a movie or having a pedicure. It is a place you are again spoilt for choice in a way that feels ultra relaxing.

There are lots of Coolangatta accommodation apartments to choose from and we have stayed in other resorts on the coast. However, I think the benefits and my favourite thing about it was the location being so central especially with a toddler and having the option of kids slides, kids shallow sided pool, games room and a big grass area made sure it really ticked the boxes for everyone. Especially while I was 36 weeks pregnant this time.

The tradition is also becoming a special ones as our nearest and dearest close friends have joined in on the traditions to ensure that all our kids grow up together with the same special memories that we have as friends. Its truly something else watching each year this circle grow and the bond of our kids develop and flourish through a weeks stay together!

Inside Oaks Calypso Coolangatta and the rooms

For our annual family escape to Coolangatta to celebrate the ending of another amazing year in 2019 to welcome 2020 we chose to stay in a one bedroom room at Oaks Calypso. This was because we only had our almost two year old daughter while I was pregnant. I didn’t feel that she needed her own room.

Choosing a one bedroom room for our six night stay definitely saved us a chunk of cash. As Elle was now sleeping in a bed at home we decided that putting a mattress on the floor next to our king bed in the apartment room would suffice. It worked perfectly! Our room looked a little similar to the below.

Anyone with kids knows that having a fully self contained apartment for a getaway is completely essential! We were very happy with the amount of space and location of our apartment within the resort. I know for this years getaway we will have to opt for a two-bedroom apartment. This will be a bit more expensive but I will request a ground floor one too. There are lifts within the resort but with the location of the ground floor apartments to the pool is quite close and we did have to often go back to the room for little essentials we sometimes forgot (snacks, nappy changes, sleep times) and it will just be easier for us!

The Beach & Pool at our Coolangatta Stay

The pool was definitely one of the favourite spots for the kids to hang and play and for all us parents too. There is the benefits of a shallow kids pool surrounded by green grass and on the other side of the cross between bridge was a larger pool with a big kids slide. The water is warm yet refreshing and there is also a spa to immerse yourself in!

Then there was the beach! Honestly, I really loved visiting the beach each day! There had been a lot of rainfall prior to our stay and this had created a little inlet with shallow ocean water which was PERFECT for toddlers and little ones who you felt on edge with around water. It made me feel more confident being by that inlet at Greenmount Beach, Coolangatta especially being heavily pregnant. This beach is right across the road from Oaks Calypso too! Then there is Rainbow Bay Beach which is only a very short walk around the corner (even I did it heavily pregnant twice with no issues). Location wise the resort is perfect!

The essentials to pack!

As with any beach holiday my top three essentials to pack are honestly:

• Beach Wanderer Beach Cart – BCF have a fabulous one!
• CoolCabana Tent – this is the worlds sturdiest, lightest and easiest beach tent to pop up trust me!
• A big picnic blanket – you will utilise this everywhere! Definitely invest in one you love! Check out this one here.

All the other essentials…well as a mama I am sure you know about them!