When you're traveling - especially with family - a hotel is nice, though a place to rest your head that feels and looks like a little home away from home is ideal, especially when it's a long road trip where you spend a substantial chunk of time in the car.
And while one of my kids is beyond the age of "are we there yet" (the other still asks, as his concept time of time is different to his sister's), it's nice to get out of the car and leave the iPad and headphones and snacks behind and surround yourself with a place that looks like a home.
My kids are indoor kids, more than the outdoors-y type.
They are home bodies like me, not necessarily adventure seekers, though will give a hike a go and subsequently love it.
On this trip I travelled with my son and daughter (12 year old twins, my son with autism), as well as some family friends... all in one car!
Yes, we survived it! In fact, I would go as far as saying we thrived on it. It turned out to be a fun, bonding experience, and three adults meant designated drivers could be swapped hourly if needed.
As a family, we'd experienced holiday parks several years before: we took a campervan for a run to a NSW holiday park, and plugged into power and our allotted spot, and enjoyed the facilities, though we'd not stayed inside a holiday park cabin, and after this experience we are now holiday park converts.
So what's the attraction?
The most obvious one is an immediate sense of community you feel when you drive in to a holiday park. In the case of the one we stayed at, you park your car right next to you door, unload, and you can prep a meal in your kitchenette, enjoy it on your deck, and smell the ocean while sitting on your outdoor furniture.
We stayed at Reflections Holiday Park, at Lennox Head and it was an excellent first proper experience of a holiday park.
This absolute gem is right near the beach (yes, actual walking distance to the beach) and is surrounded by residential streets, a coffee shop, and a base to have sand between your toes within minutes.
Lennox Head is a seaside village in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the stretch of coast between Byron Bay and Ballina in Ballina Shire local government area.
It shouldn't be a drive through spot, instead an actual destination.
Arriving from a stop at The Farm in Byron, Reflections housed us in two cute villas, which we were told had just been renovated.
This stay came at the tail end of our one week journey through NSW and into QLD, and it was a welcome pit stop to before we headed back to Sydney.
Ample space, comfy beds, living and dining rooms/kitchen, and the friendliest staff.
The morning we were to check out we grabbed a bucket, went for a stroll, and landed fresh pippies we caught ourselves.
We fried them up with chilli and garlic for a breakfast of champions we enjoyed on our sun drenched deck.
We'd take this kind of stay over a hotel when doing a road trip any day.
This Lennox Head location is dog friendly (they have dog friendly cabins), and there are BBQ facilities, a camp kitchen, laundry facilities, plus wifi, and a shop for basics.
In a holiday park you can: be on the ground, feel the green grass under your feet, open the sliding door and smell the fresh air.
You can't do that staying in a city hotel where can feel a tad isolated from the world (and sure, sometimes you want that), and putting on pants, taking the lift to go downstairs to get food or go for a walk can feel like a chore.
Reflections Holiday Parks in general are located next to some of the most iconic beaches, inland dams and landmarks across NSW.
The clever folks there have created these holiday spots in breathtaking locations, and the Lennox Head location as well as all the Reflections spots offer accommodation options ranging from sites, ensuite sites, beach tents and cabins, all close to, or adjoining some of our Australia's pristine reserves.
Hooked. We reckon you will be too!
Josie's Juice stayed as a guest at Reflections Holiday Parks Lennox Head.
For more information, click HERE.
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