After writing this post a few years ago I thought I’d update it after our most recent trip away. Another really lovely trip away with beautiful weather, great food, the most beautiful beaches and memories made. Oh and a family of 8. I won’t say that I’m relaxing by a pool drinking cocktails and reading a book or doing my crochet the whole time but there were some relaxing by the pool moments. When the kids weren’t in the pool.
Where to stay
This was the first time we stayed in a house and we just loved the space. The last time we stayed in an apartment I just knew that we needed some space for kids to run around. And so this time we organised a 4 bedroom house and pool in Noosa Sound. It was perfect but we did miss being on Hastings Street. If you had bigger kids like my eldest 3 then the walk is easy and I enjoyed the walk when I just took a few of them (kids, that is). But little ones wouldn’t last and we only took one pram. We drove down to the beach and Hastings St each day and got a carpark each time. Just. It was a few minutes drive or about a 10-15 minute walk.
The house we stayed in was perfect, spacious and comfortable had a front lawn and the back was paved and great for the kids to play out there. It was all enclosed so no one could run out and escape and it also had it’s own boat ramp and a jetty too. 10/10 and the price was reasonable when out of holiday season. If you’ve ever tried to book accommodation for a family over 2 adults and 2 kids then you know how expensive it can be or almost impossible so a house really worked for us this time.
If you’re looking to stay on Hastings St then you can’t fault the Sebel and a private rental there saves you money. They have 2 bedroom, 2 bathrooms with a sofa bed too and we managed to stay there even with 4 kids and a baby. Step out the front door right into Hastings St. The carpark even fits the VW Multivan height which at 2.1m can be an issue in other carparks. We have used this company twice before and they do a beautiful wine and cheese hamper for you which is just lovely to enjoy during your stay.
I do have a serious case of envy when I see the beautiful pools and apartments as you walk along the beach at Noosa but we can’t find a 3 bedroom in any of the complexes. If you have a smaller family or are looking for a romantic getaway then I would definitely stay on the beach side of Hastings or at the Sheraton.
When we were out at dinner we had a lady from the Emerald Noosa come up to us and let us know that our children were well behaved (thank goodness!) and that they had 3 bedroom apartments.
Look on stayz for an apartment or house that meets your requirements. People do book early so don’t leave it too late and one advantage of booking early was that we paid for our accommodation in 3 instalments which was great for cash flow. Something to remember though that with a private rental you might need to provide a cash bond for your stay and the cleaning the house while you are there.
Where to eat
Betty’s burgers was a real favourite this trip. A fun place to eat right opposite the surf club and I’m still thinking about how great that chicken burger and onion rings were. Top of my list and the kids loved it. Get there before 11.30 for lunch, we went after a swim at the beach and the kids were busting to go again.
Noosa surf club has the best views, great prices and great for families. We do the fish and chips and nachos and always have a nice time and get a great table and view. I think it’s a must do when visiting. That and I just love a lemon lime and bitters on a hot day.
Zachary’s for the best pizzas. There are a few locations in Noosa and it made for a quick and easy takeaway the night before we went home.
Rock salt was right near where we stayed and owned by one of my readers, I’m sure she made sure we had the best table (we did pay for our dinner). Beautifully cooked food and I’d call it french bistro style food in the park with very friendly service. All of the diners around us appeared to be older (I guess we do eat at seniors hour) but all repeat visitors which I think says a lot about a restaurant when they know the waiter and come back again and again. The kids coloured in and ran around in the park while we waited for our food and they loved their fish and chips. Great for families and the service was very attentive.
Sails not this time but we always go and love it. I didn’t book and I knew we wouldn’t get the front table we have had in the past and I just knew it wouldn’t be the same. This is a special restaurant and our kids have always been welcomed. The kids think it’s fun to go to a fancy restaurant and we’ve always had a table right out near the beach. Beautiful food and views and a fancy treat while you are away. We go at 5pm to eat.
Massimos has the best ice creams on the beach. I get coconut every time and it’s always delicious. Cash only and no tasting and sometimes a short queue but always worth it. Set aside some money in the holiday budget for this one because one or two visits is not enough. Trust me.
Where to shop
Go bananas for swimmers, pretty dresses and cute jewellery for kids. A nice range of babies and kids wear and the only place I shop for kidswear in Noosa. You’ll notice the matchy matchy swimmers because I know it won’t last long so might as well make the most of it now before the kids get too big for it!
Noosa Civic for Big W in case you’ve forgotten anything. This is the place we loaded up on new DVDs after our santa photo. Also great if you need swimmers or clothes and don’t want to pay big prices. Nice to have up your sleeve just in case you need a few thing especially for the beach.
Holster you’ll find the complete range of Holster sandals and also all of their clearance shoes at $12 and $15. Always on my list and their shoes just last so well! This was the little girl’s wall and my girls loved it! Lots of oohhing and ahhing.
Boom Shankar just near Holster so if you are driving to Holster then pop in and grab some bright and colourful dresses.
Noosa longboards is great for the perfect tourist t-shirt. We always buy one or two and they make great presents too.
Signature on Hastings is my little treat each time I visit. I buy a little pearl bracelet and some soaps each and every time I go. The soaps are wrapped beautifully and always make a nice little gift.
Other things to do
We love Peregian beach and discovered sunshine beach too
Eumundi market is popular but our little kids went a bit haywire when we went so we gave it a miss this time but if you love markets you’ll love this one.
Check out all of the other beaches on the Sunshine Coast for a drive and to give the kids a change of scenery.
Drive or fly ?
We pack the car to the brim, get up before the sun and drive to Noosa in one day. It’s a bit brave and crazy all at once with 6 kids in the back and I might have to bribe little ones with a happy meal for lunch but we get there in the end.
We have flown before but because we are a larger than normal family we needed to organise mini buses to pick us up at each end and it all got very expensive plus you are limited with what you can take. If I could only go for a short time then I’d fly and perhaps leave our car at the airport to save money. It’s only a short flight to the Sunshine Coast and jetstar and virgin both fly there.
When to go?
December is fun, hot and busy. We love September when it’s a bit quieter and the kids can swim and have fun without the really hot days. I think we’ll be going back next september since we won’t have the luxury of that extra week up our sleeve that we had this year and it was a bit crowded. I like it a bit quieter like in September but it was a fun and happy place to be in December unless you are my hair…..that humidity…I had a bit of frizz control going on.
last words of wisdom
tire out the kids in the pool and at the beach and you’ll get them into bed early!
stock up at the local coles or woolies and have plenty of fruit, ice blocks, juice, crackers and foods the kids love on hand for snacks
we ate most of our meals in and made it fun for the kids by eating tacos, burgers, salads (for us), wraps, chicken and chips and so on. We had a variety of tubs of ice cream and sorbet for dessert fun too. Mind you the ben & jerry’s tub lasted one day.
car dvd players are the best! We ran 3 in the car and had 2 ipads on the go to keep little ones busy as well as snacks and water bottles for the long road. McDonalds playcentres became our best friend when everyone was getting cranky and needed a play and run around
keep smiling! even when someone was losing the plot or was overtired just keep smiling and act like you’re having the best time!
help out mum! hubby took over the washing while we were away which was really nice.
quiet afternoons in…sometimes hubby would take the big kids out and I’d stay in with the littlest 3 and just let them play with their toys and watch a movie to get them off for a nap. It was just the quiet time they needed with all of the excitement of being away.
take a walk after dinner. Hastings St is safe, fun and full of diners and walkers when the sun goes down. We went out for ice cream and to look at the lights and the kids loved it. They thought it was the best with music playing and families out walking.
pack toy bags, we had a variety of toys and a paw patrol matching game that kept the kids happy and occupied
Been to Noosa? Have I missed something? Got a tip to share? Love to hear from you………………..
We love Sunset Cove at Noosaville. Big 3 brm townhouses with 3 bathrooms right by a lovely pool. River and park right across the road and five minutes drive to Hastings St. Also love Mary Street Chinese. How long was your drive Corrie?
That sounds nice, I think we kept driving past the Chinese restaurant. The drive? looooooong!
Corrie, we were there the same week as you and this time stayed at the RACV Resort. Fabulous for the kids with multiple slides and pools and lovely spacious accommodation. However we flew and didn’t hire a car as in the past we hadn’t needed one on Hastings Street. Big mistake. We used the Resort Shuttle Bus and Taxis but got caught out a few times when our little one with special needs had had too much. Lesson learnt – drive or hire a car. Our girls had fish and chips one day from Maisies in Noosaville and we loved Go Vegan Deli which does vegan bento boxes and the best range of raw desserts. And wasn’t that Santa at Civic lovely! The ladies were also lovely and spent a long time making sure we got a lovely photo were all my girls were smiling. xx
I’ve heard good things about the RACV resort. What a pain without a car, even when we stayed on hastings st I regretted not having a car one trip because it does limit you. I know all about when they’ve had too much
So glad you got a great santa photo too, I thought they were great and I’m used to huge queues so it was nice not to have one.
hope it was a relaxing holiday xxxx
We love Noosa and go every year for the triathlon in October/November. We drive up as well. It’s a beautiful drive!
We have always stayed at Noosa Harbour Resort. Right on the river and has 3 bedroom apartments. Ground floor ones go straight out onto the river and kids run around and play all day. They also have a beautiful pool and BBQ area.
Emu hire for cots, mountain Buggy swifts, high chairs, beach towels etc. their service is fantastic and they usually throw in free of charge, buckets and spades and a huge bag of building blocks for the kids to play with.
We are lucky enough to have relatives in Noosa, and an uncle who does hospitality supply so we get the inside on the restaurants on our visit each year. We love taking the kids to the Ginger Factory at Buderim and stopping off in at the Nut Factory across the road. If you are lucky enough to do an adult getaway, we highly recommend The Spotted Chook up in the hinterland (Montville/Maleny). The main street of Montville is like the NSW South Coast town of Berry, gorgeous shops. Along the river in Noosaville, we also visit Grenny’s Seafood every time, the food is fresh and yum.
I second emu rentals. We travelled with three young ones from China to our Nosa holiday and they had cots and a double Pram plus beach towels and sand toys at our flat before arrival. It was lovely.
We have just returned from our Noosa holiday with our family of 7. We stayed at Sunshine beach and I have to agree that driving into Hastings was a bit of a pain. My kids loved lunch at the Surf club and dinner at the Floating Boathouse and the Sunshine Beach Surf club (Kids eat free on Thursday night and they have a magician). I wasn’t happy with our house, so next time I will be a bit more discerning. Our previous holiday in the area we stayed at Noosa Coral Cove Resort in Noosaville. I prefer these units to the house we were in, although they are getting a bit dated too. Still we enjoyed our stay and I can’t wait to return
oh I think I need to go to that surf club! kids eat free…..perfect for our family:) It’s so hard finding a house on the internet! It’s such a great place to visit and glad you had a great time!
Glad you liked Peregian. I think per square metre, the shops are better than Noosa.