On a recent trip south along the NSW Coast we decided to stop for a few nights at BIG4 Karuah Jetty Holiday
Park, just off the Pacific Highway. This sleepy little town sits at the edge of Port Stephens – on the banks of the
Karuah River. A very
popular weekend destination, only a short drive from Newcastle, Maitland, the
Hunter Valley and Sydney. In fact we spoke to several groups who often pop into town for the weekend and a relaxing break - one couple travelled all the way from Medowie a mere 25 kilometres away.
BIG 4 Karuah Jetty Holiday Park has a lot to offer with some new cabins overlooking the private jetty that can accommodate a large family - or maybe small family and the grandparents. A range of other cabins with plenty of space to park the car and the boat as the Karuah River and Port Stephens are popular fishing locations.
We were allocated a large grassed powered site with plenty of space for the van, awning and car. This site was part of a large area in the centre of the park and very popular with campers and large tents arriving with the family for the Oyster and Timber Festival. Yes, we were lucky enough to be staying in Karuah to enjoy this community event which included an oyster eating contest, wood chopping, children's fishing competition, rubber duck race and a range of stalls showcasing local products. Karuah is a large oyster growing area and one of the main supporters of this event (Cole Bros Oysters) told us that they would probably sell 1,000 dozen oysters over the weekend. Luckily he only had to open about 700-800 dozen!!!
Some other sites in the park are equipped with slabs for both van and annex , and these quickly filled up prior to the festival. They were large enough to accommodat3e big caravans and motor homes.
Not far from our site was a relatively new amenities block which incorporates male and female toilets / showers, camp kitchen, games/TV room and large covered verandah. Outside this building are exercise stations
situated under the shade of some large gum trees - just in case you want to burn some calories before happy hour!!!. Nearby is a relatively
new swimming pool with children’s play fountains (shade sails), tennis court,
volley ball court and jumping pillow, plus an enclosed children's playground. All very convenient for those travelling with a young family.
The original amenities block contains the
laundry and cloths lines and can be found on the main entrance road to the Caravan Park. There is a single boom gate for entry and exit but this does not seem to present a problem with plenty of space either side to wait for any vehicle travelling in the opposite direction.
The local RSL Club is only about 600 metres from the BIG4 park and operates a regular courtesy bus for guests. We enjoyed a lovely Chinese meal and can highly recommend the homemade Dim Sims.
We found the staff at BIG4 Karuah Jetty Holiday Park to be warm, friendly and welcoming with an unhurried approach to greeting visitors, explaining their accommodation options. We would not hesitate to return and further explore this lovely part of the Coast of NSW.