Hello,
Our family (with 2 school age children) is planning a trip to Sydney over Christmas (provided we can obtain accomodations of course!) and we're wondering if it makes sense to spend the whole 10 days or so in Sydney or if it would be better to split up the trip, staying in another destination. And if so-where???

We would love to stay on a beach somewhere near-any suggestions? We are currently living in Hong Kong...
Thanks in advance!

Hi dlai, for a beach holiday with two young nippers that's relatively near to Sydney, my vote would go to the Nelson Bay area of Port Stephens, about 2 hours drive north of Sydney, or 35 mins by air to Newcastle Airport at Williamtown, which is on Nelson Bay Road. Lots of safe swimming beaches within the port, and ocean-side beaches for body-boarding and surfing, just to name a few of the family attractions. Dolphin watching cruises, spectacular scenery, and a hike to the top of Tomaree for breath-taking views. You can check out all the details at Port Stephens Visitor Information website at www.portstephens.org.au

Good luck with your planning!

What about Coolum? We are thinking about dividing our time between Sydney and Coolum, because we have heard good things about this area.

Ummm, Coolum is north of Brisbane, on Queensland's sunshine coast - over 1,000 km from Sydney ... sorry, thought you wanted a beach holiday near Sydney.

Maybe Queensland Fodorites can help you with this, as I'm not really familiar with Coolum. Or do a bit of Coolum googling.

Good luck with your plans - but keep in mind family beach/holiday accommodation is at a premium around Christmas, so don't be disappointed if your choice is booked out if you wait too long.

FurryTiles,
Sorry I'm indecisive! A friend told me about Coolum, so then I thought we could do a few days in Sydney and a week or so in Coolum. But you are right-it's an expensive time for hotels, and neither destination is inexpensive.
Thanks for your input...we may still go to Nelson Bay!

Know the feeling, dlai ... so many choices! How old are your two children? I know the Port Stephens area so well, having lived there for nearly a decade with three nippers of my own. School age for me is between six and seventeen, so if you're looking to give the kids a wonderful holiday, their age group is very relevant.

Sydney has so much to offer, that maybe a 'few' days is like errrm too few? Have you decided how to split up the ten days?

Hi Furry,
We will actually have 14 days, so we were thinking of dividing the time between Sydney and somewhere else...Our children are 6 and 10 years of age-does that help? The older one likes art and museums, and the younger doesn't yet. We all love beaches of course!
Thanks for your help...

dlai, any of the beach areas between Sydney and Brisbane would be pleasant for a few days; internal air fares in Australia have never been so reasonable, and you could well get an air fare for the four of you to either Brisbane or the Gold Coast that would work out at around the same price as the bus. Your kids would certainly enjoy the attractions of the Gold Coast, and the beaches around there seem to go on forever.

Your mention of museums made me think immediately of Canberra, but I think that around Christmas might be a difficult time to go inland..... lots of heat and quite a few insects. However, it's worthy of consideration, even if it's just an overnight stop during your week-and-a-bit in Sydney.

Why not stay in Manly- accommodation permitting of course. It has a fantastic beach, and it's a ferry-ride away from the CBD. (The ferry ride is about 30 minutes long, not Star ferry commuting.)