Big 4 Emu Beach, Albany
We recently discovered our love of camping, and to be honest are not quite sure what took us so long to take the plunge. Yes, it is a lot of work and a lot of gear to cart along, but the kids have such a fantastic time and sleeping in a tent seems to be such a novelty for them!
We just spent 5 nights down in Albany with my parents, our first time to that region and stayed at the Big 4 Emu Beach Caravan Park. We loved the caravan park so much we just had to do a write up so hopefully you will book a trip down there with your own family!
Albany
Albany is a town around five hours drive South from Perth, made famous for it’s Whaling History, ANZAC battlegrounds and stunning coastline. The historic whaling station at Discovery Bay ceased it’s operations in 1978, making Albany safe for migrating Humpback, Southern Right and Blue Whales. There is so much to see and do in Albany, it makes a great destination for a family camping holiday but I will talk more about this in a separate post.
The park
The Big 4 Emu Beach is located just ten minutes from the centre of Albany, with direct access down to Emu Beach. If you plan on taking bikes along, there is a bike track from the caravan park along the beach all the way around to a beautiful cafe and foreshore.
There are plenty of accommodation options available to suit all styles of “campers” – Powered / Unpowered / Ensuite sites, Studio Apartments, and 1,2 and 3 bedroom villas. The 3 bedroom villas have two king beds plus two sets of double bunks, making them perfect for large families or extended families travelling together.
Facilities for kids
Caravan Parks are getting more and more in tune with what families want from their holiday. Whilst the days are often spent exploring the towns, it is so nice to come back to a caravan park where the kids can go off and play while the adults have some down time. This park has everything and more to keep your kids entertained!
Playground
My boys especially loved this playground and often rode their bikes up early in the morning for chin up competitions on the monkey bars. It is modern and surrounded by artificial grass rather than the old pesky sand you still find at many playgrounds.
Jumping Pillow
Another firm favourite for all three kids, battling out the acrobat moves on the huge jumping pillow! This is situated right behind the kids playground, and next to the reception area.
Rec Room
Whilst my kids didn’t use this facility it is a great option for the older kids, having pool tables ping pong and a TV – and if you are staying over the school holidays, the staff put on afternoon and nightly movie screenings for the kids!
Kids Club
Again, if you stay over the school holidays the kids have the option of staying in the kids club for some fun activities including baking, arts and craft and games. You can view the school holiday program on their website.
Mini Golf
My kids LOVE mini golf so were super excited to see a golf course in the caravan park! The games are free, simply hire out a club and ball at reception for $5 bond which you get back when you return the clubs. This was definitely a highlight for our kids and we were there most afternoons for a few rounds.
Camp kitchen
The camp kitchen here has all the facilities you might need during your stay including fridge / freezers, microwave, kettle, toaster, 2 burner cooktops, TV and bbq. Alternatively there are some undercover bbq areas scattered throughout the park which are beautifully decorated with mosaics and brightly coloured walls.
Laundry
The Laundry here was clean and modern and both the washing machines and dryers were so quick – my clothes were washed and dried within the hour!
Bathroom Facilities
For those travelling with young children, the park has a family bathroom complete with toilet, baby change table, large bath, baby bath, sink and shower to make life a tad easier! This bathroom requires a special code which you can get from reception. As our kids are older we used the normal bathroom during our stay and were blown away at how modern and CLEAN it was! No need to fear the old caravan park TINEA infection here!! Honestly – the cleanest caravan park we have ever been to. Ten points for cleanliness – it was almost like a hotel room.
We had such a fantastic time in Albany and really enjoyed our stay at Big 4 Emu Beach. The kids never got bored and had a fantastic trip! We defnitley recommend the caravan park for those wanting to explore Albany!
Disclaimer: We were NOT staying as guests of the caravan park and all opinions were 100% true.