It’s clear from the moment you enter Big4 Yarra Valley Park Lane, that you are entering a nature-paradise.

Nestled at the base of a tree-covered hill, wombats, kangaroos and many other native animals live all around the park. Parrots of many colours flutter through the trees and are so quiet they will even fly down to perch on you arm to eat out of your hand.

A park in the true sense of the word, accommodation options are set within a forest of established trees.

Staying at Yarra Valley Holiday Park can be as relaxing and peaceful as you’d like – or high-energy family adventure and fun – the choice is yours!

Family fun is everywhere

There’s certainly no shortage of fun things to do at Yarra Valley Holiday Park.

A huge supervised inflatable water park is a stand-out feature to keep kids (and adults!) entertained. Floating on a lake surrounded by majestic gum trees, this is an activity you won’t find at your average holiday park. There is a massive inflatable tower to climb and jump off, slides, monkey bars suspended over a water-pit and a whole lot more.

Next to the lake is a set of tennis courts, and just over the hill is a recreation room with games tables and lounge/play area.

In the centre of the park you’ll find a beautiful lagoon pool and a heated outdoor spa, both naturally shaded by towering gums. With a smaller baby pool at one end, this is the perfect place for the younger family members to have a paddle, whilst the older kids can swim and play in the big pool. It’s also a lovely spot to settle down on a lounge with a book, or for mum and dad to cool off in the pool with the kids, too!

At the lower end of the park are large open lawn areas for the children to run and play. There’s a large playground (in addition to the other playground on the hilltop area of the park), jump pad, giant jumping pillow and  a huge koala to pose in for family photos!

Family accommodation options

There’s a large range of accommodation options to choose from at BIG4 Yarra Valley. They range from pitching your own tent or bringing your own caravan or motorhome (there are several drive-through sites), to numerous on-site cabins, condos, villas and studios. Then there are their famous Pods and glamping tents.

Family Glamping Bell Tents

No time to read? Watch our Family Glamping Belle Tent video tour here

These gorgeous Bohemian styled tents aren’t just for couples anymore, with Big4 Yarra Valley offering families a glamping tent experience too!

Sleeping four, this clever family accommodation option consists of two Belle tents linked via a personal lounging deck. Each glamping tent has its own personal ensuite just a few paces away.

All of the glamping tents are individually themed. Ours was “Eclectic Belle”, and eclectic and glamorous it was, with drapes, throw rungs and pillows. Our largest tent was furnished with a king-sized bed, lounge, dining table, flat-screen TV, bar fridge and climate control.

Inside the kid’s tent were two single beds and luxury lounge chairs. My little glampers thought this was all very exciting!

Our mornings were greeted with bird-song – in particular, the parrots eating bird seed on our private deck. Just magic.

Our 2-bedroom Hilltop Cabin

No time to read? Watch our Hill Top Cabin video tour here

Next, we stayed in a beautiful Hilltop Cabin. With scenic views over the creek and bushland hills opposite, this is another great family accommodation option.

Our ultra-modern two-bedroom cabin was fully furnished and fitted out, and could accommodate families of up to six people.

There was a master bedroom and a bunk bedroom sleeping up to four people – great for the kids.  A bathroom with shower and separate toilet were located on opposite sides of the hallway. All linen, blankets and towels were supplied.

A climate-controlled open-plan kitchen-dining-lounge area makes for the perfect family space. There’s all you need for holiday cooking in the kitchen, with pots and pans, crockery and cutlery all supplied. Kitchen appliances included a gas stove top cooker, microwave, full-sized fridge electric kettle and toaster. All we needed to bring to cook our own meals, was the food!

In the cabin’s roomy lounge area there was lots of room for the family to spread-out. There was a comfy corner lounge suite, a large flat-screen TV and DVD player, plus a dining table area.

This size cabin accommodates from small to medium sized families very comfortably. That said, we spent much of our time out on the balcony, taking in the view and feeding the local parrots and ducks. What a beautiful place it was to stay.

Pods – the perfect Melbourne weekender for two – or three!

Pods are scattered across the park, with several located down by the creek, partially secluded in the woods. These tiny timber cabins feature an elegantly arched roof, and have their own balcony.  They are the perfect accommodation for couples, single parent families or parent/child combinations of up to three people.

Pod-dwellers in the creek area also receive a Pod Mobile for their own use in the park during their stay. These little all-terrain electric cars are a lot of fun to drive around, and can even go around the Park’s mountain walking track.

BYO tent, caravan, camping trailer or motor home

With plenty of tree-lined sites for tents, caravans and RVs, these are fantastic family holiday options.

Camp-cooking is covered with a separate BBQ area and a simply huge camp kitchen with everything you’ll need to whip up a family meal. There’s also a large flat screen TV and lounges to relax on.

Nearby is the stylish shared amenities and laundry, with super-fast dryers or washing lines take care of the family laundry needs.

Further Park facilities

There is a licensed kiosk on site, and very friendly, helpful staff with lots of local information and day-trip ideas.

You don’t need to go into town to find a decent coffee either – delicious coffee and hot chocolates are available from the park’s own café – perfect!

Things to do nearby – Yarra Valley family fun

There’s no shortage of family fun in the Yarra Valley, and Yarra Valley Park Lane is the perfect base to visit them.

No time to read? Watch the video here

The Healsville Sanctuary is only minutes away, and is a great family day out. There are many different native animals to see, including a fantastic free bird flight show.

The Big Bouquet Alpaca Café is just a couple of minutes drive away, and features a huge greenhouse full of beautiful Gerberas and quiet Alpacas to feed.

The Hedgend English Hedge Maze is just five minutes drive away, and features a traditional English Maze to get lost in, plus lots of other family activities included.

Ten minutes drive away you will find the charming Yarra Valley Railway with its heritage tourist train ride at Healesville.

45 minutes drive away is the Yarra Ranges National Park and the Instagram-famous, majestic Warburton Redwood forest.

In the other direction, a picturesque 45 minute drive away you’ll find the popular Yarra Valley Chocolaterie with a chocolate café and many scrumptious treats for sale.

Of course a visit to the Yarra Valley wouldn’t be complete without stopping in at a winery or two – the Yarra Valley plays host to some of Australia’s best wines.

 Family money saver – discount Healesville Sanctuary tickets

Guest benefits – when you stay at BIG4 Yarra Valley, not only are you in the Healesville Sanctuary neighbourhood, but you also get a 10% discount off tickets. Just buy your tickets on the day you go from BIG4 Yarra Valley reception.

Nearby services

Just over five minutes drive down the road is the bustlingly charming town of Healesville. Healesville has a Coles supermarket, numerous shops, service stations, an RSL club and many small restaurants, take-away food, wine and café options.

Big4 Yarra Valley is the perfect place for Melbourne families to get away from it all and have a great time together. It’s the beautiful location to have fun, explore the Yarra Valley, relax and reconnect with the family. If you’re heading to the Yarra Valley with the family, this is the place to stay!

Find out more or book your accommodation for BIG4 Yarra Valley Park Lane Holiday Park at the official website here.

How to get there

All information is correct as at March 2019 – please check the above website link for relevant, up to date information and accommodation prices. Let’s go Mum were hosted guests of BIG4 Yarra Valley Park Lane Holiday Park, however all opinions remain firmly our own.

Have you ever visited the Yarra Valley, or do you plan to go one day? Tell us in the comments below..

The post BIG4 Yarra Valley Park Lane Holiday Park – Melbourne family holidays appeared first on Let's go Mum.

BIG4 Traralgon Park Lane Holiday Park is an easy two-hour drive from Melbourne. Turning in, we immediately knew we were in for a fun time. We could see a huge adventure ropes course, a jumping pillow, a playground and a swimming pool. The kids were already exclaiming in excitement!

The holiday park itself is immaculately kept. Brightly coloured cabins line quiet, paved streets. Beautiful trees, hedges and gardens decorate the park.

We passed motorhomes, caravans and tents. Children rode their scooters along the streets whilst parents lounged in camp chairs, chatting. The atmosphere was one of relaxed family fun. Traralgon Park Lane is a pet-friendly holiday park, so even the family pet is welcome at all sites and cabins.

Family fun and games on-site

No time to read? Watch our park activities video here…

As soon as we got settled in, the kids were very eager to go and explore all the fun of the park  – and who could blame them!

We all went for a bounce on the huge jumping pillow first – it was a lot of fun! But with so much entertainment to choose from at Traralgon Park Lane, it wasn’t long before the Park’s own hire pedal go-karts were calling – and off we went for a few laps around the park. Both kids and adults are welcome to ride on them, and it’s a great family activity to do together.

Almost every day we loved to head to the solar-heated swimming pool for a refreshing swim, or just to relax by the pool. There is an indoor heated spa just next door to the pool too.

The kid’s moulded plastic playground is a real treat for toddlers up to school-age children. It has with lots of different obstacles to climb and slides to try. For peace of mind, the playground, jumping pillow and pool are all protected with shade sails to help keep sun off.

During school holidays and on weekends, the adventure high ropes course, mini golf, laser tag and indoor fun park are all open.

Parky’s Fun Park

We decided to play the 18-hole Mini Golf course first. Fantastically themed with massive dinosaur models, life-sized pirates, Scooby-Doo, the Cars Movie and lots more, it’s a really unique and fun activity – and makes for some really great family photos in front of the T-Rex!

Next we took the challenge, and headed up the exciting adventure ropes course. It’s safety-first, and climbers watch an instruction video, before donning a full harness and hard-hat. All climbers are attached to the structure with metal cables at all times, which starts with easier levels, increasing in difficulty with each level. This was a super-fun family activity, and we all really enjoyed tackling the course.

Next-up, the kids asked me if I was up for a game of Laser Tag? Challenge, accepted! We all got suited up and headed inside the giant inflatable structure. There’s nothing quite as exciting as running around in the semi-dark shooting at each other with laser guns. It was so much fun, and our tactics so hilarious, we couldn’t stop laughing the whole time!

Family money saver – discount entry tickets

Guest benefits – when you stay at Traralgon Park Lane you receive discounted entry to Parky’s Adventure Ropes Course, mini golf and laser tag are all open, and free entry to Parky’s indoor play centre.

Parky’s Wonderland indoor play centre

If the weather looks like rain, Traralgon Park Lane have got it covered, with Parky’s Wonderland – an indoor play centre packed with awesome fun for the kids. With big and small slides, a ball pit, ball guns and big climbing frames the kids will run themselves ragged. For the little ones, there’s a dedicated babies and toddler’s only area too.

Family accommodation options

Cabins and Villas

Traralgon Park Lane offer a large range of villas and cabins. Our accommodation for the week was a Superior Family Cabin.

No time to read? Take a look around our Superior Family Cabin in our video here…

Our cabin had a generously-sized veranda complete with an outdoor table. Inside it featured an open plan kitchen, dining and lounge area. Elegantly furnished, there was a huge plush corner-suite lounge, full-sized modern kitchen and dining table. A huge flat-screen TV and DVD were mounted in the corner. It was a great family space, with plenty of room to spare. Powerful reverse-cycling air conditioning kept the inside of the cabin at the optimum temperature.

The kitchen was fully fitted out with kettle, toaster, microwave, oven and hot plates, full-sized fridge and dishwasher. A pod coffee maker added an extra touch of luxury. There was an full complement of pots and pans, and plenty of crockery, glassware and cutlery – everything needed to whip up a family meal.

Down the hall, the master bedroom featured a huge, comfortable king-sized bed. All linen and towels were supplied. There was plenty of hanging and drawer space and a large, mounted flatscreen TV on the wall at the end of the bed.

Next door was the second bedroom. It delighted the kids with it’s solid white bunk beds with sky-blue quilts. Underneath the bottom bunk,  a full-size trundle bed was concealed – perfect for those families with three children.

Across the hall was the luxurious double-sized bathroom, with a twin vanity and double shower. A hairdryer is supplied.

The corner of the bathroom served as the laundry,  with a washing machine and dryer. There was also an ironing board and iron. Next door to the bathroom was a separate toilet.

We were very happy with our cabin. A full kitchen made self-catering a breeze, and having a washing machine and dryer made it so much easier to keep up with the family laundry. The dishwasher was another huge time-saver – both children AND parents get to relax on this holiday!

BYO tent, caravan, camping trailer or motor home

There’s plenty of powered sites available for tents, caravans and RVs, and even ensuite sites.

Camping and caravanning facilities include a fully equipped indoor camp kitchen, separate BBQ area, recreation room and TV lounge, shared amenities and a laundry with modern washing machines and super-fast dryers.

Further Park facilities

There is a licensed kiosk on site with friendly staff there to help with any enquiries you might have about the park or Gippsland activities. Plus there’s no need to leave the park in search of a great coffee, thanks to the park’s own coffee bar. It’s the perfect start to the day. You can always work off all those extra coffee-calories in the Park’s onsite fitness gym!

Things to do nearby – Gippsland family fun

With so much to do at the holiday park we spent much of our time there, but we did manage a couple of wonderful day-trips.

45 minutes drive takes you to the stunning Tarra-Bulga National Park. Features include lush rainforest, towering trees, waterfalls and beautiful walks. The short walk to Corrigan Suspension Bridge is a highlight – don’t miss this. There is also a local café which is a great spot for lunch, plus they sell bird seed so that you can feed the local parrots by hand!

A 40 minute drive in the other direction will take you to Walhalla, a beautifully preserved heritage village with it’s own tourist railway, shops, pub and a goldmine to explore. It’s a definite must-see!

Take a quick look at these attractions at the end of our BIG4 Traralgon Park Lane Holiday Park YouTube video.

Nearby town services

A few minutes drive down the road the is the Traralgon town centre. Here you’ll find a single-level shopping mall with a Coles and Kmart, numerous shops including a Country Target and Best and Less, service stations, clubs and many small restaurants, take-away franchises, wine and café options. A few minutes drive in the other direction will bring you to Morwell, another large town with a Big W and other numerous stores and services.

Traralgon Park Lane Holiday Park is a fabulous family holiday choice. Well located for local attractions, and with the amount of fun activities for families on site, you  certainly won’t have the kids telling you they’re bored! The park itself is a delight to stay in, with excellent accommodation options. If you’re visiting Gippsland, this should be the first accommodation choice on your list for non-stop family fun, relaxation and adventure!

Find out more or book your accommodation for BIG4 Traralgon Park Lane Holiday Park at the official website here.

How to get there

Find out more or book your accommodation for BIG4 Traralgon Park Lane Holiday Park at the official website here.

All information is correct as at February 2019 – please check the above website link for relevant, up to date information and accommodation prices.

Let’s go Mum were hosted guests of BIG4 Traralgon Park Lane Holiday Park, however all opinions remain firmly our own.

Have you ever visited Gippsland? Comment your activity ideas for families below!

The post BIG4 Traralgon Park Lane Holiday Park – Melbourne family holidays appeared first on Let's go Mum.

The Discovery Parks Big 4 Dubbo Parklands has a lot going for it. Located just around the corner from the Taronga Western Plains Zoo, this immaculate holiday park offers quality accommodation, family fun facilities and all the services you could need on your family holiday or weekend away.

After checking in with the welcoming staff at reception, we were supplied with a map of the park and code to the security entry. We drove in and easily found our cabin – complete with its own parking spot for our car next to it, which made unpacking a breeze.

Our Dubbo Parklands deluxe two-bedroom cabin

Even though we were there during a heatwave, the whole cabin was kept beautifully cool with a powerful reverse-cycle air conditioner – it was a relief to have a cool haven to take refuge in from the 40 degree heat.

Family water-play area and swimming pool

Play ground and jumping pillow

Recreation Lounge

General Park features and Guest facilities

 Dubbo Discovery Parks Big 4 useful info

We stayed in a two-bedroom deluxe cabin

Price: *$179 per night, per cabin (sleeps 4)(10% discount for Big 4 members)

*All prices are correct as at March 2017

Address: 154 Whylandra Street
Dubbo New South Wales 2830
Australia

Phone: 1800 033 072
International: +61 2 6884 8633

You’ll find more information and the most up-to-date prices and booking system at the official Discovery Park Dubbo website here

Getting there

To Dubbo from Sydney by road – approximately 400km/5 hours drive. Go to Google Maps for rote options here.
To Dubbo from Sydney by train – approximately 7 hours. Go to XPT service for more information.
To Dubbo by bus – from Sydney – no direct route available. From Newcastle – 5 hourse Sid Foggs Coachlines (Newcastle).
To Dubbo from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Newcastle by air – one hour flight to Dubbo City Airport (7kms from town centre) Go to Qantas, REX airlines (Sydney), Jetgo (Melbourne and Brisbane) and FlyPelican (Canberra and Newcastle) for schedules/prices.

The Let’s Go Mum family stayed as invited guests of Discovery Parks Big 4 Dubbo Parklands. As always, all opinions are my own.

Have you ever visited Dubbo on a family holiday? Or perhaps just passed through? What did you enjoy about Dubbo? Tell us in the comments below…

The post Dubbo Discovery Park family accommodation – close to the Zoo appeared first on Let's go Mum.