Touring Australia is an amazing experience that is jam-packed full of adventures as you explore one awesome destination to another. It usually involves a few dusty roads and sometimes ‘roughing it’ in remote locations, but it is all kinds of wonderful for any adventure seeker and something we as a family, can’t get enough of.
But, like all elements of travel, it is not long before you may need a little time for some TLC and an opportunity to stop, catch your breath and have a little space between each other. It may sound funny, but being able to simply go into another room and close the door is a wonderful thing when you live with your family in a small box on wheels 24/7!
So, when Oaks Hotels and Resorts presented us with the opportunity to stretch our legs and experience some of their resorts we thought all our Christmases had come at once! With 50 plus hotels and 48 of them located here in Australia, they know a thing or two about luxury accommodation and holiday experiences.
We wanted to share with you just how cool these properties are, so we stayed in not just one resort… but FOUR resorts! Broome, Darwin, Port Douglas and the just-opened Hervey Bay. Yep, us Blondies don’t do things in halves!!
Home away from home
With all the comforts of home, each Oaks apartment comes standard with a fully equipped kitchen and laundry facilities. This was the perfect set-up for us as we took the opportunity to give all of our bulky bed sheets and doonas a good wash (bye bye sand and red dirt!!).
We also filled up the full sized fridge and freezer as we defrosted our caravan fridge, as well as spread out with loads of cables and cords as we undertook a full digital back-up of all our photos and videos. It felt so good to do all the ‘jobs’ that are hard to achieve when you are travelling and always on the go… and of course – we made sure we did ‘all the things‘ –
Living it up in Broome
At the Oaks Cable Beach Sanctuary, we had fun catching up on some much-needed swimming lessons for the kids as we enjoyed ALL FIVE of their swimming pools! After a day of fun exploring the area, our favourite thing to do was head down the road to the famous Cable Beach. As we kicked back and enjoyed the balmy nights we did what the locals do, and enjoyed a few ‘Sundowners’ watching the sunset as we were hypnotised by the slow swagger of the camel train. It was just magic and is one of our favourite memories.
With plenty of onsite parking available for large adventure rigs, we were not surprised to see so many other travellers parked up enjoying some R&R after their dusty Kimberley adventures.
Darwin Delights
In Darwin, we were excited to have Rob’s parents fly in from Sydney and join us at Oaks Elan Darwin. This was the perfect base for us to spend some much-needed quality family time together after not seeing them for 5 months. We had plenty of space in our apartment which boasted the most amazing views over Darwin Harbour. We just loved the HUGE King-Sized beds and the much-needed luxury of air-conditioning. We parked our van up at the local Discovery Park which was a short drive away.
Our time in Darwin was jam-packed full of fun, making memories together as we visited the Museum, Mindal Beach Markets and even got our hearts racing as we watched monstrous crocs leap out of the water on the famous Adelaide River Jumping Croc Cruise!
Our favourite part about our Darwin stay though was letting our mini Blondies run with delight to Grandma and Grandpa’s room each morning for snuggles and cartoons in their bed while we enjoyed a sleep in – a very rare thing indeed!
As we continued to cruise across this great Aussie land and explore all its wonders we clocked over 12 months of full time travel!! We celebrated in true Nomad style in the Queensland outback around a campfire with a few coldies under the most amazing stars twinkling above.
It wasn’t long before we were ready to see the ocean once more, so we headed for the East Coast in search for some tropical delights.
Port Douglas Dayz
We were excited to arrive in Port Douglas and check into The Oaks Lagoon Resort. With 6 lagoon style pools and rooms featuring their own swim out bays, it was the perfect base for us to slow down, recharge our travel legs and soak up some tropical vibes.
We parked our van on site at the Resort which was again super handy for us to catch up on all those pesky (and can’t be ignored), ‘housework’ chores.
As the sun rises early on the East Coast, the kids woke early each day ready for more fun and adventures…(mum and dad, however, were missing our Grandma and Grandpa sleep-ins!!). To get the most out of our stay we ventured to the nearby Wildlife Habitat, as well as took a day trip to explore the Daintree and Cape Tribulation. I also managed to sneak away for some indulgence, a massage at the in-house Day Spa…..sooo good.
G’day Hervey Bay
A little further down the coast at Hervey Bay, we stopped in to see the most recent addition to the Oaks family – Oaks Resort and Spa! The view from our room instantly made you feel like you were on holidays! Every time we stepped out onto the balcony we just had to take a photo. We spent our time here enjoying the local markets, walking the esplanade and of course… enjoying that glorious pool! We parked our van just one block away at a new Pier Caravan Park which was super easy for us to access especially at 7pm when we realised we forgot to pack our toothbrush!
It’s safe to say that we were impressed with our Oaks Hotels and Resort experiences. With friendly staff, spacious modern rooms, and locations in so many great destinations all over Aus they are the perfect place to go for some time out from your road tripping adventures. Or if like us, you have family meeting you along the way… OR, even for a special family holiday getaway… just because.
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Lovely family and great trip.
I really connected with that picture of the family laying out on beach chairs by the pool enjoying the sun. My family enjoys taking vacations together and one of our favorite past times is relaxing and breathing in the fresh air just like they do in that picture. It’s important for our family to have those moments when we are on vacation.