Things to do in Tugun and Currumbin with kids
Most of what children want from a beach holiday is within a ten-minute walk of our front door: a patrolled beach, still creek water, a wildlife sanctuary and a bakery. Here is how we would spend a few days with kids in Tugun.
Start with the flags
Tugun Surf Life Saving Club is 50 metres along the sand from the apartments, and its volunteers have patrolled this beach since 1925. The patrolled area in front of the club is the safest place on the beach to swim: rips form around Flat Rock to the north and against Elephant Rock at Currumbin, so keep the family between the red and yellow flags, close to the tower. Early mornings are calmest, and the kids will be back at the apartment for breakfast before the day heats up.
Currumbin Creek for the little ones
A short walk south, Currumbin Creek meets the ocean at the Alley. The creek side has still, shallow, see-through water over white sand, which is where we send families with toddlers and anyone who is not yet confident in surf. Older children climb Currumbin Rock, paddle a board on the sandbar, or try a lesson at the Alley, which has the gentlest learner wave on the Gold Coast. The paths along the creek are pram-friendly.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
The Sanctuary is 850 metres up the road, a five to ten minute walk, so you skip the $10 car park. It opens 9am to 4pm daily, with the last entry at 3.30pm, and a family day pass for two adults and two children is around $215 at the gate, cheaper online. Plan three to five hours: kangaroo feeding, the koalas, the new Croc Wetlands, the miniature railway, the walk-through aviary and the wildlife hospital. The wild lorikeet feeding at 4pm by the entrance is free and worth timing a walk around.
Learn to surf
Currumbin Alley Surf School has taught at the Alley since 1993 and runs lessons year round; the water rarely drops below 18 degrees. Group lessons are 90 minutes, from about $55 a person with board and wetsuit included, and in the school holidays there are five-day programs for children aged 5 to 14. Meet at the Alley car park 15 minutes early.
Friday night
Every Friday from 4pm to 9pm the Sanctuary Markets run on the Village Green at the Wildlife Sanctuary: street food from a dozen countries, live music, a licensed bar for the adults and a lawn for the children to run on. Entry is free and it is an easy walk home along Pacific Parade. Catch the 4pm lorikeet feeding first.
A cool-off in the valley
On a hot day, drive 30 minutes up Currumbin Creek Road to the Currumbin Rock Pools. A big natural pool with a pebbly beach for walk-in entry, a lawn, barbecues, sheltered picnic tables and toilets, and a café across the road. The water is cold by Queensland standards and the pool gets deep quickly, so stay with young swimmers, and do not let anyone jump from the rocks; it is signposted for good reason.
When it rains
The Sanctuary runs rain or shine and the animals are more active in the wet. Otherwise the apartments earn their keep: a full kitchen, a smart TV, and your own laundry for the pile of wet towels. Sticky Buns Patisserie opens at 5.30am for the first one up.
Where to stay
Our two 3 Bedroom apartments sleep six each, with a queen room and two rooms of two single beds, and the Ocean View 3 Bedroom is on the ground floor directly in front of the beach. A fold-out bed is $40 for the stay, and a cot and high chairs are available for a fee. Every apartment has its own laundry with a dryer, which matters more with children than anything else on this page.
Good to know
Is Tugun Beach safe for children?
Swim between the flags in front of Tugun Surf Life Saving Club, 50 metres from the apartments, where lifesavers and lifeguards patrol. Rips form around the rocks at either end of the beach, so stay in the patrolled area. For toddlers, the still water of Currumbin Creek a short walk south is the easiest option.
Can we walk to Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary with a pram?
Yes. It is about 850 metres from Sandbox Apartments along footpaths, a five to ten minute walk, and you avoid the $10 on-site parking.
Do the apartments have cots and high chairs?
Yes, a cot and high chairs are available for a fee, subject to availability, and a fold-out bed with linen and a towel is $40 for the stay. Tell us when you book and they will be set up before you arrive.
Which apartment is best for a family?
The Deluxe Ocean View 3 Bedroom: ground floor, directly in front of the beach, a queen room for the adults and two twin rooms. The Deluxe 3 Bedroom is the same layout without the direct view, at a lower rate.
Keep reading
Best cafés and restaurants in Tugun
More than 20 places to eat sit within a two to five minute walk of the apartments, strung along Golden Four Drive behind the beach.
Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary: a visitor guide from Tugun
The Sanctuary is the reason many of our guests choose Tugun over the rest of the coast.
Where to swim and surf near Tugun
From the balcony you can read the surf before you walk down.