Family-friendly vacation rentals in Shoal Bay

Travelled from Sydney and this was our perfect place en route. We all loved the pool and the beautiful gardens. The apartment was very spacious and spotless.

Fantastic eco-resort (retreat amidst subtropical forest) very close to the amazing sand dunes of Anna Bay. The pool was luckily located right in front of our cottage. And the hot-tub (at every cottage) around the front deck was a great addition to the overall experience. Brief interactions with Antony (owner) were as great as his vigilance to manage this excellent property. Koalas are often spotted within the property but we were unlucky in that. Overall great experience and highly recommend as a place to stay if you are visiting Port Stephens.

Thanks so much Mark & Leah for a wonderful stay. The view from this appartment is just stunning and the appartment itself was spacious, spotless and so comfortable for our stay. Bed was super comfy too and despite being right on the front the place was very soundproofed. Mark was very responsive when we were getting in and on the lead up to our stay. Thanks!

Great location, easy walk to cafes and restaurants. Amenities were really good, we really enjoyed our stay!

A great place in the middle of Nelson Bay and Shoal Bay. Super easy to get around from here and a nice stay.

We had a fantastic stay in this apartment! The views of Fingal Bay were absolutely spectacular, and the short walk to the beach made it even better. We loved having the little grocery store and cafés just downstairs—so convenient. The underground parking and elevator access straight to the second-floor apartment were a huge plus. The large covered balcony was perfect for relaxing, and the beds were very comfortable. The kitchen was well-equipped with everything we needed. We also appreciated how peaceful the area was while still being close to amenities. The only minor issue was sometimes the buses will idle at the bus stop near the apartment and if you have your doors open it can be a bit loud. But it’s only a couple of times per day we noticed it. Definitely recommend the apartment.

Place is amazing and very close to everything. Highly recommend to anyone

Very well laid out house with giant open plan kitchen, great for family gatherings. Comfy beds and lots of space to lounge around. Next level spa, more like a swimming pool, amazing.

We had a family gathering in the area over the weekend. The house was about 10 minutes drive. But I in a beautiful area, about 15 minutes walk; 10 minutes drive to Redhead Beach. We had 3 children. The beach was particularly well patrolled, which made us more at ease. And, great coffee 5 mins walk! A great place for a great weekend.

Pinehurst of Cooks Hill was perfect for our needs. It was found very clean and the kitchen was really well stocked with all the essentials including excellent cooking utensils (not that we did much cooking!). We had everything we required for a wonderful holiday. Communication with Sean was very easy with prompt responses. The location was also perfect, we could walk nearly everywhere, and it was in close proximity to the Tourist Information Centre, Museum and waterfront. There were nice parks nearby and the Restaurants we very close. Thank you Sean for sharing your place with my family.

Thank you Eva. We really enjoyed our stay. The house had a great layout with good sized rooms. Location was excellent, close to shops. Many thanks for having us.

The location is super close to beach and restaurants, the suburb is quiet we all like it. My furry friend also loves the beautiful yard. We will definitely book this wonderful spot again if we back to Shoal Bay!

We really enjoyed Dales place, it’s a very quite and peaceful location right on the water. Dale has modern canoes/paddle boards to use and explore the water, thoughtful extras were included. Overall we had a lovely couple of days.

Lovely place, great location and very homely. Would not stay anywhere else in Newcastle when back!

We live in the area and just needed a place to crash while we had some work done at home. The house is beautiful and airy and instructions were crystal clear. We loved having a little staycation in the best suburb in Newy!

The accommodation was very comfortable and very well set up. The bed was comfortable and the shower was good. The location was quiet and peaceful yet not too far from the M1 which made it a perfect place to break my journey north. I could see that it would also be an excellent spot for a longer holiday since it is so well equipped and well located. Margeurite and her husband were lovely hosts yet respected my privacy. They were also kind enough to allow me to have my cavoodle inside. I would definitely stay again.

lovely spacious apartment in a good location, perfect for a family. BBQ area very good and pool ok. Janet was very helpful and responded very quickly to a small issue with the pool, great host.

Thank you for hosting an amazing weekend away. We had 2 families stay with ample space. We look forward to visiting again

Simon’s place is simply amazing. Not only is a great house, in an amazing spot but It was equipped with everything anyone could ever possibly need. Simon was always available and responsive to any queries, and went the extra mile to find out more about our plans and interests so he could recommend activities or offer additions l help. I have stayed in plenty of Airbnb’s and I must say I think this tops them all, and no doubt I will be back.

We had a lovely stay, it had all we needed. The view, pool and quick walk to town made it super convenient for our family weekend away. The host was also very responsive.

Lynne’s place was as described. Very clean and close proximity to shops near Shoal Bay. Very comfortable throughout entire stay and Lynne was very responsive to any queries we had. Would def book again!

Had an amazing stay at Medowie thanks to Tania! She was friendly and gave excellent local recommendations. The guest house had all the amenities and extras in the bathroom cupboards and kitchen pantry that you might need! The place was spotless and the pool was lovely. Tania was a fantastic host and great to chat to, thinking I might book in again later in the year just to enjoy the space and her hospitality again! Highly recommend to anyone thinking of going to this area.

The location of the apartment was perfect. Only a quick walk down to the marina and bay via a shortcut along a path. An absolutely beautiful view of the water and sunset from the apartment. The apartment was clean and easy to find following the detailed instructions provided We had 2 cars, one with a boat and was great to have a garage space for 1 car and easy street parking directly across the road for the car with the boat Thanks for a great stay! :)

Amanda’s place was great to visit. The place was neat and clean. Watching sunset from living room was a bonus. We would love to visit again.