5 local things for kids to do around Forest Reach
The next move for your young family needs to be right for your kids. It’s the local parks and family-friendly outings that will shape your kids’ memories of growing up.
Those great memories are close at hand around Forest Reach, just 18kms south-west of Wollongong.
It’s almost like the locals have been keeping these gems to themselves. But now the word is out: Wollongong and surrounds offer all the modern family fun of our biggest cities, without driving far to get there.
Our top 5 things for you and your family to enjoy around Forest Reach.
1. Explore the best playgrounds around the Illawarra and South Coast
Pictured: Banbook Park Playground
Even the big kids will get a kick out of the playgrounds on offer here. Close to home, the Bankbook Park Playground in West Dapto is a hive of activity after school and on weekends. Famous for its towering orange and yellow double slide, it’s bound to inspire some sibling rivalry as the kids duel for pole position and race down in pairs.
Further afield, Wollongong and Kiama have more than 20 playgrounds to explore - plenty of variety for all ages.
The jewel in the crown is Stuart Park, in the heart of Wollongong, by the beautiful North Wollongong Beach. The kids won’t know which way to look, let alone which adventure to choose first! Highlights are the 8.5m-high Sky Tower slide, a super-speedy flying fox, and a bike and scooter course, complete with traffic signals and roundabout.
2. A skater kid’s dream
Pictured: Holburn Skate Park
The Dapto Skatepark, down Bong Bong Rd, is a stone’s throw from Forest Reach. The sheer size of the 6-foot bowl, with 7- and 6-foot mini-spines off the sides, is impressive - the kids will be begging to tear it apart. The atmosphere is welcoming and spacious, as kids, teenagers and adults all happily weave their scooters, bikes and skateboards around one another.
Not 10 minutes drive toward Wollongong is the newest skatepark to the region - Holburn Park. The facilities are among the most impressive in the state, and a favourite for Olympic hopefuls. It’s hard to get past the view too, sitting perched on Lake Illawarra.
Not far north from Holburn Park, there’s a rainy-day option. 3Sixty Indoor Skate Park is a 10-minute drive into south Wollongong. Between group lessons, kids holiday programs and birthday parties, this is likely to become a second home for budding skater kids.
3. Indoor play centres abound
Pictured: FlipOut trampoline centre
Every great city has them. Every kid loves them. Yep, indoor play centres are a saving grace in more ways than one for families, and this region has them in spades.
Birthday parties galore are enjoyed across the Princes Highway in Warrawong and in south Wollongong at Inflatable World, Gravity Gym and Revolution Laser Arena. Closer to the heart of Wollongong, all ages are catered for at:
- The University of Wollongong Early Start Discovery Space
- The Science Space
- FlipOut trampoline centre
- Dynomite Bouldering Gym.
4. Jamberoo Action Park on your doorstep
This biggest family day out in the area has always been Jamberoo Action Park. Just 20 minutes south from Forest Reach, this water park competes on the same level as any other major adventure centre across Australia.
For local families, the family season pass offers excellent value, with unlimited fun from Spring to Autumn.
5. Where the bush meets the sea, natural wonders inspire
Pictured: Minnamurra Falls
Forest Reach is the gateway to an abundance of natural wonders that stretch across the Illawarra.
For a bushland adventure, a 15-minute drive north up into the hinterland of Mt Keira Summit Park and Lookout offers magical views, ancient trees and Dreamtime stories to learn from and enjoy.
South past Jamberoo, the Budderoo National Park brings bushwalkers side-by-side with the majestic Minnamurra Falls.
After a long day, the call of the sea breeze cannot be ignored, with every opportunity to take a stroll along dozens of beaches in the area. The favourite for dog lovers who live near southern Wollongong is Eleebana Reserve in Koonawarra, by Lake Illawarra. Looking for a more secluded spot to run with your pooch? Try MM Beach in Port Kembla.
A place to make family memories
Staged land releases for Forest Reach are happening in late 2022. To start your transition to the family future you’re dreaming of - and to learn more about what this new community has to offer - register your interest today.
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