Our winter family getaway to Marion Bay.

Let’s face it, caravanning in winter can be hard and a lot less glamorous then setting up camp under a nice palm tree soaking in the the warm Aussie sun.

In winter, there’s a lot more to consider, especially when travelling with a retro caravan and kids in tow. 

Chad's birthday was fast approaching and although he’s a July baby (right in the middle of our Aussie winter), we decided we would embrace the beautiful parts of winter and immerse ourselves in some fun outdoor winter activities. Our requirements for the holiday were; It had to be by the beach, not too busy, have some great fishing spots, and have enough going on to keep the kids occupied. That’s when we decided to head back to Marion Bay on the Yorke Peninsula in South Australia.

Although we had already taken our caravan here before, we decided to try something new and give Airbnb a go. It was our very first experience at a short-term home stay. 

Bayview Bungalow ticked all of our boxes. It was within our price range, located right on the beach, less then a five minute drive to Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park, and was completely set up for families with children (play equipment, wooden toys, bunk beds etc).

Although being smack bang in the middle of winter we were able to enjoy countless beach fishing days and caught some Australian salmon, squid, mullet and whiting. We took scenic drives through the magnificent Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Park and watched kangaroos, emus, native birds and lizards go by. There’s some fantastic waves if you enjoy surfing, and even better sights to see throughout the park.

Tips for families:

• Pack waders for winter fishing to keep kids warm and dry. Our rain overalls (pictured above) are by Australian brand Cry Wolf. 
• There’s only one local store in Marion Bay so ensure you pack essentials and your favourite foods/snacks for the trip.
• We encountered both some sunny days and rainy days while fishing on the beach. A beach umbrella or shade is a good idea (even in winter) especially for the kids. 
• If you’re wanting to visit Dhilba Guuranda–Innes National Park you’ll have to pay park fees for everyday you’d like to visit. This can be done online on the day/s you’d like to visit. Click here to pay park fees.
• Bring the kids favourite bikes and scooters to ride along tracks and see different sights.
• An esky or fridge is a good idea, especially if you’ve paid park fees to visit Innes National Park and plan to stay a little while. 
• Phone and internet reception is patchy especially within the National park. Just something to keep in mind. 

Our favourite family friendly fishing spots:

• Browns Beach
• Ethels Wreck
• Dolphin Beach
• West Cape
• Gym Beach
• Marion Bay Jetty and Stenhouse Bay jetty for Squidding.

For those wanting to camp or caravan, you can pre book and stay at Marion Bay Caravan Park or book a spot amongst the flora and fauna within Innes National Park. 

For those wanting a unique accomodation experience, there’s an amazing place you can book at Shell Beach called the 'Shepherds Hut’. It looks incredible and is somewhere we hope to stay in the future. 

After spending 5 beautiful days here, we left loving it so much more then we could have imagined. 

We would love to hear your experiences if you visit Marion Bay or the National park!

Safe travels xx