Things to do in Palm Beach with kids

The advantage of staying on Jefferson Lane with children is that the day can start slowly. The sand is at the end of the lawn, so a morning is possible without packing a car: buckets, a shade tent, and the patrolled flags at Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club, about 150 metres to the right along the sand.

When the surf is up and the beach is too rough for small children, Tallebudgera Creek is five minutes north. The water is clear and there is grass, shade and a kiosk on the Palm Beach side, which makes it an easy family day out. The creek is tidal, though: deep channels and strong currents can form near the mouth, especially when the tide is running. Swim only where lifeguards are on duty, keep children within arm's reach, and check the flags and the Beachsafe app before anyone goes in.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary is around the corner — barely five minutes down the road — and worth a full day rather than a quick visit. The lorikeet feeding happens morning and late afternoon, and the sanctuary's wildlife hospital, train and treetop ropes course fill the time between. Buying tickets online in advance usually saves both money and the queue.

The beachfront path is the other thing families use without thinking about it. It runs the length of Palm Beach, flat and sealed, and it works for scooters, prams and learner bike riders. Heading north it reaches the mouth of Tallebudgera Creek in about twenty-five minutes on foot; south it runs through to Currumbin. Pirate Park, right on the beachfront at Palm Beach, has a playground and shade beside the sand, so nobody has to cross a road to get there.

For a change of pace, Currumbin RSL has a children's play area and reliable meals if nobody wants to cook. Closer to the house, Pirate Park has a playground right by the beach.

Rainy days are the reason the house has a fireplace, a lift and enough living space to spread out. Failing that, the Gold Coast's larger attractions — the theme parks north of Surfers Paradise — are a 35 to 45 minute drive and best treated as a planned outing rather than a spontaneous one.

Wet weather is worth planning for rather than improvising. Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary stays open in rain with a good deal of it under cover. Closer to home, the house has a fireplace, a lift and enough separate living areas that a family of eight is not stuck in one room. There is free parking for up to seven cars — the triple garage plus the driveway — which matters more than it sounds when everyone arrives with boards, bikes and prams.

Practical note: the beach in front of the house is unpatrolled. Always swim between the red and yellow flags — the nearest are at Palm Beach SLSC, about 150 metres to the right — and check conditions on the Beachsafe app before you go in.