The Homestead Holiday Park, at Chinderah just across into New South Wales, is located within a very attractive area in the Northern Rivers district of New South Wales. The Park is not far from Coolangatta and Tweed Heads, with the beautiful scenery of the Gold Coast Hinterland beckoning visitors to come and see nature’s delights first hand. Mount Warning, a prominent landmark within the Tweed River Valley, is to the west.

While the inland scenery is sensational, the nearby beaches, headlands and the Tweed River, which virtually forms the rear boundary of the caravan park, are perhaps even stronger drawcards for the visiting angler. In fact, a keen fisher could pull out a chair from the camp site and watch the baited line for sign of fishy activity without having to move more than a couple of metres from their home away from home.

Does it get any better than that? You tell me!

The Homestead Holiday Park is located on Chinderah Bay Drive at Chinderah – one of those places which is nicely tucked away from any traffic or activity. It’s the kind of peaceful, laidback place that is often so hard to find today. There are no major signposts on the M1 as you head south, so take the turn off to the Tweed Coast, immediately after crossing the Tweed River. You’ll soon see a roundabout where you need to turn under the highway and head west. You won’t be able to miss the sign out the front of the park.

If you’re travelling northwards, the best idea is to take the Waugh Street exit for Chinderah, Kingscliff and Fingal. Turn right out of Waugh Street into Chinderah Bay Drive and the park will be on the left a short distance to the north.

Inside the park, there is a swimming pool just behind the entrance kiosk and store. For those with a caravan or campervan, you can chose to set up either on a concrete pad or by the river on one of the many level sites available.

Riverside camping is a big feature here, one that must surely draw the angler. There are plenty of level, grassy spots for tents or camper vans and a fair number of people could set up camp here in some style. Just imagine scoffing down a bit of breakfast with the full tide lapping those river walls at daylight! Bream on plastics? You bet!

As I wandered around the Homestead Holiday Park I noticed how tidy and well ordered everything was. There were ample amenity blocks, a laundry and a boat ramp with cleaning tables and a covered barbecue area nearby. A small, well-sheltered little bay next to the boat ramp is sure to be appreciated by anglers launching or pulling their boats out of the water.

Because the main tent/camper van area is right beside the park’s private boat ramp it would be very easy to slip the boat in for a crack at the fish just on dawn. After catching a feed of fish, you can give the boat and engine a clean down on the concrete pad, drop the boat back at camp and then return to the barbecue to cook up a feed of fish.

And what a good spot for fishing The Tweed River is. You could take everything from whiting through to mangrove jack from the retaining walls and then double up on the same sort of fish in the actual river with maybe jew thrown in for good measure. But the river is not all there is on offer. The nearby beaches, which run south from the Tweed River right down to Brunswick Heads, are also very fishy sorts of places. With headlands like Bogangar and Hastings Point, there is excellent rock fishing as well.

Local operators provide both small hire boats and off shore fishing charters for park residents to enjoy. VG’s mobile boat hire is very handy and can supply small craft for river fishing at very competitive rates, no license required. Their phone number is 0408 740 146. Deep Sea Fishing Charters Down Under are the people to talk to for off shore fishing adventures and they can be contacted on 0408 753 647.

Visitors within the Homestead Holiday Park can also choose to rent the park’s luxury, two bedroom, air-conditioned villas or fully self-contained cabins with private facilities. Powered sites also come with private facilities in some cases.

Overall, this gem of a holiday park has enough creature comforts to make a stay very enjoyable and still has that unique atmosphere associated with being right on the water. Their contact telephone number is (02) 6674 1824 and the toll-free number is 1800 358 899.

[CAPTIONS]

1. Relaxation is the name of the game here, and what better place to relax than at a table by the water?

2. Anglers will have no trouble launching small boats at the Homestead Holiday Park.

3. This holiday park has a clean and very tidy camp kitchen.

4. This small beach is handy to the boat ramp.