Big4 Koala Shores Port Stephens Holiday Park

6/10

Pleasant

30 Jan 2026

Kam

The room's roof is moldy . Ants are crawling at our room .

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

28 Dec 2025

Hussein

All
Good

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Dec 2025

Linda

Simply a great place to stay. This was my third visit and I’m sure there’ll be more. Property is pet friendly as well.

Leisure Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

23 Nov 2025

Fumpa

The amenities could be improved, particularly when it comes to cleanliness. At first glance the cabin appears “clean,” but it quickly becomes clear that the standard may rely heavily on guests tidying up before departure, with staff mainly replenishing linens and toiletries. The overall space feels a bit tired and doesn’t smell fresh, which could be easily addressed with more thorough cleaning. The floors were dusty, corners had built-up crumbs, and the shower had some grime. I’d recommend bringing your own cleaning supplies and giving the place a quick clean so you’re not dealing with leftover dirt from previous guests.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

18 May 2025

andy

I stayed in cabin no.6 on friday and saturday night which cost $340.
For about the same price I could have stayed in a neighboring motel where my fellow worker could have access for his vehicle on both nights.
I am not in the habit of doing this but I took photos of what I got for my $340.
Both the ceiling fan and exhaust fan in bathroom had dust adhereing to them as they had not been dusted for a while.
Dust compacted into corners of rooms and on \"picture rails\"
Paint chips and flaking paint off cupboards, water damage to base of bath door.
ALL taps in bathroom leak. (unless Hercules turns them off)
I have recently stayed at your caravan section and was very happy with our stay but I will not be recommending the cabins.
I consider all these deficiencies are management issues.
As I was asked by your organisation to submit a review I raise these issues as a courtesy rather than complaint.
You can do better

6/10

Pleasant

26 Apr 2025

Alice

We booked a superior Spa villa with jetted spa. NO spa bath. Upon enquiry I was told units have been redone. This is false advertising. Wanted to blame Expedia but pre registration info from them still showed the spa bath. I would not have paid that daily rate if I had known I was not getting what was advertised. Very disappointed!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Apr 2025

Gillian

I liked the cabin we were in. The place where it was situated and the water was close to go fishing a beautiful place to be. I would recommend it to anyone. It’s even close to a supermarket. We will certainly be back. The children had plenty to occupy themselves as well and they enjoyed every minute of it

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Apr 2025

Paul

The place was nice

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

21 Mar 2025

Sarajane

Beautiful

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jan 2025

Alana

Family friendly

We had a wonderful time here! Will definitely be back again. Definitely family friendly!

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

08 Jan 2025

Anastasia

Overall, they had very nice amenities for a caravan park and felt the workers were sometimes scarce if they needed assistance. Would recommend it to anyone wanting a nice weekend get away on a budget.

Leisure Friends

8/10

Excellent

09 Dec 2024

Vince

Facilities

10/10

Exceptional

03 Oct 2024

jessica

Amazing!

8/10

Excellent

28 Sep 2024

Zara

We had a great stay, we weren't sure if there was a recycling or compost system. This should be mandatory these days, it's not hard to arrange, and necessary, especially for somewhere so beautiful!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2024

Annette

Very peaceful setting. will be staying longer next time.

10/10

Exceptional

03 Aug 2024

Charlotte

Wonderful

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jul 2024

STEVE

Clean and comfortable marvellous grounds and facilities

Business Family

6/10

Pleasant

14 Jul 2024

Amanda

Pro’s: easy after hour key pick up and drop off, lovely water view from cabin

Cons: the cabin had a bad smell when we arrived, the double bed was not made when we got there - the clean sheets were on the dining table and the pillows/doona on the floor and shoved into the cupboard so we had to make the bed ourselves which we’ve never had to do at a holiday park, someone else’s hairs all over the bathroom walls, when entering the boom gate the keypad is so low you have to get out of the car to enter the number. Overall we couldn’t wait to get back home after this stay

10/10

Exceptional

24 May 2024

Daphne

Enjoyed our stay

8/10

Excellent

01 May 2024

Daniel

The cabin was good. Clean, decent size and comfortable for a week or so. Everything you need is included. Facilities of the park are ok. No complaints.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 Dec 2023

Jennifer

The location was lovely and the pool was beautiful (unfortunately it was closed for maintenance on the day of our arrival). The lady who checked us in was friendly. The room itself was average at best. The fittings are in dire need of repair/replacement. Things like missing light globes, ants coming in through the wall, numerous small spiders on the ceiling and an exhaust fan in the bathroom which must have been at least thirty years old and didn’t appear to have been cleaned in that time were all disappointing. Hot water was limited, there were no regular channels on the TV and wifi was hit and miss. Our room was supposedly ‘superior’ but at $950 for two nights stay and in a room we really didn’t feel comfortable in at all, I don’t think represented good value at all. For people who are only in their room to shower and sleep, it might be OK but we were very glad to get home.

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

27 Dec 2023

Diana

There were cockroaches in the bathrooms, spiders throughout the cabin. Dead insects falling from the light fittings onto the bedding. Considering the price per night I would have expected a much more cleaner cabin and facilities. Would not stay here again.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

02 Nov 2023

Rebecca

Everything we needed and very friendly hosts

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

02 Oct 2023

Jeremy

We had a wonderful stay. Beautiful view from our villa, which was clean and beds very comfortable. Great for kids. Thank you for a terrific stay.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jul 2023

Sothery

The view was serene and peaceful. The staff are so friendly and helpful. Rooms were clean and tidy.
Definitely coming back here again.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

23 Apr 2023

Alyce

Nice neat little cabins. Beds were clean and comfy. Check in was easy even though we arrived alot later then planned due to traffic.
Walking distance to lake and great little fishing spots. Needs an onsite cafe or restaurant, food options close by are very limited.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Apr 2023

Caroline

Friendly staff
Very clean
Kid and family friendly

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

18 Apr 2023

Hineata

Excellent service, location, fishing, camping and an overall beautiful quiet spot to stay. I loved the hospitality and friendly atmosphere the park had to offer. Our unit was a little worn and tired but other than that I had everything I needed. I rate it a 91/2 out of 10. Would most definitely recommend this park and I would stay there again.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

08 Apr 2023

Lucy

Great value for money

A very comfortable and clean villa! Perfect for the kids and we had everything we needed.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 Jan 2023

Cheryl

Great location and amenities

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jan 2023

Lisa

Absolutely beautiful place to stay,cabins were updated and very clean and perfect for big families, and the activities and amenities kept the kids entertained all day,my grandchildren had a blast
Would highly recommend staying here,
All the staff were very friendly and helpful,thanks Koala Shores

Leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

25 Jun 2022

Karen

Overnight comfortable stay

Comfortable, quiet & clean cabin with parking beside. Well enough equipped for 2 couples. Check in was easy and the grounds are very nice.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

02 May 2022

Deborah

Very good; a few maintenance issues.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

14 Mar 2022

Karley

Convenience, jumping pillow for kids. Disappointed in the up keep. Bathroom door wouldn’t shut, floor greasy, playground unkept, rabbit looked as though hadn’t been thought of for a long time. No water etc.
stayed here 25yrs ago and looks the same

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

24 Feb 2022

Bryan

Great location, friendly staff, good facilities

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

14 Feb 2022

Rose

Booked a cabin for the night for 6 people, the room smelt like bleach the floors were slippery and damp and we found grubs/maggots in the bed.
Ended up packing up and decided not to stay - never heard a response from the caravan park.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

10 Feb 2022

Karin

the location was great but the decor is very dated and old

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

27 Jan 2022

Dionne

Cabins are well sized however are dated and in need of a refresh. The blind did not cover the whole window in our master room, therefore allowing anyone to see into the room. Most disappointing was the family friendly facilities like the pool, kids jumping pillow, etc. had such limited operating times despite being school holidays and daylight savings time. For the cost, we would have probably stayed closer to Nelson Bay.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

15 Jan 2022

Victoria

Loved the location. Pool was great. Cabin clean and functional. Would come again.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

10 Jan 2022

Donnalisa

Cabin was run down, broken lights that weren't working, broken doors, door latches that didn't close, curtains and window shades didn't cover windows so there was a lack of privacy and lots of light coming through all night in each of the rooms.

Leisure Family_with_children

2/10

Poor

02 Jan 2022

Peter

Old ,run down lodge and dirty.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Dec 2021

wai

Happy stay

The holiday park is comfortable. Staff are friendly and helpful.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

13 Dec 2021

Liz

It was disappointing overnight stay. My girls found dead ants on their pillows , the bath tub had dead ants .

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

03 Dec 2021

Melanie

Checking out for Xmas booking

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Nov 2021

David

We will definitely be going back to Koala Shores.

We at a wonderful stay at Koala shores. We stayed for two nights and spent our time by the pool and going into town. It is in a great location right next to the river and Inlet. The pool is wonderful and the bouncy cushion and billy carts are a great way to entertain the kids. The cabin was clean and comfy, babeque area is funcional tidy and accessible. The local town is lovely and the vibes are great!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Nov 2021

Karen

Lovely cabin with a lovely view

Leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

24 Oct 2021

Elizabeth

The location was fantastic. The local area has lots of activities, attractions and amazing beaches. The Koala shores caravan park is looking quite dated and tired. Our cabin was extremely basic and in need of updating. We paid almost $700 for 3 night and the bathroom and floors were dirty. Linen was very clean.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

09 Sep 2021

Kevin

I stayed at this location for nearby work and it was during Covid lockdown so what with being busy for work, and there not being much to do outside due to lockdown, I can't really comment fully on what it is like to stay here for vacation.

Business Self

4/10

Poor

17 Apr 2021

Verified traveler

Had potential but not well kept. Had deluxe bush land spa villa and we left 2 nights early as the place was infested with little cockroaches. Was gross.There was a dryer in our villa that worked Off and on (mostly not) which was a pain as we chose that villa to have laundry facilities. Not sure they wash the kids doonas as my sons had dried snot on it when we arrived (they replaced) but we met someone else who said on their arrival their sons stunk of urine.
Park is run down. It does have potential but we will not be returning.

Leisure Family_with_children

6/10

Pleasant

24 Mar 2021

Verified traveler

We didn’t even stay 24hrs due to risk of not being able to get home for flooding. The weather was unforeseeable so I couldn’t change booking. (it would be nice to get some money back). This place is suitable for a young family, not really teenagers. Barely any internet.

Leisure Family

4/10

Poor

27 Feb 2021

Verified traveler

The furniture in the cabin was dirty, couches had massive stains and arms were black with dirt. Lots of cockroaches and wifi did not reach the woodlands cabins, so even if you tried connecting, it would drop in 5 seconds - signal not strong enough.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Dec 2020

Hakim

Enjoyable and relaxing holiday

The location is amazing, the lake, the bush board walk, kids activities all are wonderull, we ended up extendin our stay for a day

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

19 Oct 2020

Jo

Surrounding area was lovely.
Cabin needs a good scrub. The air conditioner is full of mould. The whole cabin looked like it had a 5 minute clean. Wet plates, dirty cutlery, toothpaste dripping down the cabinet, thick dust on the wall, fingerprints all over the windows.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

02 Jan 2020

Verified traveler

Pool was good
Friendly people but there wasn’t really any kids activity expect for the disco for the kids
Which I was told by other people that u’s do a lot of different activities for the kids

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

A great park for families. Very safe and beautiful place to visit.

Friends_and_family Family_with_children

4/10

Poor

11 Sep 2019

Lina

We have stayed in the big 4 holiday parks for over 10 years now. Other locations we’re so much more cleaner and modern. Found specs of dirt all over the bed. Dishes and appliances still dirty from the previous guest.
However I would say communication with reception was easy they were very understanding.
Will continue to stay at other big 4s this one we will give a miss.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

30 Jul 2019

Ber

A little upsetting

After booking in February at first we’re told we had not booked, but they found it and said they were upgrading us, we had booked as spa room and that’s what we got no upgrade, after leaving I phoned then as I had left an electric throw blanket, am due to pick it up next week on my way home so until then I will have to wait. The people in no 32 were very noisy on the first night

Partner

8/10

Excellent

19 Jul 2019

Verified traveler

Quiet and on the water, we had a short stay. Cabin was neat and clean with everything we needed. Short drive to shops

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

05 May 2019

Verified traveler

A bit of a racket early in the morning, like we were too close to the bins? Quite close to front of park so had the potential for a lot more noise but it was reasonably quiet the rest of the time.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

08 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

Overall a comfortable experience, some of the fixtures need updating to bring it up to today's level but definitely not a bad place to stay. The main door lock was a little dodgy and i had to fix the screen door back onto its rails so the cleaning staff need to communicate a little better with management to ensure proper maintenance can be done before visitors arrive. The pool is lovely and some fun features for kids around the park but not as good as other Big 4s. The location isn't ideal if you want to have easy access to Port Stephens but is ok if you don't mind a 30-40 minute drive. I would probably stay closer next time

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

29 Mar 2019

Anyela

Weekend Getaway

We had a lake view which was really nice. The cabin we stayed at was clean and tidy. Lots of activities for the kids to do as well.The only down side was that the BBQ did not work but we were allowed to use the cabins next to us found this inconvenient as we had to go from one cabin to the other to cook food. I booked two cabins as we went with family and the cabins were on opposite ends of the park. This was also inconvenient as we had our elderly mother with us. It would have been better if they could have given two cabins closer together.

Family

2/10

Poor

30 Dec 2018

Robbie

We booked 12 months in advance to be told 11 months later that they had double booked us. Nicely offered us other small cabin next to pool. Very disappointing.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

03 Jul 2018

Joseph

Cozy

Close to airport and large for my family to spend the night before traveling overseas

Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 May 2018

Jane

Top weekend

A great place to stay with family, right on the water for a fantastic view, grandkids loved the big jumping ballon .

Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Apr 2018

Alecia

School Holiday Getaway

We are two teachers who wanted to take our kids away for a holiday. Our husbands had to work so we booked a 2 bedroom spa villa. The rooms were large enough for us to have one room per family and be comfortable for the two nights. The living space was huge and comfortable. Our villa was directly across from the jumping pillow and park which was very convenient for our children. The staff were friendly and helpful. We will definitely be back!

8/10

Excellent

23 Mar 2018

Verified traveler

Clean & well equipped cabin, friendly atmosphere

We stayed in a Water View Lodge which was clean, well equipped and comfortable. .

The park facilities were good with lots of amenities for the children.

Nice location right on the water (not the best for swimming) with a friendly atmosphere and great for children.

If you are planning to spend most of your time in Nelson Bay it may pay to stay closer as it is a 1/2 hour drive.

Overall a good experience and well priced for budget style accommodation, would recommend and stay again.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Mar 2018

gary

Terrific spot for family ith kids.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Mar 2018

Verified traveler

Very peaceful stay ...time to revive .... close to water , well right on the water for fishing and swimming

8/10

Excellent

23 Feb 2018

Verified traveler

Great family friendly accomodation. Good facilities and lovely location.

8/10

Excellent

22 Jan 2018

Rich

Quiet and perfect specially for the kids

Everything was close and you can find all amenities close by.

8/10

Excellent

16 Dec 2017

Verified traveler

Stayed here while working nearby. Good safe place to park trade vehicle. Poo, was good at end of hot day

6/10

Pleasant

17 Oct 2017

Robyn

Our cabin was great in a nice position on the park very pleasant and peaceful. The only problem with the stay was that we weren't able to have internet ( this wasn't good as I wanted to send photos from the wedding we were in the area for so this was disappointing)and the television reception was terrible not even able to get news.
I believe that the park was changing hands and there was a change over on the Monday. This was the day we left.
We were there for three nights. In saying this I would recommend the park to stay at as it was peaceful.

8/10

Excellent

06 Oct 2017

lisa

What a great spot!

Our first time here and what a fabulous reasonable stay in a nice cabin with fantastic outlook. We were in a waterview cabin with a huge deck looking out to the water. So many things fa your kids to do all within a safe environment. Loved it

8/10

Excellent

07 Aug 2017

Hells Bells

Calm quiet weekend away!

Clean rooms, excellent camp kitchen facilities, huge jumping pillow for kids

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jun 2017

Naomi

Mini break

We had a great time. Lots to do even though the weather wasn't perfect. Thanks

Family