Haven Holiday Resort Sussex Inlet

The inlet is an easy walk away, though it's not really a beach. There's sand, but it's more suited to fishing, and the actual ocean beach takes a bit more walking. We stayed for seven nights in late November and found it very quiet, which suited us. That probably depends on the season, and school holidays would likely be different. The cabins were clean and we liked our unit, but choose carefully since some look straight into other cabins and some are right beside the pool. We had two young kids, so extra towels would've helped. Only two toilet rolls were supplied, so bring more for a longer stay. For families wanting to be away from the riff raff, there's a BBQ, pool, trampolines and playground. We all enjoyed it.

The playground for the kids was good, but the fishing access wasn't easy, which was the main reason we booked. The room had a loud air conditioner, the main bedroom bed was very uncomfortable, and there was almost no phone reception. One screen door couldn't be used because dead leaves were jammed in the gap by the decking. They expect you to do quite a bit of cleaning before you leave, so be ready for that when booking.

The pool was the main reason we booked, and we even called to confirm it was heated. It wasn't. The caretaker said it was “heated by the sun,” which was a joke. The rooms, lounge, and kitchen appliances were dirty and run down. Tap water came out brown at first and then tasted like bleach, and there were cockroaches. We were also expected to clean everything or face a fine. On arrival we found someone's dirty undies in the room. Gross. Horrible.

We keep coming back and are very happy each time. It's a great place to bring the family and relax, with excellent surroundings. The rooms are about 3-star accommodation and can be a little dusty, so the cleaning routine could be better. Highly recommend it.