I think that life throws us all types of curve balls and many of us can pinpoint that moment or that year that threw us for six. For us it was 2015, family losses, illness, our extended family unit changed forever.

Following such events, we tend to re-evaluate the status quo and make changes in our world to get more out of the life we have. Coming through to the other side of our upheaval, we set out to do something we’ve always wanted to, but with 4 children ourselves, thought would be unattainable.

We travelled to and around the U.S. for a month, with ALL the children. My sister and her family came with us as well, in all it was a group of 13! Hard to manoeuvre but an irreplaceable adventure. Travelling in America showcased the difficulties of big-family travelling. In some places we needed to book 2 rooms, doubling our expense! So many extra costs were involved if you didn’t fit into the “2 adults x 2 children” generic group.

We began to create a list, things that were exceptional, things that were lacking, things that just didn’t exist. Of course, we can’t all travel overseas every year! Cheap ticket destinations are fantastic until you multiply them by 6. So, we began to look for different options for our holidays.

Then we found Ocean Echoes, Surf Beach. On a whim one night, I searched properties for sale down the coast and kept searching until we found one we could afford. We decided to go for a drive the next weekend and by chance, the agents were available to let us in.

When we first walked into the house, it just seemed to me, to be a sad, forgotten soul. We discovered it was the victim of a nasty divorce and had been a summer getaway, left neglected through the complexities of life, work and family. We saw her potential immediately and couldn’t wait to make her happy again!

You know you’re on the right track when everything falls into place. We were lucky enough to find a wonderful local carpenter, always ready with answers to any queries I had, even as I wandered the aisles of Bunnings up in Sydney! We spent nearly every weekend of 2017 down in Surf Beach, painting, flooring, cleaning, patching, loving every moment.

We slept in sleeping bags on the floor, BYO camping chair a must! Pizza nights and chip sandwiches at the beach. A lot of love and laughs. Over the time I realised that I wanted to share what we’d found with other families out there struggling to afford the getaways, as well as the logistics of big-family living! So, we give you Ocean Echoes.

Travel with the extended family, uncles and aunts, grandparents or family friends – with all those babysitters, you may just sneak a date night in! Grab your wife, walk along the beach and get an early morning coffee while the kids run wild. Re-connect. Big families, running businesses, managing the 9-5.

Life is hectic, we’re here to encourage you to take a break, be mindful, spend time with your babies. Spend time with your partner – don’t discount the importance of a date night, remember you were a boyfriend and girlfriend before all the chaos! Dress up, go out, enjoy! You’ll be mum and dad in the morning again anyway!

Linen is provided, it’s laundered after every stay. We have books to enjoy, camper chairs for the beach, toys for the kids, and wine. Always!

We love big families, because we are one and we love it when we go somewhere that can handle our size! As far as a friends get together goes – we’ve got you guys covered as well. Grab the girls and head on over, there is so much to do with and without kids in the Eurobodalla area. Wineries, bushwalks, scuba diving, seaplanes, cafes….did I mention wine? Don’t just arrive, let me help you set up your weekend with things to do! We hope you love staying here as much as we do when we get the chance, and can’t wait to have you back! Karen and Harry.