Why the old-school family holiday is best - and cheapest

Whatever happened to the old-school family holiday?

A road trip to a charmingly aged beachside town has been replaced with a round-the-globe adventure that racks up passport stamps faster than a speeding bullet train.

Kids these days are more likely to recognise a Shinkansen train station than they are a station wagon - but don't feel like a round-the-world trip is the fastest way to your kid's heart.

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But I'll let you in on a secret that I (and my wallet) learned the hard way - kids don't really care about the view.

Or the culture. Or the thread count.

Ask a 50-year-old what their best travel memory is, and you'll expect to be regaled with tales of humankind's greatest endeavours, intimate connections with lost cultures or a greater sense of self abroad.

Ask that same question to a five-year-old, and you're more likely to hear about the pancake machine at the breakfast buffet.

You can spend as much as you like on a family holiday - but as a parent you eventually realise the majesty of the Serengeti will pale in comparison to the hotel pool that has a waterslide.

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That's why the old-school family holiday is the perfect antidote to the cost of living crisis - it costs less, takes less organisation and (shockingly) your kids may enjoy it more than an enriching cruise down the Danube.

We recently did just that - road-tripping to Discovery Parks Byron Bay, a modern holiday park that has does away with the misconceptions of caravan parks that have been rusted on since the 1970s.

With a bouncing pillow, a waterpark, a tennis court and two pools, the park is a one-stop shop for families who love the lifestyle of Byron Shire but are more about beach days than white linen and crystals.

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From Sydney we flew to Ballina airport and rented a car for the short 35-minute drive into Byron Bay itself, but it would be far cheaper if you were willing to pack the kids in and do the long haul from Sydney or the short hop from Brisbane.

We stayed in a modern two-bedroom lakeside cabin that had an air conditioner in each room and a stunning lakeside view.

True to form, the kids' favourite feature was the bunk beds - or as they referred to it, the "castle bed". So much for the thread count in five-star resorts.

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The beauty of staying at a place like Discovery is that you don't even really need to leave if you need a few hours to shake off the weariness of freeway miles.

We spent one day barely moving 500 metres from our cabin and yet we grabbed a slice from the pizza truck, rented offroad chain-driven buggies and even attended a kid's disco, complete with glow-sticks and a banging YMCA-led playlist.

In the morning, my wife attended a free 90-minute yoga class while the kids and I hit up the bouncing pillow again.

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As it came time to say goodbye to our newly-found but beloved digs, I couldn't help but wonder how many Aussie families had been gently coerced by cheap airfares and Instagram posts into thinking they have to fly overseas to give their kids memories that would last a lifetime.

We've done both - and let me tell you - the "castle bed" has become a stronger core memory than any real castle we could get them to.

The writer travelled as a guest of Discovery Parks Byron Bay.