The park has four campgrounds: Crowdy Gap in the south, and Kylies Beach, Indian Head, and Diamond Head in the northern section of the National Park.
Our preference is to camp at Kylies Beach, which has basic facilities including drop toilets, cold water showers, and very clear non-potable water. The campground is set back from the beach behind sand dunes and vegetation, providing protection if the weather turns nasty. The main campground is essentially a large grassy area without those dreaded koppers logs, and for those needing shade, there are other more secluded campsites around the main area.
Laurieton, with a population of 2000 people, is just 5 km north of the National Park boundary and has all the facilities you could ever need. The park lies just over 45 km south of Port Macquarie and 35 km north-east of Taree. We access the park via Kew and then Laurieton, but you can also reach it through Moorland to the south-west. In the past,
we have found that the camping areas become very busy during weekends and school holidays, likely due to the proximity of larger towns. We try to avoid these times, but for this trip, a weekend was included in our stay, and as expected, it was busy. By Sunday night, however, only three other groups remained with us.
The ranger station is at Diamond Head, where most visitors prefer to stay, thanks to its additional comforts such as flushing toilets and free gas BBQS. Since our last visit, the campground has been upgraded with kerb and guttering and new turf.
During your stay, you can enjoy a variety of activities, including walking trails, fishing, swimming, whale watching, surfing, or strolling along the uncrowded beaches.
However, the highlight is the wildlife, including koalas, kangaroos, and goannas. With over 700 species of eucalyptus in Australia, koalas feed on only about 40 of them and sleep up to twenty hours a day, with the rest of their time spent eating.
Great photos Ross. That place will be on my list.
ReplyDeleteWe always find it very relaxing and enjoy our time there.
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