| Myall
Lakes and Booti Booti national parks |
| From
Port Stephens the Pacific Highway continues north for about 40km to Bulahdelah,
a small town surrounded by bush-covered hills and rocky outcrops. Just
after the town, you turn east on the Lakes Highway towards the coast, past
Myall Lake and Lake Wallis to the holiday town of Forster–Tuncurry. At
Bungwahl a turn-off leads down mostly unsealed roads to SEAL ROCKS,
a remote fishing village and the only settlement in the Myall Lakes
National Park. Its national park status means it’s unspoilt, and the
small beach is truly beautiful with crystal-clear waters marooned between
two headlands. Sugar Loaf Point Lighthouse, built in 1875, is a
ten-minute stroll away; the grounds (Tues & Thurs 10am–noon &
1–3pm) offer a fantastic view along the coast, and the lookout below
leads down to a deserted, rocky beach with a view of the 4WD track that
extends through the national park. |
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| From
Bulahdelah itself, Myall Way heads via a toll ferry (daily 8am–6pm) to
more deserted spots along the lakeshore, the most popular being Mungo
Brush, where an easy walking track (30min return) heads through the
littoral rainforest – a variant adapted to salty and harsh seafront
conditions, with a low canopy. A more challenging 21-kilometre walking
track leads from here to Hawks Nest, on Port Stephens Bay and the
Myall River, linked by a bridge across the river to Tea Gardens.
Booti Booti National Park |
| North
of Seal Rocks, the tiny Booti Booti National Park is located
between Cape Hawke and Charlotte Head. Ten kilometres further north, a
bridge connects the twin cities FORSTER–TUNCURRY on the spit of
land that separates Lake Wallis from the ocean. The lake is very
pretty, surrounded by trees and with bush-covered Corrie Island at
its centre. Forster is famous for its oysters, and for its playful
resident dolphins. The lake itself is superb for fishing and
swimming – you can rent houseboats as well as dinghies, canoes and
windsurfers. The abundant seafood made the spot attractive to the local
Aboriginal people, the Wallamba, and their descendants can take you on a
tour of significant sites. |
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