THE LAKES WAY, NSW

Rinsing off the undercarriage between campsites. Pic: nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

The Lakes Way is a loop road on the New South Wales mid north coast that connects the highway town of Bulahdelah with the Myall Lakes region and the coastal communities of Seal Rocks, Blueys Beach, Pacific Palms, Forster and Tuncurry.

The Booti Booti national park is a quick diversion from the main road and there are some fantastic spots to camp within the park as well as at Seal Rocks and Treachery campgrounds.

There are some challenging offroad tracks in the Bulahdelah area and you can drive on Lighthouse Beach, which is accessed via Seal Rocks.

There is some excellent fishing available from the beaches and headlands along this stretch of coastline, with solid catches of whiting, bream and jewfish coming in from the beaches over the warmer months, and some big pelagic species on offer during autumn.

Best of all is that this whole area is located just three hours drive north of Sydney so is definitely suitable for weekend getaways and even daytrips for metro residents and is even more accessible for Newcastle and Central Coast residents.

STUFF TO DO

4WDING is allowed on Lighthouse Beach, with access available from the rear of the Seal Rocks settlement, nearby the Treachery Campground.

This is a fairly easy beach run, which can tend to be a bit chopped up during school holidays and periods of heavy use.

There are some fire trails within the Bulahdelah State Forest that can be accessed after turning onto The Lakes Way from the highway, by turning right before Boolambayte Creek.

The unsealed Clarkes Road and Koolonock Trail offer access to most of the trails within the state forest.

FISHING is possible on the beaches surrounding Seal Rocks as well as within Booti Booti National Park.

Locally sourced beach worms are very effective bait when targeting the local whiting and school jewfish.

Big pelagic species including kingfish, bonito and longtail tuna are targeted from the rocky headlands within the national park and from the breakwall at Forster during late summer and autumn.

IMPORTANT INFO

LOCATION: Bulahdelah is located directly off the Pacific Highway, 237km north of Sydney. Bulahdelah and Tuncurry are around 88km apart and the drive between the towns at either end of The Lakes Way can take between an hour and an hour and a half depending on traffic.

CAMPING is available at the Seal Rocks Caravan Park and Treachery Beach Campground, where all amenities are provided for and powered sites and cabins are available.

Unpowered sites are available at The Ruins campground, within Booti Booti National Park. Basic facilities including picnic tables, toilets and amenities blocks are provided.

FUEL is available at Bulahdelah, Forster and Tuncurry.

MORE INFO is available at www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au

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