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Maitland Bay Track Bushwalking and a Shipwreck

Walking Track Maitland Bay Track Bouddi National Park

The Maitland Bay Track is in the Bouddi National Park near Gosford on the New South Wales Central Coast. This is one of many walks available locally. We chose this one because it goes down to a beautiful beach with some amazing rock formations.

Maitland Bay Track Information Centre

The car park is large but becomes full on busy days. Nearby is a visitor centre which has information about the local area, from the bush walks available to the local fauna and flora. At the back of the building is a room with the history of the SS Maitland , which sank here on May 6, 1898. Of the 36 passengers aboard the Maitland, 24 lost their lives.

SS Maitland Memorial

Outside the information centre is a small memorial to the Maitland and those who lost their lives.  The centre piece of the memorial is the Bell from the Maitland.

Bell from the SS Maitland Bay Maitland Bay Track Bouddi National Park
Bell from the SS Maitland Bay

Maitland Bay Track

The Maitland Bay Track starts from the car park and then descends down a series of pathways and steps to the beach.  Rated grade 3, the track is well maintained, but you will need a reasonable level of fitness at the track is quite steep. Over its one kilometre length, the track descends 146 metres.  This might not sound like much until you have to walk back up.

Bush Walking Track Maitland Bay Track Bouddi National Park
Bush Walking Track
Walking Track Maitland Bay Track Bouddi National Park
Maitland Bay Track Steps Going Up

The scenery as you walk along the track is very nice Australian bush, with eucalypts and ferns everywhere. 

Maitland Bay Beach

The walking track ends at Maitland Bay Beach. This is a lovely sandy 500m long stretch of beach that is great for a swim or relaxing on. Have a look at the rocks and small cliff faces and you will find some interesting weathering patterns.

Maitland Bay Beach Bouddi National Park
Maitland Bay Beach
Rock Weathering Maitland Bay Track Bouddi National Park
Rock Weathering
Rock Weathering Maitland Bay Track Bouddi National Park
Rock Weathering
Waves at Maitland Bay Beach Bouddi National Park
Waves at Maitland Bay Beach
Honeycomb Rock Weathering Maitland Bay Track Bouddi National Park
Honeycomb Rock Weathering

At the north end of the beach is Bouddi Point.  This is the area where the SS Maitland came to grief. We had a look and could not see any wreckage. The volunteer at the Information Centre told us later that it would have to be a very low tide to see much. Still, the rocks were fun to climb over.

Bouddi Point Maitland Bay Track Bouddi National Park
Bouddi Point
Bouddi Point Maitland Bay Track Bouddi National Park
Bouddi Point

Walking Back to the Car Park

The walk back up took us twice as long as walking down because of the uphill grade. We decided to take a detour along the Bouddi Coastal Walk, which takes off to the left as you go uphill.  There was some really nice coastal views along this walk and made the detour worthwhile.

We enjoyed the Maitland Bay Walk and will be going back to walk some of the other tracks in the area.

 

Beaches South of Newcastle New South Wales

Catherine Hill Bay Beach

Beaches South of Newcastle New South Wales

There are some great beaches south of Newcastle as well as some interesting sights to view along the way.  The beaches are nearly all fantastic and most of them are good for surfing as well as a swim or relaxing on the sand.

Lifeguards do not patrol all of these beaches, so if you plan a swim, you should go to a patrolled beach and swim between the flags.  This way, if you or someone with you gets into difficulty in the water, a lifeguard is nearby.

Snapper Point

Snapper Point is part of the New South Wales National Parks Monmouth State Conservation Area.  As such you need to abide by any sign they have placed.  There is a small car park when you arrive and a small fee for using the park.  This was the only place we visited on the day with a parking fee.

As the name implies, it is a popular fishing spot.  It is popular with rock fishers, who cast out into the ocean for the fish.  From the number of memorials there, it has also proven fatal to some fishermen who have been swept from the rocks and drowned.  There are now safety rings in place should anyone fall in.

We stayed clear of the lower wave washed rocks and admired the views from the top.  There is a series of sea caves cut into the cliffs nearby and they are clearly visible from the lookout. The ocean views are great, but it was the sea caves that we came to see and watching the ocean waves rolling into them was amazing.

Snapper Point Sea Cave
Snapper Point Sea Cave
Snapper Point
Snapper Point

Frazer Beach

Frazer Beach is in the Lake Munmorah State Conservation Area so is very close to Snapper Point and adjacent to Bongon Beach. It has a camping ground right next to the beach or you can pay for a day pass at the machines in the car park.

The beach is amazing being wide and sandy with rock platforms on either side. Surfing is popular here and a few groups were out in the surf when we arrived. This isn’t a patrolled beach so swimming is not advised.

To the north of the beach is Bongon Beach and Snapper Point while to the south is a large rock platform, which we walked over. It has some interesting rock pools and geological features although we found the rock pools at Bongon Beach to be better. There were also a few rock fishermen here trying their luck.

Bongon Beach

Bongon Beach, located between Snapper Point and Frazer Beach is a very small sandy beach but has some very nice rock pools in the adjacent rock platform.

We walked to Bongon from Frazer Beach by climbing over the rock ledge dividing the two beaches. The platform near Snapper Point was very interesting as we arrived at low tide and all of the rock pools were exposed. Some were very nice with great colours and it was nice to watch the tide forcing the water into them. During the summer months these rock pools would definitely be the place to sit and relax.

Catherine Hill Bay

Catherine Hill Bay is one of the best surfing spots on the coast.  It has a great beach, surf house; and the town’s pub is legendary.  Unfortunately for us there was a lot of road work being done in the town and the pub was full. So instead, we walked on the beach for a while and then checked out the old heritage listed coal loading pier.

Catherine Hill Bay Surf Club
Catherine Hill Bay Surf Club
Catherine Hill Bay Beach
Catherine Hill Bay Beach
Catherine Hill Bay Beach
The Beach at Catherine Hill Bay
Catherine Hill Bay Coal Loading Pier
Catherine Hill Bay Coal Loading Pier

It is a very pleasant spot and very relaxing. As we walked along the beach we were able to see people surfing and some old wooden piers sticking out of the sand, slowly being weathered away.

Catherine Hill Bay Coal Loading Pier
 Coal Loading Pier at Catherine Hill Bay
Old Wooden Piers at Catherine Hill Bay
Old Wooden Piers at Catherine Hill Bay

Caves Beach

Another of the great beaches south of Newcastle is Cave’s Beach named not surprisingly after the sea caves in the area.  If you want to explore the cave, make sure you go at low tide.  You can check this on the internet.  At high tide, the cave is flooded, and access is cut off. During the week we have found it to be quiet, but on a sunny weekend, it will be crowded, with people swimming and exploring the cave.

Cave's Beach Sea Cave at High Tide
Cave’s Beach Sea Cave at High Tide
Main Cave at Cave's Beach
Main Cave at Cave’s Beach
Main Cave at Cave's Beach Looking Out
Main Cave at Cave’s Beach Looking Out
Looking out of the Main Cave
Rock Platform at Cave's Beach
Rock Platform at Cave’s Beach
Rocks and Algae at Caves Beach
Rocks and Algae at Caves Beach

Entering the cave is not dangerous.  There are no warning signs and access is free. You can walk through the cave and out the other side to a rock platform.  The cliff here also has some smaller caves to look at.  The platform itself is quite interesting, with rock pools with algae growing in them.  Be careful of your footing as the rocks can be slippery.

There is a kiosk next to the beach selling snacks and cold drinks during the week.  On the weekends, there is a bar that also opens.

A larger post on Caves Beach and surrounding walking tracks can be found here.

Swansea Heads and Reid’s Mistake

Swansea Headland looks over the entrance to the Swansea Channel and down onto Reid’s Mistake Head.  There is a great view from here and if you drive to the end of the track, you will find the Maritime Rescue Station with more great views.

Below the headland, you can access the base of the cliff and the rock platform from a car park near Reid’s Reserve. If you look carefully at low tide, you will find the remains of a petrified forest that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption and buried in volcanic ash.  The cliff is made of tuff, a stone made from the ash of the volcanic eruption.

Redhead Beach

Our last stop heading north was Redhead Beach.  This is a very popular Newcastle beach and has a big car park and facilities.  The most striking feature, apart from the excellent beach is the old shark spotting tower perched on rocks in front of the club house.

Redhead Beach Shark Tower
Redhead Beach Shark Tower

So, if you want to visit some beaches south of Newcastle and do more than just swim or sunbathe, give some of these places a try.

As you drive along the highway, see if the can spot the Big Prawn on top of the sign for a closed shopping centre.  Australia loves its “Big” things.

The Big Prawn
The Big Prawn

If you want to read about Newcastle Beaches, click here

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To see what else there is to do in the Hunter Valley, please see some of our other stories.