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
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 TrackMaitland 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 BeachRock WeatheringRock WeatheringWaves at Maitland Bay BeachHoneycomb 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 PointBouddi 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.
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 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
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.
Frazer Beach
Geological Formation South of Frazer Beach
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.
Bongon Beach
Rock Pool Near Bongon Beach
Rock Pool Near Bongon Beach
Waves Filling a Rock Pool Near Bongon Beach
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 Beach
The Beach at Catherine Hill Bay
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.
Coal Loading Pier 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
Main Cave at Cave’s Beach
Main Cave at Cave’s Beach Looking Out
Looking out of the Main Cave
Rock Platform at Cave’s 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.
Volcanic Tuff in the Cliff at at Reid’s Mistake
Reid’s Mistake Fossil Tree
Fossilised Tree Trunk
Fossilised Tree Trunk
Rock Patterns
Reid’s Mistake Rock Platform
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
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
If you want to read about Newcastle Beaches, click here
