Port Stephens

Box Beach, Fingal Bay

Seal Rocks

Forster and Tuncurry

Old Bar

Port Macquarie coastline

Crescent Head township from Crescent Head

Hat Head

Trail Bay Gaol, South West Rocks

Nambucca Heads

Urunga Heads

Coffs Harbour Marina

A popular holiday region that stretches from Port Stephens in the south to Coffs Harbour in the north. Within its boundaries are the coastal resort towns of Nelson Bay (Port Stephens), the twin towns of Forster-Tuncurry, Port Macquarie, South West Rocks, Nambucca Heads and Coffs Harbour. The Northern Rivers (Tweed, Manning, Nambucca, Clarence, Richmond and Macleay) and the Great Lakes are all close at hand, as are some of the state's finest mountainous national parks.

Horseshoe Bay, South West Rocks

Port Stephens
Described as a "blue water paradise" because of the beauty of its marine surroundings, Port Stephens is located about two and a half hours north of Sydney. With over 30 km of clean, white sandy beaches, Port Stephens boasts vibrant tourism and fishing industries. Nelson Bay, the major town of the Port Stephens region, is a major tourism centre, particularly for surfing, diving, fishing, and dolphin and whale watching. It draws most of its visitors from the Newcastle and Sydney metropolitan areas.

Fingal Bay
The picturesque village on Fingal Bay is surrounded by the Tomaree National Park. It is known for its magnificent beach with an infamous walk across "the spit" to view the burnt out ruins of the outer lighthouse residence. There is some great fishing off the beach as well as the Headlands. Many large fish has been landed off the spit. This beach is very popular with surfers and is quite protected by the headland in the southern corner.

Seal Rocks
A small, isolated coastal fishing settlement, Seal Rocks is famous for its many premier surfing beaches (including Lighthouse Beach, Treachery and Yagon), and also for being the home of Seal Rocks lighthouse, officially known as Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse. Seal Rocks is in close proximity to Myall Lakes National Park.

Forster-Tuncurry
Forster and Tuncurry are twin resort towns on the entrance of Wallis Lake. The area offers some of the best beaches on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. The Myall Lakes, Smiths Lake and Wallis Lake provide extensive opportunities for fishing, water skiing, boating, sailing, wind surfing with many picnic spots, all within minutes of the twin towns.

Old Bar
Old Bar is at the mouth of the Manning River - one of two "delta" rivers in the southern hemisphere, having more than one outlet to the ocean. The village of Old Bar, located 15 km south east of Taree, has many facilities including restaurants, cafes, a bowling club, supermarkets and various shops and services.

Crowdy Beach

Crowdy Head
Crowdy Head is a quaint village at the mouth of the Manning River. The headland of Crowdy Head, which overlooks the mouth of the Manning River, is the site of Crowdy Head Light, a 7.3 m tall lighthouse built in 1878. Crowdy Beach sweeps in a long arc through to Diamond Head Beach in the National Park. The pristine beaches and harbour of Crowdy Head are a major attraction for the area. Deep-sea fishing also draws many visitors and is available all year round. Crowdy Head is one of the rare places along the coastline that permits fishing at night.

Port Macquarie
Situated midway between Sydney and Brisbane on the New South Wales Mid-North coast, Port Macquarie has developed into a desirable retirement location as well as an equally popular tourist destination. Located on the south bank of the entrance of the Hastings River, this sizeable regional centre boasts extensive pristine beaches and untouched waterways. Greater Port Macquarie has 18 different beaches to choose from, of which six are lifeguard patrolled, eight are dog friendly and almost all of them suitable for swimming and surfing. As well as being blessed with a coastline of beautiful beaches, Port Macquarie also has the Hastings River, which broadens the choice of water-based leisure activities considerably.

Crescent Head
A sleepy beach-side community with a population of just over 1,000 people, Crescent Head is one of the hot spots of international surfing, having one of the best right-hand point breaks in the world. Bushwalking and camping are popular in Hat Head National Park, which lies just to the north.

Hat Head
The tranquil seaside community of Hat Head is surrounded by the unspoilt grandeur of Hat Head National Park. The rich aquatic environment of the continental shelf is just eleven nautical miles offshore. With access to a boat ramp, and a diverse range of magnificent fishing spots, all anglers are virtually guaranteed to bring home a 'big one'!

South West Rocks
South West Rocks has been a popular bathing resort with people of the Macleay Valley for over a century. Beautiful scenery, numerous beaches, and man-made attractions such as Trial Bay Gaol and Smoky Cape Lighthouse are among the local attractions of this unpretentious coastal retreat. Trial Bay is one of only a few north facing bays on the Australian East Coast.

Nambucca Heads
Nambucca Heads is a holiday and retirement centre located on a ridge north of the estuary of the Nambucca River near the Pacific Highway, which now bypasses it. The Nambucca Valley is the southern gateway to Sub Tropical Australia. As well as being part of the Pacific Coast Touring Route the Nambucca Valley is the Southern coastal end of the scenic Waterfall Way.

Urunga
A small, tranquil seaside resort town at the mouth of the Bellinger and Kalang rivers. Urunga is known primarily for its many surfing spots, but it is also a good fishing ground, with bream being the main sport fish.

Coffs Harbour
A major regional centre, Coffs Harbour is a popular holiday spot. the town is set beside the sea and backed by hinterland hills and mountains covered by forests, banana plantations, and other farms. It is the only place in Australia where the Great Dividing Range meets the Pacific Ocean.