Natureboy needed to get away. This is his story.
Have you ever had one of those weeks where you just need to get away from everything?
That’s how the week felt to me, so I booked a campsite and headed to the beach. My initial choice was booked out so I wound up at Tallow Beach in Bouddi National Park at the northern entrance to Broken Bay.
A mere 1.5 hours away, the Central Coast has a lot to offer the stressed-out Sydneysider. Plenty of beautiful waterways and great fish and chips. I stopped off in Woy Woy to stock up (stocking up on water is important as Tallow beach has limited facilities and no running water).
Tallow beach is accessible through Killcare via a well kept dirt road. The ute was OK for most of this, though a car that rides lower would scrape. There is a good sized car park just before the locked gate heading down to the beach. The walk is all downhill from the car, with some stunning views of Tallow and Little Tallow beaches, down to Barrenjoey in the south.
The campground is small but more than ample given that there are only six sites available. It’s sheltered from the wind and there is a toilet and access to the beach 50m from the camp. There are no wood fires, no BBQs, no water – so be prepared. Pack your camp stove and plenty of water.
On the beach, there is a gorgeous driftwood lean-to with a sign proclaiming, ‘The Hut’. It was too gorgeous to pass by so I ended up napping there, which is what it’s all about really; getting away from the humdrum of the everyday life.
At night, the beach feels private and with the light pollution from Sydney, it doesn’t get too dark (which is comforting for some of us city folk).
Bookings are important for small camp grounds like this – Contact NPWS Gosford Office. Ph (02) 4320 4203 – $10 per adult per night.
Do you have a particular place to travel when you have had enough?
How far would you say the walk from the car to the campsite is?
We’ve been to caves beach just south of jervis bay, whilst it is a good site the 300m trek with camping gear can be a bit hefty.