OUR TRAVELS ~ SEAL ROCKS
We recently spent a couple of weeks at our special place, a pristine, naturally beautiful little village called Seal Rocks on the New South Wales mid-north coast. We have camped here for 11 years, and my husband and I were engaged in the surf at Number One Beach many years ago. Needless to say, out of everywhere we’ve travelled, this remote seaside enclave holds a special place in our hearts. We love bringing our boys, Sunny and Ziggy, back here and have spent many memorable summer holidays camping with close friends we made in London - back in those wild, pre-kids days - and their growing tribes.
This trip was extra special as Seal Rocks was blissfully quiet as we snuck in a cheeky impromptu camping trip before the NSW April school holidays. Our days were long and slow, giving us time to play with the boys and be fully present from sunrise to sunset. We swam, surfed, climbed dunes, explored rock pools, fished, cooked and spent precious time together in this unspoiled little slice of paradise; think the natural beauty of Byron Bay without the crowds, shops and restaurants.
We stayed: For years, we have camped at Treachery Camp, which we love as it is ‘free form’ so there are no allocated spots. Despite its bush setting, there are hot showers, wood for campfires and, surprisingly, an on-site café Tim’s on Treach during school holidays for our much-needed morning caffeine fix. Treachery Camp is located on 38 acres behind Treachery Beach, renowned for fishing and surfing, however there are some rather large sand dunes to hike over to get to the surf. If you have a lot of beach gear and kids in tow, it can be a bit of a mission.
For this trip, we opted to stay at Reflections Holiday Parks Seal Rocks as we were keen to surf the point wave across the road at Number One Beach and we didn’t want to drag our boards and beach gear – and carry Ziggy - over the Treachery sand dunes all day. The Reflections campground has recently undergone a $6 million redevelopment and to say the facilities are good is quite the understatement. There’s a playground for kids, a chic communal guest lounge and dining area with panoramic views over Number One beach and immaculate camp kitchens. The closest bathroom to our tent site had a family bathroom with a bath for the kids, which was a bonus given our adventurous boys were filthy at the end of the day. We had a grassy, powered tent site but there are also a range of cabins to choose from, including their new premium villas.
Eat and drink: If you love to bar and restaurant hop on holidays, perhaps look elsewhere. Seal Rocks has only one little general store and post office [open from 8am until 5pm daily] so its best to bring your own supplies with you. We cooked most of our meals in the camp kitchen and did a run back to the supermarket at Forster, 45 minutes away, halfway through the trip.
It is possible to get a decent coffee at Seal Rocks these days thanks to Single Fin Coffee. This retro coffee caravan, owned by Seal Rocks local Carly, is parked at the general store at the top of the hill during the school holidays and summer months and serves up great coffee, Nutella croissants and other treats.
The Good Grub Shack at nearby Bungwahl does decent burgers, smoothies and fish and chips - plus some vegan options – if you feel like a drive. The more populated Blueys Beach, just is 25-minute drive away, is home to a few boutiques, restaurants and cafes.
Highlights: Surfing, fishing and exploring the coves and rock pools at Lighthouse Beach on low tide. The boys loved walking up to the historic Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse, which was built in 1875, at sunset and fishing from the kayak at the scenic Boat Beach. Sleepy Seal Rocks is Mother Nature at its best. Happy days, indeed.
Getting there: Seal Rocks is located 45 minutes from Forster and 3.5 hours drive from Sydney.
* We travelled at our own expense and all of our opinions are our own*
