Holidaying in Sydney and keen for a road trip? Grab your board, hop in the car and make a break for Seal Rocks.

Seal Rocks is a small, sleepy beach town south of Forster-Tuncurry and 310 kilometres from Sydney. It’s famous for its beaches which are big, beautiful and most importantly, untouched.

It’s the home of the spectacularly beautiful Seal Rocks lighthouse – officially known as Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse. It overlooks an unspoilt beach and the group of offshore rocky outcrops that give the area its name.

Treachery Beach makes a great campsite and if you’re looking for some great surf breaks, the aptly–named Treachery Head is only a stone’s throw away.

You can also go diving at Big Seal, Little Seal and submerged Little Seal Bommie. Apart from grey nurse and wobbygong sharks, local fish species include kingfish, large stingrays, blackfish and blue gropers.

For an insight into the history of the area, check out the shipwrecks in Seal Rocks. These include the now submerged steamer Koriki; the paddle-wheeler Rainbow and the barque Harvester which struck a submerged rock nearby. About two kilometres north of Seal Rocks you’ll find the wreck of the 2179-tonne steamship Catterthun, which struck a reef and sank during a storm in August 1895, taking 61 passengers to a watery grave.

Behind Seal Rocks is Myall Lakes National Park, which stretches down the coast to the south. At the southern tip of the Myall Lakes National Park, stop at Tea Gardens, by the mouth of the Myall River. Join a dolphin-watching cruise or hire a motor-boat for the day and cruise up the peaceful Myall River.

Cross the Singing Bridge at Tea Gardens –so named because it whistles in a strong wind – watch the Myall River lazily passing by, and breathe in the invigorating seaside air of Hawks Nest.

Hawks Nest, an hours drive south of Seal Rocks, has both ocean and river frontage, so you can enjoy pounding surf or calm, paddling beaches. And it's also an excellent starting point for more exploring. Bennetts Beach in Hawks Nest is the beginning of a long stretch of beach that enters the Myall Lakes National Park and extends north to Seal Rocks through a serene wildlife corridor.

South Bennetts Beach leads you to the Yacaaba Headland walk, which rewards you with fantastic views of the mouth of the Myall River across Port Stephens and north to Myall Lakes National Park. You can get down and dirty four-wheel driving at this beach and it’s close to parks and camping facilities.

Continue further south to Port Stephens Bay, which is twice the size of Sydney Harbour, and as clean as a newly poured bath. Here, you can go deep-sea fishing and diving.  The real beauty of Port Stephens is that everything is close by. You can walk from Shoal Bay to Nelson Bay, which is abuzz with restaurants and cafes, or grab a bike and ride to some of the more secluded beaches like Wreck Beach on the surf side of Port Stephens.

Nelson Bay is the largest town in the Port Stephens area that services the smaller townships. It’s a great choice for a relaxing week away – there’s a range of accommodation offering something to suit every budget and every type of retreat.

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• Nearest City:Sydney
• Distance to Sydney:280kms
• Nearest Airport:Newcastle
• Distance to Newcastle Airport:130kms

Local Attractions in the Area

• Whitewater World
• Broadbeach
• Main Beach
• Surfers Paradise
• Gold Coast - Hinterland Region

Helpful Links for the Area

• Queensland Holidays - Gold Coast Region
• Gold Coast Tourism
• Drive Queensland
• Queensland Walks
• Queensland Holidays - Things to See & Do

Seasonal Events

• NRMA Insurance Australian Surf Life Saving Championships
• Blues on Broadbeach Music Festival
• Gold Coast Airport Marathon
• Lexmark Indy