Great Lakes Walking Tracks Compiled by Pacific Palms Visitor Information Centre
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Great Lakes Walking Tracks Compiled by Pacific Palms Visitor Information Centre Pacific Palms Town Walk Starting at the Pacific Palms Resort and following Lakeside Crescent past Elizabeth Beach, turn left and follow Coast Ave along Boomerang Beach. Continue along Boomerang Beach until you come to the end and walk through the track to Boomerang Drive. There is a reserve on the left of Headland Dr which gives you good views over Boomerang Beach. Further along Boomerang Drive you will pass the shopping centre. Continuing further will bring you out on the Lakes Way, turn right towards the Recreation Club, a good spot for a cool drink, before returning back to the start of the walk a few hundred metres further along the Lakes Way. Charlotte Head/Shelley Beach Distance: 1km return, allow 30 mins. Easy grade. Start this short stroll to Shelley Beach from the carpark at the southern end of Elizabeth Beach. The proximity of this small, secluded, “clothing optional: beach to the carpark make it an ideal spot for a picnic lunch. A rough track leads uphill away from Elizabeth Beach to a well-form service trail. This track continues uphill through a small patch of littoral rainforest before starting a gradual easterly decent towards the beach. The view from the beach extends beyond Lindemans Cove and Booti Hill, to Cape Hawke at the southern end of Seven Mile Beach This is a steep but short walk that will take you to one of the prettiest beaches on the coast. There are toilet facilities at Shelley Beach. Map Booti Booti National Park Commencing at the southern end of Seven Mile Beach in the Booti Booti National Park Camping area – ‘The Ruins’, a short walk towards the headland takes you to flat rock, continue around the headland to Elizabeth Beach, the grade is steep and best suited to those of good fitness. An alternative for the less energetic is to cross the Lakes Way to the edge of Wallis Lake and follow the shoreline around to the Green Cathedral. Combined, the ocean and lake side walks cover 7 kms. From the Elizabeth Beach end the access is via Lethbridge Rd up the headland to a good viewing point of the beach and coastline. This walk is excellent for viewing local birdlife. Map of this walk below. Map Janey’s Corner Heading south from Forster, on The Lakes Way, turn off at the second dirt road on the left after Sweet Pea Rd, marked with a yellow 4km winding road sign, park your car on the grass verge and enjoy a 1.5km walk through the Booti Booti National Park onto the popular surfing beach (Seven Mile Beach). Wallingat Forest Walks There are a number of good walks in the Wallingat National Park. Following fire trails will lead you down onto the river systems which provide good fishing for the keen angler. There are a number of picnic tables located in the forest and all roads are well signposted. Once in the Wallingat State Forest, drive to the top of Whoota Whoota lookout for a 360è view over Forster Tuncurry, Coomba Park and along the coastline to Diamond Beach or south over the Myall Lakes system and Seal Rocks. Map Sugar Creek Flora Reserve Wallingat National Park – Two tracks cater for all walkers – one takes 20 minutes and the other 45 minutes to 1 hour. Both walks will take you through superb rainforest which features a proliferation of Cabbage Tree Palms. The starting point for both walks is off Sugar Creed Rd and are well signposted. Map Cellitos and Sandbar Beaches Take Sandbar Rd off the Lakes Way, turn near the golf course and continue on to the carpark at the end near Cellitos Beach. There is a boardwalk from the carpark through the rainforest onto the beach, making beach access possible for all ages and fitness levels. An alternative to this is to continue along Sandbar Rd to the caravan park where you can walk down on to the southern end of Cellito Beach walking south along the beach which will bring you to Sandbar Beach – a thin stretch of land which separates the ocean from Smiths Lake. There is plenty of soft sand so the walking can be tough. Map Tallowwood Forest Tallowwood Park is 7 hectares of beautiful rainforest gullies nestled among moist eucalypt forest that is dominated by Tallowwoods. Located in the Myall River State Forest this park is a short 30 minute drive north-west of Bulahdelah take Markwell Rd our of Bulahdelah, then turn into Cabbage Tree Rd into the State Forest. The Carabeen walk takes 30 minutes, this walk passes through tropical rainforest where orchids, tree-ferns and other exotic trees abound. The picnic area is set in pleasant surroundings and has a BBQ, tables and drinking water. Map O’Sullivans Gaps Located 9 kms north of Bulahdelah along the Pacific Highway – weary travellers can rest and relax among the beauty of the tall flooded gum forest. Map Seal Rocks Vehicular access to the lighthouse ground is for authorised vehicles only however a short walk of a couple of kilometres along the road will take you past the impressive ‘blow-hole’ (which is at its best during large swells). The lighthouse headland offers panoramic views over Lighthouse Beach to the south toward Hawk Nest / Tea Gardens and Broughton Island and to the north the headland at Boomerang Point (Pacific Palms) can be easily seen. Near the shop at Seal Rocks a road leads off to the south, this will take you to Treachery Head, where there are a number of walking trails however the grade is quite steep and best suited to those of good fitness. Following the coastline south from Treachery Head will lead you into the Myall Lakes National Park to a popular camping area known as Yagon. There are a number of good bushwalks from this point. The Gibber Track that runs off the Seal Rocks Road offers the possibility of a number of easy and enjoyable walks. There are many sand trails that branch off this road. The magnificent angophora and black butt forests on the old dunes can be seen at its best in this area. Map The Myall Coast The Tops to Myall’s Heritage Trail. A long but popular walk from Barrington Tops into the Myall Lakes area. This walk is broken up into 11 days trekking and takes in several state forests and national parks. The trail is well signposted but it is advisable to purchase a copy of the walkers guide documenting this trek from either the Great Lakes Visitors Centres or from the Tea Gardens Lion Club. Details Myall Area Wildflower Walk 4km one way (1-2 hours) from Dark Point car park, this flat easy walk follows the old sand track on the western side of Mungo Brush Road though open heath, displaying a variety of wildflowers in the spring. The sand track joins an old road near a collapsed culvert, and shortly, after the track takes a sharp turn to the east towards Mungo Brush Road. Return by walking east to Mungo Brush Road then onto the beach. Follow the beach to Dark Point (Little Gibber) then west through the dunes, past the Aboriginal middens to Mungo Brush Road. Details .