Seal Rocks

Seal Rocks is a remote coastal fishing village located in the Mid-North Coast of New South Wales. It is surrounded by Myall Lakes National Park.

Understand
Seal Rocks (sometimes called 'The Last Frontier') is one of the most secluded, untouched and beautiful beach spots on the New South Wales coast. Disconnected from the Mid-North Coast by a small road and surrounded by state parks and lakes, the Seal Rocks peninsula feels a million miles away despite being only 3 1/2 hours' drive from Sydney.

The main attractions of Seal Rocks are its stunning beaches, great surfing, coastal hikes, and aquatic life. There are five beaches in Seal Rocks, each with its own special attraction. There is also a lighthouse, officially known as Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse.

The town is very small and is perched on a steep hill overlooking Boat Beach. Infrastructure is very limited and consists of about a twenty architecturally designed beach houses, fisherman shacks, a seafood co-op and a general store. The locals are well known for their peaceful resistance to attempts by developers to commercialise the village. On entering the town by car, the words "Save Seal Rocks The Last Frontier" can be seen painted on the road.

Get in
Seal Rocks is in a remote location and therefore a car is the most convenient way to get to Seal Rocks.

By car
Travelling north from Sydney or Newcastle, take the Pacific Highway (A1) until you reach the Lakes Way Road turnoff and signs for Seal Rocks. Continue along the windy Lakes Way Road for about 30 minutes until you reach the turnoff for Seal Rocks (if you travel through the town of Bungwahl you have gone to far). Continue along Seal Rocks Road for about 10 minutes.

If travelling south from Brisbane or Port Macquarie continue along the Pacific Highway (A1) and then turn left onto The Lakes Way following the Forster and Tuncurry signs. This will take you through Tuncurry and then Foster. Continue on the Lakes Way travelling for approximately 30 minutes and then turn left onto Seal Rocks Road. Continue along Seal Rocks road for 10 minutes until you reach Seal Rocks.

Note: Despite local resistance, the gravel road into Seal Rocks has been paved over.

By public transport
Given its small population and remote location, the Seal Rocks town itself is not served by public transport. It is however possible to get to the near by town of Bungwahl and then catch a taxi or hitch a ride into Seal Rocks. If travelling from Sydney, take the Newcastle and Central Coast train from Central Station and get off at Broadmeadow Station (2.5 hours, every hour). Once at Broadmeadow Station, transfer to bus 150 (2.5 hours, twice daily) leaving for Taree and get off at Bungwahl station and look for a taxi to Seal Rocks. If there are none available, check into the general store and ask them to call you one. If travelling from Brisbane or Port Macquarie, take the train to Taree and then transfer to bus 150 heading for Broadmeadow Station. Get off at Bungwahl station and look for a taxi to Seal Rocks.

By organised tour
If you are desperate to get to Seal Rocks and don't have access to a car and don't want to take public transport, there are often Surf Schools that travel to Seal Rocks leaving from Sydney. If you are an independent traveller and don't want to take part in the organised tour, it may be worth asking them if they will let you hitch a ride on their bus for a fee.

Get around
While it is possible to get around the Seal Rocks peninsula solely by walking, most locals and visitors use their feet for short trips (such as to the lighthouse or the general store) and their car for beaches further away (e.g. Treachery Beach). All beaches have designated places for parking a boardwalk for easy access to the sand. All visitors should avoid making their own tracks through the bush to the sand as this can degrade the natural environment.

Driving on the beach
It is possible to drive your 4wd on Boat Beach and Lighthouse Beach. Driving on the beach requires a permit and this can be purchased at the general store. In general however only local fisherman drive on the beach as it can be dangerous and can degrade the environment. If you choose to drive on the beach, be aware that the sand is very soft and the surf can rise over the beach quickly. Unless you are a very exprienced driver, do not drive on the beach with a 'softroader' (Toyota Rav4 for example) and be sure to stay clear of the ocean and the waves. Finally, be sure to check your with your insurance company before driving on the beach as ome contracts do not cover accidents occurring on the beach.

Parks and viewpoints

 * Yagon Siltstone.JPG
 * Yagon Siltstone.JPG

Marine mammal watching
It is possible to see southern right and humpback whales from Seal Rocks between early June and August. The best place to spot whales is from the lighthouse; however, any of the Seal Rocks headlands will do. Southern right whales are much rarer than humpbacks and usually seek out shallow protected bays and inlets to mate and give birth.

Dolphins are also common sight at any of the four beaches at Seal Rocks year round. Dolphins will come quite close to the shore and if you are lucky they might surf the waves and jump from the water. It is extremely rare to see seals lying on the rocks. Large numbers of seals used to rest on Seal Rocks, accounting for their name, but indiscriminate harvesting of seals in the 18th and 19th centuries drastically reduced the population.

Swimming and surfing
Seal Rocks has some stunning beaches for swimming and a couple of great surf sports. Being a peninsula, Seal Rocks has beaches facing many directions and therefore it is best to choose a beach based on the direction of the wind and where the swell is coming from.

Diving
Seal Rocks has some of the best diving in Australia. Popular aquatic life include Grey Nurse Sharks, huge cod, massed schools of baitfish, kingfish, snapper, giant lobsters and the occasional Bronze Whaler Shark. It is also possible to see the Shipwreck, S.S. Satara and Shipwreck, S.S. Catterthun. The S.S. Satara is rated as one of the best wreck dives on the east coast of Australia wile the S.S. Catterthun is also fantastic but its 55-62 metre depth and strong currents make it only available to very experienced divers. There are also two caves to be explored (both similar depths of 33 m) and is best taken underwater tour. Advanced qualification and torches are essential.

Unless you have your own gear and boat, there are no dive companies that will be able to take you to the sites from Seal Rocks itself. There are a couple of dive companies in Forster which then go to Seal Rocks from there. They are:

Coastal Walks
Seal Rocks has some great short but excellent coastal walks.



Buy
Seal Rocks has one general store which sells the absolute basics. The town of Bunghwal (15 minutes drive away) has a bigger general store and a bottle shop selling alcohol. Supermarkets are at least 30 minutes drive away and therefore it is best to do all your grocery shopping before you arrive at Seal Rocks. If coming by the car from the Sydney, stop in at the Raymond Terrace Woolworths. If coming from the north, stop in at the Tuncurry Woolworths.

Eat
The general store sells basic take away food like meat pies and sausage rolls

Drink
A new coffee shop 'Single Fin Coffee' has opened that operates out of a caravan next to the general store. Coffee is expensive at $5 however it is pretty good. Expect the coffee shop to only be open during the summer months.

Sleep
Nearest accommodation in Myall Lakes National Park as there's no accommodation within the town itself.

Go next

 * Myall Lakes National Park