Just north of Sydney and filled with stunning national parks, secluded beaches and a string of playful beach towns, the Central Coast is a go-to weekend destination for Sydneysiders looking to escape the city without tackling a big journey. If you’re one of them, we’re here to help with our hot tip for our favourite hike in the area. This spectacular, relatively easy route will take you along rainforest paths and clifftop tracks, passing by a historic shipwreck site just off the coast, and ancient Aboriginal sites including rock engravings and shell middens.
Where is the Bouddi Coastal Walk?
The walk is located in Bouddi National Park, just 1 hour and 40 minutes' drive from Sydney. The trail takes walkers from Putty Beach (close to Killcare) to MacMasters Beach.
How long is the Bouddi Coastal Walk?
In its entirety, the Bouddi Coastal Walk stretches for 8.5 kilometres, but if you’re not up for the whole thing, you can dip in for just a section. The most popular section of the trail is the three-kilometre stretch between Putty Beach and Maitland Bay: a varied walking trail that takes in diverse landscapes and sights, with one of the best coastal vantage points on the whole trail (Gerrin Point lookout) being a sure-fire spot for whale watching when the season is on.
Is the Bouddi Coastal Walk hard?
Though the walk is relatively long compared with other walking trails in the area (taking around three to four hours to complete) it’s rated as moderate in difficulty, so it's an achievable feat for most amateur hikers. There are some steep sections, so it’s worth wearing sturdy closed-toe shoes.
What can you see on the Bouddi Coastal Walk?
As well as the magnificent coastal views, you’ll be exposed to some incredible Aboriginal cultural sites, including rock engravings, axe-grinding grooves, and shell middens dotted along the coastline. The rock carvings you’ll find here (created by the Darkinjung people, the traditional custodians of the land) provide a mind-bending glimpse back in time, depicting human figures and animals, and dating back for thousands of years.
When you reach Maitland Bay, you’ll also be able to see remnants of the PS Maitland, a paddle steamer that was wrecked on the rocks during a violent storm in 1898. The shipwreck is best seen at low tide.
Is Bouddi Coastal Walk a multi-day hike?
If you’re taking it really slow and are only up for a maximum of two hours walking per day, you can camp overnight at one of the magical campsites along the route – with sites available to book at Little Beach (half way along the route) and at Putty Beach at the beginning (or end) of the trail.
Keen? You can learn more (and book your camping site if you’re making a weekend of it) over here.
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