Hawks Nest for Adventure Fans

Prepare for plenty of action with this three-day itinerary. Finding the right accommodation on your adventure sets the tone of the trip. Reflections Holiday Park at Jimmys Beach has an array of accommodation options for every type of wellness traveller.

For a laidback beach holiday like those you remember from your childhood, the property offers family-friendly activities as well as fishing, fire pits and camp kitchens. There are four types of accommodation offerings – cabins, glamping, powered sites and unpowered sites. The park is nestled in the Great Lakes district of NSW and is set among shady gum trees and home to local goannas, kookaburras and possums.

We love the brand new deluxe cabins which will welcome you with a warm coastal feel. These villas are built sourcing sustainable materials and set right on Jimmys Beach, perfect for that afternoon swim, after a day of adventures.

Grab your boogie board and your walking shoes for a day of fun. The coast around Hawks Nest is one gigantic playground, and Dark Point is one of the highlights. The twist is that we’re not taking the boogie board into the waves; instead, we’re using it for a spot of sand duning. Dark Point’s huge sand dunes offer plenty of thrills: just climb to the top, hop on your boogie board and get sliding.

You may want to cool off with a quick swim before embarking on your next adventure. The scenic Dark Point Walking Track leads you to Dark Point Aboriginal Place, used as a ceremonial site by the Worimi people for thousands of years. From here, the Mungo Walking Track unfolds for 21km through the Myall Lakes National Park.

Today is a day of contrasts. Ease yourself into the morning with a gentle paddle along the Myall River. You can hire kayaks from Lazy Paddles, or join one of their guided tours. You are guaranteed to spot some magnificent birdlife along the way, from sea eagles to herons, cormorants and pelicans.

In the afternoon, it’s time to stretch your legs and practice your swing. Hawks Nest Golf Club is an 18-hole champion golf course with deceptively quick greens – and as it is right next to the beach, you can finish the day with a late-afternoon swim.

The Yacaaba Headland Walking Track is just 6km long, but it will test your fitness. It starts gently with a stroll along beautiful Bennetts Beach. Once you reach the bush track, however, you’re heading uphill, through tall forests up to a rocky ridgeline. The pay-off comes when you reach the summit, where the view unfurl as far as Seal Rocks and Barrington Tops. If you want to catch the sunset view – and it is spectacular – set out at least 90 minutes before sunset, to allow enough time for your return.

As for the rest of the day – it’s time to relax on the beach. You’ve earned it.

The township of Tea Gardens may be tiny but its riverfront strip is lined with inviting restaurants and cafes. That includes Tillermans, the oldest continually-operating restaurant on the NSW North Coast, which serves up sophisticated cuisine such as twice-baked goats cheese souffle and chickpea battered prawns with chilli and mustard-seed dressing. Just as inviting is Tea Gardens Boatshed, where you can expect to find fresh market fish with cauliflower skordalia and steamed black lip mussels, lemongrass and turmeric broth.