This is a short bikepacking NSW Coast diversion that started out as a New England 1000km circuit and then a Tamworth Country Music Festival visit and then became a NSW Coast ride. Why? Basically after three days of riding in remote country with high temperatures and limited water I reached Tamworth where the local Giant Bikeshop owner warned me that the route I was planning was extremely remote (250km stretches without civilization and limited water), that the route was dangerously difficult in the summer months (temperatures were currently in the mid-40’s) and it was simply dangerous in the summer without a support vehicle.
See the part 1 of the ride for details about my bike and gear acquisition and other logistical details by visiting the Maps & Facts page.
Total Cost Range of this Activity is: $$
As mentioned in Part 1 of this post, the bike cost me $90. Plus $300 of gear (panniers bags, hammock, tent, cookware, etc.). Accommodation cost me $0 since I free-camped or wild-camped.
Bikepacking NSW Coast, Day 1
After a few days of enjoying the Tamworth Country Music Festival I packed my bike into a box at the local train station and took a bus to Port Macquarie (yes the trains and buses share the same network), arriving around 2pm at the city center bus park. I rebuilt my bike on the sidewalk, got some food at the supermarket and headed south out of the busy city.
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The exit of the city involved some hills but was basically just suburban riding with adequate bike lanes and respectful drivers. Once out of the city I rode through national park beach and marsh flats for about an hour into Lake Cathie, then thru Bonny Hills, a high end beach town with beautiful beach views and expensive homes.
At the end of Bonny Hills I passed a house just as the owner arrived. I stopped and asked for water and he provided both water and cold cans of Tonic Water. The homes were at the top of a bluff overlooking rocks with crashing waves and lovely isolated beaches. And best of all it was all government land available for day use. Or in my case a perfect place to pitch a free zero footprint overnight camp below Grants Head promontory. It was a short 26km ride day.
Bikepacking NSW Coast, Day 2
I was up with the sun (6 am), ate my muesli bars, packed up my stuff and was back on the road by 7am. The first part of the plan was to ride south to the North Haven/Laurieton towns to have a real breakfast. Laurienton turned out to be another high end beach community, just bigger than most.
After coffee and cake I started a long solitary ride on a flat paved divided coastal road that followed a 7 mile beach in the cooking sun. This was another national park (Crowdy Bay) so was isolated and at some stage the road turned to gravel.
The main objective of the day was Diamond Head. At the camp ground I found a spot in the shade to eat my lunch while being sniffed by a large Tree Goanna lizard (sometimes called a Lace Monitor). I then checked out the rock pools and Diamond Gap.
After lunch and a swim I headed south on a deserted gravel road for the rest of the afternoon to reach Harrington where I was hoping to catch a private foot/bike ferry. Turns out the daily summer service ended the day before. My only option was to ride way inland to circle the Manning River inlet. But after about an hour I spotted a campground with a swimming pool. I checked in and called it a day (52 km).
Bikepacking NSW Coast, Day 3
The next morning I rode inland to join the A1 highway (the only option to circumvent the Manning River). The highway had a wide bicycle lane but it was still an unpleasant ride (lots of cars and trucks passing at high speed).
By noon I was back on the coast at the town of Black Head and Pebbly Beach and swimming in the Wave Machine, checking out the Oz Arch Cave and the Crystal Pools.
Late in the afternoon I got back on the bike and followed the Wallamba River south until I found a small day-use park called Darawank War Memorial Park. I rode to the south end of the park (out of site) and pitched my tent on the side of the river in the shade of the trees. A perfect place to call it a 63km day.
Bikepacking NSW Coast, Day 4
Early the next morning I broke camp and rode south to Tuncurry and Foster where I had a late breakfast of coffee and cake before heading south to Seal Rocks Beach and rock outcrops for a swim in the Hedgehog Rock Channel.
My next goal was to head south without doubling back inland so I followed the advice of my Locus App and found myself on a dead end sand fire road on a beach. I turned back and a local told me to use a different sand fire road west to reach a gravel closed road called Miner Road.
The rest of the day was hell. I mostly bike-hiked in deep sand to reach Miner Road, which turned out to be straight and great until I was on it’s southern tip. Then my route turned into a single track, over grown path for 11 km. It was an easy trail for a MTB but not a gravel bike with 20 kg of gear.
Late in the day I finally reached Mango Bush Road where I pulled into the first camp ground (The Wells), where I jumped into Lake Boomba Broadwater to cool off. Once again I setup another free camp and called it a day (84 km).
Bikepacking NSW Coast, Day 5
Early the next morning I broke camp and started a long and lonely stretch of black top south through another National Park heading to the upscale tourist town of Tea Gardens where I jumped on a private people/bike ferry to Nelson Bay village.
After lunch in Nelson Bay my next target was Boat Harbor, another small but upscale beach community. Once again my goal was to check out the lovely beach, the rock pools and eat lunch (plus to use the public beach facilities to shower and shave).
Refreshed, but cooking in the afternoon sun, I packed up and headed out towards Newcastle. It became obvious as the traffic quickly began to build that I was approaching a big city. The ride for the last 30 km was not that pleasant (at least until I reached Stockton, past the bridge turnoff into the industrial norther area of Newcastle).
At the southern tip of Stockton I jumped on a people/bike ferry that put me in the heart of old Newcastle where I had just booked a dorm bed in the YHA hostel (a 98 km day).
While checking in the receptionist asked about my bike and my trip. I outlined the plan and that I would probably give the bike and gear away when I reached Sydney. She enthusiastically mentioned that the hostel was always on the lookout for bikes that they lent to their guests for free and that she would love to have my bike in their inventory.
Bikepacking NSW Coast, Conclusion
Considering the amount of car and truck traffic that I had encountered around Newcastle, and the prospect of even more traffic as I got closer to Sydney, I agreed to donate my bike if they comped me the room. The manager later even tossed in a small trolley suitcase to carry my stuff after I gave them my bike pannier bags.
The following morning I went to the main transit station (without a bike) and jumped on the next bus to Sydney, no questions asked. Done.
Read Part 1, Tamworth Ride post
GPS Tracks
Download the GPS tracks.
Maps & Facts (profiles) related to the NSW bikepacking rides.