Overnight Coastal Hike 15 Minutes From Bateman’s Bay

Embark on a must-see walk from South Durras to Bateman’s Bay in the picturesque Murramarang National Park. This multi-day hike is perfect for those new to the multiday hiking, offering a diverse landscape of breathtaking beaches and lush forests. Take a dip in the crystal clear waters or find serenity under the canopy of trees. You might even spot some eastern grey kangaroos.

Distance - 18km

Duration - 2 days / 1 nights

Skill Level - Beginner

Highlights

  • Walk along stunning beaches and coastal forests
  • Choose from more then eight beaches to swim at along your hike
  • Spot some of the Murramarang National Park’s eastern grey kangaroos

Overview

The South Durras to North Head campground hike in Murramarang National Park is a 2-day, 18km in-and-out trek that is ideal for beginner hikers seeking to embark on multiday adventures. Beginning near South Durras at Mill Point, the trail leads hikers through coastal forests and onto the park’s picturesque beaches. Make sure to bring your swimmers, as along the way there are many places to take a dip and cool off.
 
With the relatively short 8-9km distances each day, be sure to slow down and explore the rocky coastline and remote pebble beaches. Overnight camping at North Head campground offers forested campsites and easy access to North Head beach. Keep an eye out, you are sure to see the wide abundance of wildlife in the park such as the eastern grey kangaroo
 

Make sure to check out my personal adventure report when I completed the walk in November 2022.

Day 1 - Mills Point to North Head Campground

9km / 3hrs

Day 1 starts at Wasp Head picnic area, at the car park past the NRMA Holiday Resort. If you walk up Wasp Head walking track, you will get a glimpse of Wasp Island 100m of the coast. To begin the walk, follow the Emily Miller Beach walking track from the car park,  and when you reach a split in the track, turn right to reach the shore.

The hike continues along Emily Miller beach, over a rock shelf and onto the southern side of the beach. Continue walking to the end of the beach, where you will find a small trail windings its way up the hill into the forest. The path is located just before the rock shelf around the headland begins. The path will be clear, so if you don’t find it immediately, keep looking.

Through the coastal forest, the trail will take you to Dark Myrtle Road, where you join up with the Flat Rock Island walking track and make your way down to Myrtle Beach. Before walking down to the beach, you can continue left along the walking track to get a elevated view of Myrtle Beach and Flat Rock Island.

There are several sets of stairs taking you down to Myrtle Beach. Arriving on the shore level you will be greeted by the gorgeous view of the stretching sands hugged between forested cliff lines. Be aware that, while not official, beach goers use this more secluded section of the coast as a nude beach. This is primarily the case on weekends. If you would prefer to avoid Myrtle Beach, you can continue past it using the Old Coast Road and meet back up with the walking trail.

Towards the end of Myrtle Beach you will see a thoroughfare on the top of the sand dunes that will take you up back into the treeline. Follow the path until you hit the Old Coast Road and turn left. The walk continues along the Old Coast Road for several kilometers. If the day is still early, you can venture off part way through along the road down to Richmond Beach.

When you reach the part of Old Coast Road that turns inland towards North Head Road, keep walking straight down the walking trail towards Oaky Beach. The beach is a smaller beach compared to the others that you have walked along earlier, but with the rock cliffs surrounding it on either side and fewer numbers of vistors, it has a fantastic charm.

Walking along the sand, you will reach the end of the beach quickly.  Pick up the trail that takes you into the forest and cuts across the headland towards Honeysuckle Beach. After a short distance you will come across a set a stairs and descend onto the pebbly shore of Honeysuckle Beach. This is where I encountered a group of three of the park’s eastern grey kangaroos.

Just as quickly as you came down onto the beach, you will take a set of wooden stairs back up to the beach’s day-use parking area. Follow the access road up until you meet North Head Road, turn left, and shortly after turn left again back onto the Honey Suckle Bay walking track. This is the last stretch of walking before you will reach North Head campground. Along the way, be sure to not miss the North Head lookout that provides a bird’s eye view of the rocky headland and stretching blue ocean.

North Head campground has ten campsites surrounded by ferns and covered by gum trees. Each site has its own fire pit with a metal cooking surface above it for pots and pans. Nearby, there are two drop toilets. If you stay quiet, you will hear the wide variety of insect noises and animal calls emanating from all around in the forest. The enveloping landscape is vibrant and full of gorgeous shades of green.
 
A short walk from the campground and you will find North Head Beach. Take a dip and cool off after your hike in the beautiful, cool water. From here the rest of the day is up to you! Continue swimming, take a slow walk through the forested tracks, or find a comfortable place to sit and crack out the book you might be currently reading.

Day 2 - North Head Campground to Mills Point

9km / 3hrs

Day two’s hike is simply the opposite of yesterday’s. You can vary the walk back by taking more of the unsealed roads back through the forest, or follow the same beach hopping route you came by. If you spotted something interesting yesterday, but didn’t get the time to check it out, today is your chance! Knowing how long it took you to get here from your first day, you will have a good gauge on how much time you can spend lounging around this morning.

A good suggestion – hop up early, take your propane burner and go make a hot cup of coffee on North Head beach while you catch the sun rising and its gold colours painting the sea and rocky headlands. Take a long, last swim before you set off back for your car at Mill Point.

If you are driving home northwards today, I recommend stopping in Ulladulla or Milton and grabbing lunch. Food always tastes better after a big hiking trip.

Essential Adventure Gear

  • Hiking Pack – Large enough to comfortably hold enough supplies for a 2-day, 1-night trip, including swimmers and a towel.
  • Food – Been a shorter trip, you can be more creative with the food your bring. A falafel wrap, pan fried vegetables and couscous or gourmet Mie Goreng could all be options for a delicious dinner.
  • Tent – The campground will most likely have other guests, so a tent is good for privacy when going to bed.
  • Sleeping Bag and Sleeping Pad – Essential for staying warm and comfortable overnight.
  • Sunscreen and Hat – You are going to be getting plenty of sun during your walk and swimming, do your best to keep yourself protected.
  • Water Storage – Bring at least 3-4 liters of water storage as there weren’t many spots to filter water from.
  • Rain Jacket – Even in the summer, weather can change quickly, so it’s important to be prepared for rain and cooler temperatures.
  • Toilet Paper – Though drop toilets are available, they may not always have toilet paper, so it’s best to bring your own.

Getting There

The hike begins at Wasp Head picnic area, which is accessed by driving to South Durras and continuing on past the NRMA Holiday Resort. Once you reach a large parking area after the resort, this is where you will leave your car and set off for North Head campground. Unfortunately, public transport cannot be easily used to reach the start of the walk and so you will need to drive.
 
Plan to start the hike relatively early to give yourself enough time to swim along the way and take a break for lunch when you find the perfect view.

Extending The Trip

The hike is part of of the Great South Coast Walk, a 660km walk from Sydney to Mallacoota at the Victorian border. If you wanted to extend the Murramarang hike, you could start either further up the coast, or continue walking past North Head campground. I selected this part of the coast for a overnight hike as it was close to Sydney and explored a more secluded section of the Great South Coast Walk.

If you started the walk from Kioloa, a town slightly up the coast from South Durras, the trip can be extended to allow you to walk a further distance over the day, or have multiple nights camping beside the beach. When I had originally planned my walking trip in the area, I couldn’t add this extension due to rock falls causing track closures.

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