Tenting at Hawks Nest NSW, Australia

12 Mar Tenting at Hawks Nest NSW, Australia

The sale of our caravan and tow vehicle early in 2024 and the move to an apartment back in Sydney soon after, has meant we haven’t been camping … until now.

On Sunday 9th February 2025 we packed our little car for a 5 night tenting holiday in Reflections Holiday Park, Bennetts Beach at Hawks Nest, NSW. It is 14 years since Maggie and I have had a holiday in a tent, so there was a lot of adjusting to do. Some camping friends were there with caravans, while one other couple was also camping in a tent.

Setting up camp on that Sunday was tiring, because of the heat and because we were using muscles that haven’t been exercised for a while. But it all came together in time for a papa nap, then happy hour and a relaxing evening.

On Monday 10th February at around 8 am, Maggie and I took a walk along Bennetts Beach. A storm was forecast for Monday so we wanted to get out and explore before the rain started.

That afternoon we took a short drive to Windy Woppa Reserve, on the river side of Hawks Nest, with our friends John and Barbara. Mangrove trees line both sides of the river there.

Nearby we found a track through to the beach on the bay. As we arrived at the beach a frontend loader was coming towards us and soon after, a large tip truck was heading our way.

These heavy vehicles were carrying sand from a large dredging area to repair a damaged part of the bay’s beach.

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On Tuesday, our whole mob (4 couples + 1 single) caught the 10 am ferry from Tea Gardens to Nelsons Bay, a one hour ride.

It was a cloudy day, with rain threatening again.

Once we reached the Bay some of the camping mob gathered at the bow of the ferry.

After wandering through the shopping centre and enjoying a large seafood lunch at Bub’s Famous Fish & Chips, plus dessert from the Marina Ice Creamery, we boarded the 3.30 pm ferry for the trip back to Tea Gardens. It started to rain as I took this next photo.

On the return journey the tide was low, so much so that the ferry’s hull scraped the sandy bottom several times.

Apparently this bridge “sings” when the wind blows through it. Perhaps it wasn’t windy enough or from the right direction when we passed under it, as we didn’t hear the “singing”.

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On Wednesday morning Maggie and I drive to Mungo Brush and the Bombay Point Ferry (the ferry is temporarily closed). It was a pleasant drive with the highlight, our stop at the “Hole in the Wall Picnic Area”.

On Wednesday at sunset I took two photos, one minute apart, the first looking south west and the other north west. These give an idea of the variable weather at Hawks Nest that week.

Despite the variable weather we enjoyed our time with friends at Hawks Nest. And it’s amazing that after knowing and camping with these friends for years we still have plenty to talk about at every happy hour, on every day together.

Thanks for viewing. Stay safe and well until next time.