The best camping in Myall Lakes National Park, NSW

With one of the largest coastal lake systems in NSW as well as the meandering Myall River, Myall Lakes National Park is a great destination for activities such as kayaking, canoeing, boating and fishing. There’s also more than 40km of beaches, providing ample opportunity for swimming and surfing. Three hours’ drive north of Sydney and 1.5 hours from Newcastle, the park has more than 20 campsites to choose from, as well as many lovely picnic areas and walking tracks. At the northern end of the park, Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse is a top spot for whale watching, while the 76m-high flooded gum tree known as Grandis is one of the tallest in the state.

• Best for families: Mungo Brush campground has 78 campsites between the beach and the lake.
• Best for beach lovers: Banksia Green campground is nestled behind the dunes, ideal for beach fishing.
• Best for wildlife: Camp amongst an active seabird colony on Broughton Island, a key breeding site for wedge-tailed shearwaters.

The only time you might not score the campground you want is if you visit during peak season, which includes NSW school holidays, long weekends, and throughout December and January. Outside those periods, there’s plenty of availability and campers can usually just turn up, spot the area they want to camp, and book it on their phones. If you do want to go during peak season, the earlier you book the better your chance of securing a spot will be; some campers book up to a year in advance for school holidays and public holidays.

Autumn (March to May) is a great time to visit as the park isn’t as busy as over summer, although May sees the most rainfall. In spring (September to November), you can see magnificent wildflower displays. November is also the driest month. Winter (June to August) is the best time to visit for whale watching as humpbacks make their annual migration along Australia’s east coast between Antarctica and North Queensland, where they go to mate and give birth in the warm waters.

• Parking costs $8 per vehicle per day. The park has coin/card-operated pay and display machines at Mungo Brush campground. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service officers regularly visit camping areas to collect fees from campers and sell annual passes. Day passes and annual passes are also available from the Great Lakes, Bulahdelah and Tea Gardens visitor information centres.
• NRMA Myall Shores Holiday Park, at Bombah Point, has a café where you can buy basic supplies such as milk, bread and toothpaste. You can also grab a pizza, burger of fish and chips while you're there.
• The closest town is Hawks Nest, which is 3 kilometres away. It’s 13 kilometres from Bulahdelah and 37 kilometres from Forster.
• All NSW national parks are no smoking areas.

• The best surfing beach in the Pacific Palms precinct, Boomerang Beach's unique shape, and rock formations give consistent and powerful waves.
• A lakeside getaway in the Barrington Coast region, Smiths Lake is a great alternative to the often bustling, nearby beaches.
• A remote stretch of golden sand with a unique surf break, Treachery Beach is a lesser-known locale with plenty of hidden surprises.