Bouddi National Park Walking Tracks

After doing a few back to back bushwalks, we wanted to do a coastal walk for a change and decided to visit Bouddi National Park which is renowned for its magnificent beaches and breathtaking views. Bouddi Coastal Walk from Putty Beach to MacMasters Beach is said to be one of the best walks in Central Coast which is 8 km one way. Our challenge was to find a loop walk that covers the best parts of the park and of a reasonable distance. We started from Maitland Bay Information Center and headed to Putty beach, then traced our steps back and continued to Maitland Bay. Then, we followed Mount Bouddi walking track, Bouddi Spur walking track, Mount Bouddi road and Stroms trail to get back to the car park. This loop was approximately 12 km and a tricky one to name as it was a combination of many tracks.

Below is the path we followed.
Start of the Walk at Maitland Bay Information Center
We followed Maitland Bay track, a dirt track through the bush that slopes downhill. After a few minutes walk, we passed the signage for Bullimah Spur track. If you like a little side trip, this track leads to Bullimah Outlook which provides sweeping views of the coastline. 
Further down the Maitland Bay track, the first glimpses of Maitland Bay Beach was visible from an unnamed lookout.
Unnamed Lookout with Views of Maitland Bay
Maitland Bay track was winding through boulders and the forest before coming to the intersection with Bouddi Coastal track.
Track through Boulders and the Trees
One of the few Footbridges
We walked about 800m on the Maitland Bay track, then turned to Bouddi Coastal Walk track towards Putty Beach. Just after the turn, the track became quite muddy.
Sweeping Views on the way to Gerrin Point
Through the Tree Canopy
Breathtaking Views from Gerrin Point Lookout

Gerrin Point
Signposted tessellated pavements at Gerrin Point are formed in sandstone over millions of years. Due to the high clay content in sandstone, the tiles like cracks have been formed when the sediments dried out, similar to cracks appearing in mudflat during dry conditions. 
Tessellated Pavements at Gerrin Point
Around 10 minutes walk from Gerrin point got us to the magnificent Putty Beach. This beach, popular among families and campers is complete with its own campground and toilet facilities. Please note that Putty Beach is not patrolled. However, the western end of the beach known as Killcare Beach has a surf life-saving club and patrolled.
Putty Beach
Flat boulders near the Putty Beach provided us with a good platform to sit and enjoy a snack while enjoying the uncrowded beach.

After a quick breather at the Putty Beach, we traced our steps back along the Bouddi Coastal track towards Maitland Bay track. Less than 5 minutes walk on the Maitland Bay track led us to Maitland Bay Beach. 
Maitland Bay Beach
Maitland Bay is named after the paddle steamer SS.Maitland which sank after smashing into the rocks off Bouddi Point. Some remains of the wreck are still left at the eastern end of the beach and can be reached over the rocks at low tide. We decided to take the well worth challenge to hop over the rocks to see the wreckage which is more than 100 years old.
Hopping over the Rocks to Reach SS Maitland Wreckage

Some Wreckage of SS Maitland
Section of the Iron Hull of SS Maitland
We continued on the Mount Bouddi walking track which goes sharp uphill from the Maitland Bay Beach. The track kept climbing up and every time I thought we have reached the highest point, it kept going further up.
It was an exhausting uphill climb and I was happy to reach Mount Bouddi picnic area after about one hour. This is a small picnic area with few tables, wood barbecues and a car park.
We rested for a few minutes and had the leftover coffee which I found to be even more comforting than usual. 
Mount Bouddi Picnic Area

We followed Mount Bouddi road until the Scenic road.  
Mount Bouddi Road
Instead of taking the Scenic road, we took the Stroms trail, which is a 2.5 km walking and cycling track that goes parallel to the Scenic road through a beautiful forest.

Stroms Trail
We walked for about half an hour to reach our starting point, Maitland Bay information centre car park. The entire walk took us a little over 5 hrs to complete. This was a satisfying walk through both bush and coast with rewarding panoramic views, SS Maitland wreckage and challenging sections which gave us a sense of achievement.

Comments

Dhanushka said…
Fantastic! Great info. Thanks for sharing.
28 July 2020 at 21:15
sujee said…
Glad you found the information useful.
10 August 2020 at 01:47
sujee said…
Thank you for the encouraging words.
12 August 2020 at 01:17
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On Top of Australia - Climbing the Highest Mountain in Australia - Mt Kosciuszko - NSW

Image
Mt Kosciuszko Summit walk is an iconic walk to the top of the highest mountain in Australia. This beautiful walk winds through the pristine landscape offering high altitude vistas, a rich display of wildflowers, creeks, ponds with crystal clear water, snow-capped peaks and Lake Cootapatamba, Australia's highest lake. At Mt Kosciusko peak Summit walk can either be started from Thredbo, which is a grade 3, 13 Km return from the top of the chairlift or from Charlotte Pass, which is a hard 18.6 km return walk.  We left Sydney on Saturday and spent the night in Jindabyne. After a good night's sleep, the next morning we set off to Thredbo to conquer Mt Kosciusko summit. We parked at the Thredbo Village,  a picturesque alpine village and a ski resort situated at the base of the mountain. The Thredbo river that flows through the village together with the beautifully architected Ski resorts adds to the charm of the village.   Kosciusko Express, the scenic chairlift at the village, takes
Read more

Wentworth Pass loop walking track - Blue Mountains National Park - NSW

Image
Wentworth Pass loop is a 5 km challenging walk that winds through the Valley of the Waters in Jamison Valley in Blue Mountains National Park.  This is a grade 4 walk with quite rough and steep sections. This track has so much to offer like the many  picturesque waterfalls, the million-dollar views offered from numerous scenic lookouts, the lush rainforest and the historic Grand Stairway . Though my legs were feeling the pain for a few days, the hard work was well worth it. Upper Wentworth Falls We started the walk from Wentworth Falls Picnic Area and decided to do the loop clockwise. The Jamison Lookout is just a quick stroll from the picnic area and offers breathtaking views of the Jamison Valley.  Views across Jamison Valley from Jamison Lookout The Wentworth Falls Lookout is a bout 300 meters from the Jamison Lookout. Queen Cascades and the top of the Wentworth Falls can be seen to the left of this spacious lookout. This also provides  sweeping views across the valley towards the Mo
Read more

Grand Canyon track - Blue Mountains National Park

Image
Did you know that we have our very own Grand Canyon in New South Wales?! Located near Blackheath in the Blue Mountains, the Grand Canyon is created  by the rushing waters of Greaves Creek slicing through the canyon's soft sandstone for millions of years. The  Grand Canyon track, a 6.3 km grade 3 walking trail, is considered to be one of the best rainforest walks in NSW. This heritage-listed track, constructed in 1907, meanders through the lush rainforest and crosses Greeves Creek in several places. The sheer number of steps and rock overhangs in the track make this walk challenging and quite an adventure.  There are three car parks close to the track; the Grand Canyon loop car park, Neates Glen car park and Evans Lookout. While  Evans Lookout is the closest to the track, i t does not matter which one you choose, simply follow the signage towards Grand Canyon track. If you park in Neates Glen car park, it is easier to do the walk counter-clockwise and finish off at Evens Lookout.
Read more