Bouddi National Park

Bouddi covers the headlands and beaches between Broken Bay and Copacabana on the Central Coast, and its signature is the Bouddi Coastal Walk, about eight kilometres from Putty Beach to MacMasters Beach past cliff edges, spotted gum forest and beaches reachable only on foot. Sections of the track run on boardwalk directly above the ocean. The waters offshore were declared a marine reserve in 1971, among the earliest in New South Wales, and whales pass close in season. Maitland Bay, named for a paddle steamer wrecked there in 1898, requires a steep descent and has remains of the wreck visible at low tide. Walk-in campsites sit above two of the beaches.

History

The reserve was first called Bouddi Natural Park, a name chosen at the trust's second meeting on 5 July 1936 over Maitland Bay Park and Cape Three Points Reserve, because Bouddi, an Aboriginal word for the heart, was the recorded name of the district's most prominent feature and appears on maps from 1828. In 1967 it became Bouddi State Park under the new National Parks and Wildlife Service, and on 1 January 1974, when state parks were abolished as a category, Bouddi National Park (Wikipedia, Bouddi National Park).

What's there

• The coastal walk - clifftop boardwalk and track between beaches.
• Maitland Bay - a steep descent to a beach with 1898 wreck remains.
• The marine reserve - protected waters offshore since 1971.
• The walk-in campsites - small sites above the beaches, booked ahead.

When to go

April to November for walking; summer is humid and the descents are hot. Whales pass from May to November and are seen from the clifftops. Weekends fill the small car parks by mid-morning.

Before you go

Beach access involves steep descents and equally steep returns. Car parks are small and fill quickly, with fees at the main ones. Campsites are walk-in only and must be booked. There is no water on the track.

Nearby

Killcare and Hardys Bay are adjacent; Palm Beach lies across Broken Bay by ferry.

Key facts