Updated: February 2019

Bouddi National Park Coastal Walk

I set myself a few goals this year, and a couple of them was to explore a lot more of Australia and create videos of the adventure! This post nicely combines the two! A few weekends ago (and after 25 years of living on the coast) I finally did the Bouddi National Park coastal walk.

Located on the Central Coast, 1.5 hours north of Sydney, the beautiful Bouddi National Park offers spectacular diverse landscapes. Beautiful beaches, cliffs with never-ending views right through to rainforest and wildlife are some of the things on show. We covered only some of the walk, with the round trip coming to maybe 2.5 hours. Here’s our guide and everything you need to know about the Bouddi Coastal Walk.

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Bouddi Coastal Walk

Plan your Central Coast Trip

About Bouddi National Park, NSW

The NSW Central Coast can be found nestled between Sydney and Newcastle. The popular holiday destination is noted for its fantastic beaches and its beautiful natural areas – including Bouddi National Park which was one of the first NSW national parks established. The Bouddi National Park is a protected national park that is located near Killcare and covers around 1,532-hectares of national park. A section of the national park extends into the Tasman Sea, creating fully protected land, shore and marine habitats.

According to Wikipedia Bouddi is the authenticated aboriginal name of the most conspicuous feature of the district and appears on maps as early as 1828. Bouddi is an indigenous word for the heart.

The map below shows the different tracks you can take or head over to the National Parks website for more information.

Bouddi Coastal Walk

There are many walks on offer at Bouddi National Park, the most popular however is the 8km Coastal walk that runs from Putty Beach to MacMasters Beach. Boasting views for days, boardwalks and wildlife it’s known as one of the most beautiful central coast walks! Although a relatively easy hike most people opt for doing it in sections. We decided to do the Putty Beach to Maitland walk which is around 6km return.

Break the Bouddi Coastal Walk into shorter sections:

Putty Beach to Maitland Bay (3km)
Maitland Bay to Little Beach (3.5km)
Little Beach to MacMasters Beach (1.7km)

Putty Beach to Maitland Bay

If you start your journey at Putty Beach you can park in the car park for $8.00 a day or just outside on the road for free. You will then walk straight onto Putty Beach to begin your walk.

There’s a photo opportunity around every corner on Bouddi coastal walk. With dramatic changes in scenery from wildflowers, lush rainforest, coastal cliffs and if you are lucky you might even spot whales from the lookouts.

One of the most gorgeous parts of the coastal walk is seeing the rock platforms and formations. The patterns that mother nature has created in this national park are really something.

The journey is largely boardwalk is also well-signposted; you won’t need to carry a map. Just make sure you follow the signs for the Coastal Walk and avoid taking one of the trails branching off the sides.

The path journeys in and out from the coast at different sections so you are able to embrace and experience the diverse range of vegetation Bouddi National park as on offer.

This walk has so many wonderful views – a breathtaking vista around every corner. Sheer cliffs rise above while the ocean crashes on the rocks below. Boardwalks lead you right beside these cliffs from where you can see up and down the coast. The Gerrin Point Lookout marks about half way and has a viewing platform. From there you can look north to Maitland Bay which was named after a terrible shipwreck in 1898 which killed 27 people.

Best Beaches on the Bouddi Coastal Walk:

Lobster Beach
Maitland Bay
Tallow Beach
Little Beach.

Camping at Bouddi National Park

Little Beach campsite is a small grassed area, wedged between the hills and set back from the beach. The campsite has six designated sites, a composting toilet, rubbish bins, Gas BBQ’s and a shelter. There is no drinking water onsite and the beach is only 20m away.