Seal Rocks, on the NSW Mid-North Coast, is a lovely part of the world offering stunning beaches, a charming lighthouse and very little else to distract one from surfing, walking, reading and relaxing.
I love short road trips, whether by car or motorcycle, with this one offering two days of surfing, windy country roads and spectacular scenery. Heading north over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, my first stop was the last official suburb of Sydney, Brooklyn, on the Hawkesbury River. This area feels a long way from Sydney and is best (as in the most fun) reached by following a detour along the winding Old Pacific Highway. Glorious conditions prevailed, really marking a cheerful break from a past ten days of rain in Sydney.
After Brooklyn, it was straight past Newcastle to Seal Rocks. On arrival, sunny, light off shore conditions greeted me with solid, overhead height waves running off the point. This turned into one of my best days surfing ever, with long rights running almost to the shore. The waves were quite full, proving ideal for the short, fat 5’2″ mini Simmons board I picked up on my last trip to Bali.
Following two hours of blissful surfing, I was starving, having not eaten since 7am. The options in Seal Rocks are limited, which means heading back along the windy forest roads up, or down, the coast to one of the bigger towns. Blueys and Boomerang Beach were the next port of call, stopping in for a burger at the local takeaway and eating it on the beach below.
The next morning I awoke to a spectacular sunrise over the island at Seal Rocks. It was cold and the waves disappointingly small after the brilliant surfing of the previous day, however, I still enjoyed the uncrowded line up.
Next, I headed up the hill to Sugarloaf Point for panoramic views of the surrounding area, even spotting three whales from the well maintained lighthouse.
On the way back to Sydney, I stopped in for lunch at one of my favourite towns, Patonga. Delicious locally caught oysters, a refreshing beer at the Patonga Beach Hotel and fish and chips on the pier rounded out a great mini adventure.
Key pieces of equipment for the trip.
Mini Cooper S, Thomas Bexton for Deus Bali 5’2″ mini simmons surfboard, APC jeans, Spring Court leather trainers, Best Made Chitina Guide Sweater, Moscot sunglasses.
This Sydney to Seal Rocks two-day surf trip is a great example of being able to escape the city and experience something completely different with very little commitment in time or money. The total cost of this two day escape, including the cabin overlooking the ocean at the Seal Rocks Holiday Park, was a little less than $250.
