Since my last update, I’ve completed more of my NSW coast walk project. I’m walking the entire coast of New South Wales in stages. So f I’ve covered everything from Port Macquarie in the north to Pambula in the south. I’ve now completed all of the following stages:
- Taree to Port Macquarie, northbound, multi day.
- Taree to Newcastle, multi day walk.
- Newcastle to Sydney (twice by coast roads over 2 days & via Great North Walk bush route over 4.25 days, as well as several more times in smaller sections on other walks)
- Sydney, between Palm Beach and Bundeena. I’ve also walked all of Sydney harbour from the heads to the source of the Parramatta River.
- Bundeena-Otford, the Coast Track, 1 day.
- Otford – Wollongong, day walk
- Wollongong-Kiama, day walk
- Nowra – Kiama, heading north, day walk
- Nowra-Milton, heading south, over 3 days
- Milton – Bateman’s Bay, over 4 days
- Bateman’s Bay to Merimbula, multi day walk.
- Merimbula to Pambula, short day walk.
I don’t always follow recognised or published routes. Hwere there are bush tracks or roads along the coast, I’ll take them. I walk along beaches too. Because I walk alone, I have a simple safety rule which is that I will not cross any lagoon that opens into the sea or any river mouth if the water is deeper than about knee-height or if I can’t see the bottom, or if it looks dangerous. I will never swim a river. I’ll sometimes consider a boat or ferry for a massive river crossing, like the Hunter River from Stockton to Newcastle. However, most often I will walk inland to the first bridge or safe crossing point. I did this with the Hawkesbury River, for example on my road walk from Newcastle-Sydney.
I took a (very expensive) taxi from Myola to Huskisson because the 2nd last ferry of the day left early so I missed it and the last ferry of the day simply didn’t turn up and the operator didn’t answer my calls or reply to messages.
I walk on roads a lot which can be pleasant or awful, but I’m used to it.
Sometimes I will ‘wild camp’, but if possible, I prefer to stay each night in a motel or Airbnb. That way I don’t have to carry so much gear and have somewhere comfy with a shower each night.
I’ll continue this NSW Coast walk project before too long, when next I have time. I’ll add photos to this post when I get a chance.
