Bouddi National Park is regularly cited as one of NSW’s great natural wonders for its fascinating Liesegang rings and rock formations. But did you know the popular spot also has some of the best stargazing in NSW? Being surrounded by beautiful beaches essentially means that you get the best of both worlds in one spot. Located just a short 90-minute drive from Sydney, it also makes for a fitting day trip or long weekend destination.
Home to some of NSW’s most captivating — and varied landscapes, you can find sandstone made up of tessellated pavement and oval patterns at this national park. As you might expect from such otherworldly terrain, it has formed due to centuries of tessellation and the distinct sedimentary rock has eroded over time into stunning patterns, called Liesegang rings.
Bouddi National Park, NSW
While the Liesegang ring formations are worth the drive out, they’re not the only thing to do here. The national park is also home to incredible beaches, coastal walks, biking trails and lookouts.
The best way to experience all its wonders is on the Bouddi Coastal Walk, one of Central Coast’s best. It’s an 8.5km one-way track so you’ll need to go in prepared but the experience is worth it. Starting at either Putty Beach or Macmasters Beach, you’ll be met with spectacular ocean views, incredible whale watching during the season, rainforests, picnic spots if you want to stop and take in the views and plenty of lookouts. The highlight of the walk is the rocks with striking geometric swirls and designs which you can see spread throughout the walk. The orange-hued rocks are especially photogenic against the turquoise-tinted waters so take your cameras along.
Once the sun sets, the lush bushland setting is shrouded in darkness and the open skies are perfect for stargazing. See the views from the beach or the lookouts such as Gerrin Point lookout and the scenic Allen Strom Lookout.
Things to do
Admire the surreal landscape by setting up camp by the beach on Little Beach or Tallow Beach Campground, this also means you can gaze at stars while listening to the ocean waves which sounds pretty dreamy to us. There are also plenty of Aboriginal sites to explore and you can book a guided heritage tour to discover the culture up close.
Bouddi is also known for its unique animal and plant life so keep an eye out. Another highlight is the Maitland Bay Shipwreck Track, a 3.9km return bushwalk that will lead you to the remains of an old paddle steamer shipwreck. Its proximity to Sydney means that from certain vantage points, you can also see the city’s Northern Beaches.
How to get there
Bouddi National Park is located near Gosford on the New South Wales Central Coast. It’s a scenic 2-hour drive from Sydney but there are also public transport options available from Central to Gosford. There is a flat parking fee of $8 per vehicle.
Head here for more information.