I am always looking for short hike in campsites that I can recommend to other who want to start their Overnight hiking journey. This Campsite that is found on the Central Coast of NSW ticks all the boxes for a starter overnight hike with the family.
Firstly the hike (or walk) is only approximately 800metres along a wide track that just has a few small hills. It takes only about 10 to 15 minutes to walk down, making it easy for most people including small children.
Secondly there are gas Barbecues that you can use to cook on. They are undercover in the case of bad weather, and are handy if you don’t have cooking gear or don’t want to carry it down. When we were there on the Sunday though they were popular and always in use, so keep that in mind.
Thirdly there are two picnic tables, plus a lovely grass area overlooking the beach, so we didn’t feel the need to carry chairs and just brought down a picnic blanket to sit on or we found a cave that we could shelter in and enjoy the view.
Fourthly they have compost toilets handy. No need to worry about digging a hole or anything, and there was plenty of toilet paper available, although we did have some of our own handy just in case!
Lastly the campsite is small, there is only 6 camp spots.( and these spots are small as well) This does mean that it can be hard to get a spot (try looking at staying during the week or overnight on a Sunday) but it also means that it can feel like you have discovered a secluded space to yourself.
Overall I found this spot really beautiful and a great place to chill. Although the beach itself is not really safe for swimming, there was plenty of people surfing beyond the rocks and lots of place to paddle and explore the amazing rock formations at each end of the beach. The kids enjoyed building with all the drift wood that had come ashore, some really cool structures have been constructed!
What: Little Beach Campground.
Where: Bouddi National Park, Central Coast, NSW, Australia
How Much: $34.85 for two you must book online before camping.
Need to know: This is a National Park so normal rules apply – no dogs / no fires / leave no trace. there are bins so you don’t have to carry out rubbish, the site is close to civilisation so if you forget something or there is a problem then you aren’t too far away from help, I had Tesltra reception mostly every where on site, it can get busy esp on weekends not just with campers but with day visitors as well, the site recommends taking a trolley / wheel barrow to cart camping gear in ( I saw plenty of people do this as well as making multiple trips with their stuff) but if you are using this camp as a multi day hike intro / practise then just pack small into your pack and carry it in!
Im so glad we went to this campsite. It wasn’t hard at all and gave us another opportunity to fine tune our overnight hiking skills and test out some new equipment. Definitely check it out!
Do you have any other recommendations for very easy overnight hikes that beginners can try?
Safe Travels
Kerrie
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