Bouddi Coastal Walk
Bouddi Coastal Walk
Beaches tucked into little coves, headlands with endless ocean views, boardwalks winding through coastal heath, and enough excuses to stop every few hundred metres that you'll quickly give up pretending you're making good time. This is the Bouddi Coastal Walk.
Quick Details
Total Length: 8.5km (one way)
Elevation: 320m (total across the full trail)
Grade: Moderate
Best season: Year round, but we'd avoid it on really hot days
Suitable for kids: Yes if they’re ok with the distance
Starting the Trail
It’s the middle of Summer. I’ve been travelling down the East Coast for the last two days, on my way home from my Queensland hiking trip. It’s not often that we get the chance to hike a coastal trail, so being on holiday is the perfect opportunity to hike one of New South Wales' best.
I met up with our friends, Rob and Despina, and started at the Putty Beach trail head. As this track is one way, doing a car shuffle means not having to walk back to the car — hike smarter, not harder. We set out across the beach, walking over the loose sand towards the sandstone rocks at the water’s edge. There’s a staircase that leads up to the headland, but instead we chose to walk around and climb up the rocks to get back to the track.
It was still early, and the day was already hot. The sky above was deep blue, but on the horizon sat storm clouds, threatening to ruin the day. Waves crashed against the rocks like they were warming up for the storm to come. But it was still early, and there was a long way to go. So, we turned our backs to the clouds and continued along the trail.
The timber boardwalk hugs the edge of the headland, weaving in and out with the coastline as it disappeared into the distance. It's one of the things we really like about this trail. Rather than cutting straight through the landscape, it simply follows wherever the headland wants to take it. Every bend reveals another stretch of coastline more incredible than the last.
Bullimah Beach
We take a side track down to Bullimah beach. It’s only small, but has that great secluded feel to it, even though it’s so close to the trail. One of the reasons I love hiking with Rob and Despina is that they’ll take every side track and stop at every lookout. A hike with them usually takes twice as long as you think it will on paper, but you’ll see and experience everything that a trail has to offer along the way.
Back to the Trail
We walk back up to the boardwalk, and here the trail turns inland. Stairs take us up. Stairs take us down. Nothing is particularly steep, but after a while those little climbs begin to add up. Just enough to make you feel like you've earned the next lookout. Or maybe that’s just the heat of the day that feels like it’s getting hotter by the minute.
The ocean views mostly disappear as we find ourselves passing through trees — one minute thick and shady, the next sparse and open. This is one of those trails that never really settles into one rhythm. It's constantly changing with every hill and every bend.
The trail continues to wind through the trees, occasionally curving back to look out over the ocean. The storm clouds are still clinging to the sky behind us, and the humidity hangs heavy in the air. I’m starting to think a little rainstorm wouldn’t be the worst thing to happen if it meant cooling off a bit.
We turn downhill as the trail brings us to Maitland Bay where we walk along the sand next to the water. Someone had been busy on the shore stacking driftwood to build a sort of hut. A few dozen sticks balanced and lashed together with dry grass. It actually did a decent job at providing shade when you sat inside — although you couldn’t fit more than one person in there.
This is Where We Got into Trouble
The day was now incredibly hot. The sun beat down like it had a personal vendetta against the sand — even through our boots, we could feel the heat rising from it. We made it to the end of the beach and sat in the shade. Rob in particular wasn’t doing so well and lay down to take a nap — ten minutes turned to twenty, and then thirty, and then forty…
I wandered over to the rock pools by the cliffs. Crabs scuttled sideways over the sandstone and through the water with enviable precision and speed. The colours, shapes, and textures of the rock were incredible. I turned around to find Despina up to her waist in the water trying to cool off. Rob was still struggling to sit upright back on the sand.
The longer we sat there the worse Rob looked. I offered to end the hike here and head back to Putty Beach, but he insisted that he wanted to keep going — we weren’t even half way yet. After another short nap, and another swim, we made our way up the stairs, hopeful of finding some shade, and maybe a cool breeze.
There was no shade, and there was no breeze. Rob was struggling to make it up the hills and needed to stop and rest every few minutes. At this rate it would be dark before we made it to the end — so we needed to change tactics. I checked the map for the nearest exit — there was a turn-off only a kilometre away, and then another kilometre to a car park.
I showed Despina the map, and exactly where she’d need to make the turns. I was going to go ahead and walk back to my car at the end of the trail and then meet them at the car park. I had to walk almost 4km in the time it would take them to walk just 2km. I took off up the hill, leaving my friends behind. They had plenty of water, and a PLB — even still I was keeping a close eye on my phone for any distress calls.
Heat radiated off the pale rocky fire trail and more than once I caught glimpses of a mirage in the distance. I passed by side trails that led out to the cliff edge — leading to nothing but blue sky from where I was. Curiosity begged to know what was over those hills — concern for my friends kept me on the main path. There would be other days for those side trails.
I took the most direct tracks that I could to get back to the car at MacMasters beach. There was no time to stop, not yet. I threw my pack in the backseat, and took off to find the car park I’d sent Rob and Despina to — pulling in just as they were coming down the hill to meet me. Everyone was safe, and after an ice-cold drink and a few days recovery, everyone was well and talking about when we could do the Bouddi Coastal walk again — only maybe next time, not in the middle of Summer.
Getting There
The Bouddi Coastal Walk runs between Putty Beach and MacMasters Beach in Bouddi National Park on the Central Coast of New South Wales.
If you're walking one way, you'll either need two cars or arrange transport back to your starting point. The trail can also be completed as an out-and-back if you'd rather tackle only part of it.
Tips and Tricks
Allow plenty of extra time. Even if you normally walk quickly, the number of lookouts and beaches has a habit of slowing everyone down.
Take your swimmers in summer. There are several beaches where it's hard to resist a swim.
Carry more water than you think you'll need. Much of the walk is exposed to the sun.
If you'd like to see more photos from our hike you can check out Rob and Despina on Instagram.
