After a trip to the Laurieton markets one Sunday morning we went to visit Diamond Head in popular Crowdy Bay National Park. The trip was 30 minutes from Booyong and perfect for a lovely fresh morning beach swim. We wanted to check out Brett’s new Wrangler car awning on the beach and it was great. There is 4WD access to the beach from Diamond Head but you will need to organise a permit from Port Macquarie-Hastings Council if you choose to drive onto the beach. It was so convenient to have access to the boot of the car and the shade was appreciated on a hot summer’s day!

Apparently Diamond Head is named after the quartz crystals in the cliffs that sparkle in the sun. There is a fantastic beach side campground with excellent facilities including gas bbq’s, picnic shelters and outdoor showers. Drinking water isn’t available at the beach so be sure to drop into the shops at Laurieton (10km’s away) and bring a hat and sunscreen on hot days.

There are a variety of hiking tracks in the park including the Diamond Head Loop walk (4.8km) with stunning views of the beach and coast, forests, and mountains and a shorter lookout call Mermaid track. In Spring there are stunning wildflowers that migrate to the lagoons, Summer the beach is great for swimming and fishing, and in Winter you can often see whales migrating. We’ll definitely plan a visit in Autumn when the weather cools down for a coastal walk and hope to see some native wildlife.

Fires are permitted in off ground braziers which you can hire at the office, you can also buy firewood and ice from them too.

Park fees are $8.00 per vehicle each day and you can collect an identification brochure from the Parks office, which will provide flora and fauna lists and assist with wildflower identification.