Hawks Nest & Jimmys Beach Travel Guide: Big Surf and Calm Water on the Myall Coast

Hawks Nest sits on the northern shore of Port Stephens Bay, across the Singing Bridge from its twin town of Tea Gardens and around 2 hours and 45 minutes north of Sydney. It’s really two beaches in one destination: Bennetts Beach, a huge stretch of open surf coastline, and Jimmys Beach, a sheltered, calm-water beach just a few minutes away on the bay side.

It’s a laid-back, low-key base rather than a resort town, with a golf course, a handful of good local eating options and easy access to Myall Lakes National Park. The accommodation is straightforward (we’ve included a few options below), from a quiet motel to two separate holiday parks, one on each beach.

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Yes. Hawks Nest and Jimmys Beach give you two very different beach experiences within a five-minute drive of each other, from the big open surf at Bennetts Beach, to the calm, sheltered water at Jimmys Beach. Add in the golf course, bushland walks, nearby Tea Gardens restaurants and easy access to Myall Lakes National Park, and it’s a great base for a low-key coastal break.

The town sits right across the Singing Bridge from twin town Tea Gardens, so a visit can easily combine the beaches and bushwalks in Hawks Nest with the river walk, river activities and waterfront restaurants in Tea Gardens.

Local history: Early sailors on the Myall River used a large hawk’s nest built in a tree as a landmark to navigate by. The name stuck and the town has been known as Hawks Nest ever since.

• Bennetts Beach, 14 km of open surf coastline, and Jimmys Beach, calm and sheltered, just minutes apart.
• Easy access to Dark Point Aboriginal Place and Myall Lakes National Park.
• The Yacaaba Headland walking track and the shorter, flatter Hawks Nest Habitat Walk.
• A championship-rated 18-hole golf course right in town.
• Across the Singing Bridge from Tea Gardens, with waterfront restaurants and the Nelson Bay ferry.

Distance from Sydney	Around 2 hours 45 minutes, 219 km
Best for	Families, surfers, anyone after a quiet beach base
Known for	Bennetts Beach surf, calm Jimmys Beach, 4WD beach access
Ideal stay	2-3 nights
Accommodation	Hotels & motels: Hawks Nest, or nearby Tea Gardens Holiday homes across Hawks Nest, Jimmys Beach and Tea Gardens: Stayz

• Ideal stay: 2-3 nights. Enough time for both beaches, a walk and a round of golf or a Dark Point visit, plus a trip across the bridge to Tea Gardens.
• 3+ nights: Good if you want to add Myall Lakes National Park in full, the ferry to Nelson Bay, or take the Yacaaba Headland walk at a relaxed pace.

Bennetts Beach

Bennetts Beach (also known as Hawks Nest Beach) is a huge stretch of white sand, over 14 km long. The beach is popular with surfers and swimmers, and there are often dolphins spotted at the southern end, nicknamed the “dolphin’s playground” by locals. The easiest access point is the Tea Gardens Hawks Nest Surf Club, which has parking, picnic tables and facilities right on the beach.

The beach is patrolled during summer, so check the beachsafe website for current patrol times. The northern end of the beach is also used for 4WDing, with vehicle access onto the sand along Mungo Brush Rd. You’ll need a permit, available from the MidCoast Council office in Tea Gardens or a local newsagency, before driving on the sand.

Yacaaba Headland Walking Track

This 7 km return walk, taking around 2.5 to 3.5 hours, runs along Bennetts Beach before climbing steeply up into the Yacaaba Headland. Even if you don’t do the full walk, it’s worth strolling from Bennetts Beach down to the Beach Rd car park at the start of the track just to take in the scale of the beach and headland.

Important note: Check the National Parks website before heading out, as sections of this track can close from time to time.

Hawks Nest Habitat Walk

If you are looking for a shorter, flatter walk rather than hiking up the headland, the Hawks Nest Habitat Walk takes you from the Bennetts Beach side of Hawks Nest to the Myall River. The walk is 1.5 km one-way, although you can add on to explore Bennetts Beach or Jimmys Beach. There’s signage along the way to explain the plants and habitats.

Personal note: There’s some information about this walk, and the Hawks Nest Nature Walk, on the Myall Koala Environment Group site. We’ve included a photo of the route below (click to enlarge), although even if you don’t follow it exactly it’s a nice walk through the suburbs and bushland of Hawks Nest.

Dark Point Aboriginal Place

Around 15 minutes’ drive from Hawks Nest along Mungo Brush Road, Dark Point is a culturally significant site for the Worimi people, with a history stretching back at least 4,000 years. The Dark Point Walking Track crosses substantial sand dunes before dropping down to the beach at Little Gibber Headland, with views across to Broughton Island.

The beach is good for swimming, although it isn’t patrolled, and you’ll see 4WDs driving along the sand. Even if you’re not planning to swim, the walk is a highlight on its own for the scale of the dunes. It feels like you’ve landed in the middle of the desert, or on the moon, especially when there’s no one else around.

Because the area is culturally significant, you’ll find sections of the dunes fenced off to protect exposed Aboriginal artefacts. Check the National Parks website for any local alerts before visiting.

Personal note: There are dingoes in the area and you’ll see their tracks across the sand, including in the car park. We kept an eye out on our last visit but didn’t spot any out and about.

Hawks Nest Golf Club

Hawks Nest has a championship-rated 18-hole course right in town with a full bar and bistro. It’s an easy walk from most of the accommodation in Hawks Nest and is worth a game, or even just a beer in the clubhouse if you are not a golfer.

Jean Shaw Koala Reserve

This is a small reserve on Kingfisher Avenue, just behind the Singing Bridge, protecting important koala habitat and food trees for the local endangered koala population. Koalas are best spotted from the road verges outside the reserve rather than inside it and there are no paths through the reserve itself. To make this a particularly quirky experience, locals have attached stuffed koalas to many of the roadside trees so, even if you don’t spot any actual koalas, it still makes for an interesting walk.

Personal note: On our last visit we walked all around the habitat and didn’t spot any actual koalas (only stuffed ones!). While koalas have historically been seen throughout the leafy streets of Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens, there’s no guarantee you will spot one on your walk.

Jimmys Beach

Jimmys Beach stretches around 5 km in an arc from the mouth of the Myall River to the base of Yacaaba Headland, on the calm, sheltered side of the peninsula facing Port Stephens Bay. It’s quiet, calm and ideal for kids and is also perfect for paddleboarding. Unlike Bennetts Beach, Jimmys Beach isn’t patrolled, so keep an eye on younger swimmers even though conditions are usually gentle.

Access is easiest at the park and picnic area next to the Jimmys Beach caravan park, or via Winda Woppa Road, where there’s a car park right on the beach.

At the end of the beach, the Winda Woppa Reserve has a playground and picnic area, with a large grassed riverside spot, picnic tables and a few walking trails linking Jimmys Beach to the Myall River side.

Jimmys Beach also has its own 4WD access, separate from the Bennetts Beach permit. A Restricted Access permit is available from the MidCoast Council office in Tea Gardens (around $60 for 30 days at time of writing, so check current pricing before you go). Dogs can be walked on leads at set times at the Yacaaba end of the beach.

Staying at Jimmys Beach itself

Accommodation right at Jimmys Beach is limited to holiday houses and the Reflections Jimmys Beach Holiday Park. The holiday park sits in a quiet spot right next to the beach and only a short walk (or a few minutes’ drive) from Bennetts Beach. There’s little in the way of restaurants or cafes at Jimmys Beach itself; for that, you’ll want to head into nearby Hawks Nest or across the bridge to Tea Gardens.

Hawks Nest has a small dining scene with just a few local options. For a change of scenery, there are excellent waterfront restaurants (such as Mumm’s on the Myall, Tillermans and the Boatshed) in Tea Gardens, just a five-minute drive across the Singing Bridge.

• Pub-style food, large and airy: Benchmark on Booner
• Chinese, dine-in or takeaway: Moongarden Restaurant
• Takeaway burgers and fish and chips: Jimmy’s Hawks Nest

Benchmark on Booner

A family-friendly bar and grill on Booner Street, with tapas and bar snacks through to fresh seafood, steaks and pizza. There’s a beer garden, live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and a pool table. Breakfast runs 8am to 11am, lunch from midday, and pizzas are available all day from 11am.

Moongarden Restaurant

Hawks Nest’s Chinese restaurant, a family-run spot with an extensive menu and a reputation for its special fried rice. It’s a small venue, so dine-in bookings are worth making ahead, especially on weekends.

Jimmy’s Hawks Nest

A straightforward takeaway spot on Booner Street for burgers and fish and chips, good for a quick meal after a day at the beach.

Accommodation across Hawks Nest and Jimmys Beach is limited to a motel, two holiday parks (one on each beach) and a good range of holiday houses. Check Stayz for holiday houses across both towns. Booking.com also has different options so it’s worth checking both.

Hawks Nest Motel

Hawks Nest Motel is a quiet motel just off the main road, close to the river and around 200 metres from shops and cafes. Rooms range from motel-style studios to family units and spa suites, with an outdoor pool and a covered BBQ area for guests.

Reflections Hawks Nest Holiday Park

Reflections Hawks Nest is between Bennetts Beach and the Hawks Nest village, with a heated pool, camp kitchen and a mix of powered sites and cabins. Good for caravans and camping, and the location can’t be beaten if the beach is the main drawcard.

Reflections Jimmys Beach Holiday Park

For accommodation right on Jimmys Beach itself, Reflections Jimmys Beach sits in a quiet spot next to the calm water, less than 20 minutes’ walk (or a few minutes’ drive) from Bennetts Beach. Good for families wanting the calmer beach right on the doorstep.

More accommodation options

For more options, check accommodation across both Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens rather than limiting the search to one side of the bridge.

• Summer: Peak season for both beaches, book accommodation and restaurants ahead.
• Autumn: Quieter, mild weather, still comfortable for the Yacaaba Headland walk and golf.
• Winter: Quiet and cool, a good time for the golf course without the crowds.
• Spring: Warming up again, a good time for walks and beach days before the summer rush.

2-night itinerary

Day 1: Arrive and check in → Swim or surf at Bennetts Beach → Walk from Bennetts Beach to the Yacaaba Headland car park to take in the view → Dinner at Benchmark on Booner

Day 2: Morning paddle or paddleboard at Jimmys Beach → Drive to Dark Point for the walking track → Round of golf or a walk over the Singing Bridge into Tea Gardens → Dinner at Tillermans or Mumm’s on the Myall

Day 3: Hawks Nest Habitat Walk, or a relaxed morning at Winda Woppa Reserve → Head home, or continue on to Myall Lakes National Park

Hawks Nest isn’t a big dining or nightlife destination. There are a handful of solid local options, but if you want a wider choice of restaurants, you’ll want to cross the bridge to Tea Gardens or drive further to Nelson Bay. It’s also not the town for a large resort stay: accommodation is motels, holiday parks and holiday houses rather than hotels or resorts. If a full range of restaurants, tours and nightlife matters more than quiet beaches, you may prefer basing yourself in Nelson Bay and treating Hawks Nest as a day trip instead.

Hawks Nest is around 219 km north of Sydney by road, with a typical drive of about 2 hours 45 minutes via the M1.

Hawks Nest is connected to Tea Gardens by the Singing Bridge, a short walk or drive. There’s no direct road link across the bay to Nelson Bay: it’s around an hour’s drive around via the Pacific Highway, or you can take the ferry from Tea Gardens, which takes around an hour each way.

Tea Gardens

Hawks Nest’s twin town, directly across the Singing Bridge, with a relaxed riverside strip of restaurants, a scenic river walk and the ferry to Nelson Bay. See our Tea Gardens travel guide for the full write-up.

Myall Lakes National Park

One of NSW’s largest coastal lake systems, with kayaking, canoeing, fishing and walking on the doorstep, including the Yacaaba Headland and Dark Point areas covered above. Worth a full extra day if you have the time. Check the National Parks website for any alerts or closures before you head out.

Nelson Bay and Port Stephens

Around an hour by car (or via the Tea Gardens ferry), Nelson Bay is the main base for the wider Port Stephens region, with dolphin and whale watching cruises, more dining and accommodation options, and the Stockton Sand Dunes.

• If you’re self-catering, the main supermarket for the area is the Coles in Tea Gardens; there’s also a smaller IGA in Hawks Nest.
• Book ahead for Moongarden Restaurant on weekends as it’s a small venue and popular with locals.
• A 4WD beach permit is required for Bennetts Beach and Jimmys Beach, sold separately. Check current pricing and buy from the MidCoast Council office in Tea Gardens or a local newsagency before you drive on the sand.
• Take care driving near the Singing Bridge as it’s adjacent to the Jean Shaw Koala Reserve.

What’s the difference between Bennetts Beach and Jimmys Beach?

Bennetts Beach is the ocean-facing surf beach, over 14 km long and patrolled in summer, popular with surfers and confident swimmers. Jimmys Beach, on the sheltered bay side, is calm, shallow and ideal for young kids to paddle, but it isn’t patrolled.

Is Hawks Nest good for families?

Yes. Jimmys Beach’s calm, shallow water suits younger kids well, and the Winda Woppa Reserve playground at the end of the beach gives families somewhere to base themselves for the day. Bennetts Beach suits older kids and confident swimmers.

Can you visit Hawks Nest without a car?

It’s possible for a relaxed stay based around the village itself, with the beaches, golf course, local restaurants and IGA all walkable from most accommodation. For Dark Point, Myall Lakes National Park or the Yacaaba Headland walk, you’ll want your own transport.

How far is Hawks Nest from Nelson Bay?

Around an hour’s drive via the Pacific Highway, since there’s no direct road link across the bay. The scenic alternative is the ferry from Tea Gardens, which takes around an hour each way.