Unofficial guide · verify with NSW National Parks

Tomaree National Park guideTomaree National ParkUnofficial operator’s manual

2 days (official example) or 3 days with a summit-only first day

Two-day: Tomaree Coastal Walk

Best for: Walkers with village logistics sorted — car shuffle or Route 130

Guide updated · verify NSW National Parks the morning you go

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Official 2-day split: Day 1 summit area to One Mile (~18 km, 7–8 hrs); Day 2 One Mile to Birubi (~9 km). Not a Sydney same-day 27 km.

Coastal heath on Tomaree Head with the summit cone and offshore islands beyond
Coastal heath, Tomaree HeadPhoto: Maurice van Creij · CC BY 3.0

Book beds or Samurai (official only) before you romanticise “camping on the beach.” Samurai is 4WD, no facilities, clothing-optional with strict zoning.

Fill a trip intention form. Offline maps. Emergency+.

Official 2-day example: Day 1 summit area to One Mile (~18 km, 7–8 hrs); Day 2 One Mile to Birubi (~9 km, or 7.5 km on the standalone Grade 3 page). Not a Sydney same-day 27 km. Not walked.

Track status, weather and closures change — verify on NSW National Parks before you leave, then use the timeline below as a planning skeleton only.

Timeline

  1. Day 1

    Tomaree Head to One Mile

    ~18 km, 7–8 hrs official. Optional sunrise summit + guns. Fingal lunch. Barry Park water. Optional Big Rocky at low tide. Overnight One Mile village or booked Samurai.

  2. Day 2

    One Mile to Birubi Point

    ~9 km, 3.5–4.5 hrs official. Slot Canyon lookout, Boat Harbour, Fishermans Bay, Iris Moore, finish at Birubi Point Aboriginal Place.

  3. Extract

    Bus, taxi or shuffled car

    Route 130 is the published public-transport spine [VERIFY times]. Do not assume a late Sunday service.

Packing

  • 2 L water
  • Blister kit
  • PLB (optional remote overnight)

Product searches: gear hub.

Parking & access tips

  • Leave a car at Birubi / Anna Bay if you start at Zenith.

Skip if short on time / energy

  • The whole 27 km as a day trip from Sydney

Extra tips

Extract and works

  • Car shuffle, taxi, or Route 130 [VERIFY times]. Do not assume a late Sunday bus from Birubi.
  • NPWS local alerts re-checked 12 Oct 2026 no longer list Kingsley Beach track works on the One Mile–Fishermans Bay stretch. Follow signs if contractors are still there.
  • Fingal spit is never the route to the island.

Related trail guides

  • Tomaree Coastal WalkOne of NSW’s connected coastal walks, publicly promoted from about 2023. Starts at Tomaree Head / Shoal Bay, finishes at Birubi Point Aboriginal Place, Anna Bay. Retraces ancient Worimi routes; sea-eagle totem waymarks. Official 2-day example: Day 1 summit area to One Mile (~18 km, 7–8 hrs); Day 2 One Mile to Birubi (~9 km, 3.5–4.5 hrs). Map segments: Summit–Fingal ~7 km; Fingal–One Mile ~11 km; One Mile–Birubi ~9 km. Separate official day-walk: Shoal Bay to Fingal Bay 5 km one-way, Grade 3, 1.5–2.5 hrs from Zenith (not the same figure as the ~7 km summit map segment).
  • Tomaree Head Summit walkShort, very steep formed walk from near Zenith Beach / Shoal Bay to lookouts about 161 m above the Port Stephens entrance. North platform: harbour and islands (Cabbage Tree, Boondelbah, Broughton — Gould’s petrel nesting reserves). South: Zenith, Wreck and Box beaches, Fingal Island and the lighthouse. Picnic table at the top. Optional Fort Tomaree guns on the way down.
  • Birubi Point to One Mile (Coastal Walk south)The southern Coastal Walk segment and the Birubi Point Aboriginal Place finish. Cultural artwork and audio on official materials. Patrolled Birubi beach in season. Slot Canyon lookout sits on this stretch.

Official links to verify

Stays & tours for this plan

Optional next steps once your timeline is set. Kit searches live on the gear hub. Park fees and official NPWS bookings are never affiliated.

Nearby stays

Nelson Bay (primary) · Shoal Bay · Anna Bay

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Guided tours

Optional Port Stephens boats, dunes and ranger walks — not a substitute for park alerts

A tour does not replace checking NSW National Parks alerts, rips, or Grade 5 stairs yourself.

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