Tomaree Coastal Walk

How to get there

1. Same Zenith / Shoal Bay parking problem as the summit — arrive early. Intermediate joins: Fingal, One Mile, Boat Harbour, Fishermans Bay, Birubi, Anna Bay.
2. Recommend a trip intention form and the NSW Parks app (offline maps) before you leave home Wi-Fi.
3. Cafés and seasonal facilities in villages; no facilities in some remote mid-sections. Water refill at listed official spots — do not assume taps in the heath.

How to do it (step by step)

1. Official 2-day: Day 1 Tomaree Head Summit area to One Mile (~18 km, 7–8 hrs) with optional sunrise summit, guns, Zenith, Quarry Hill, Fingal lunch/swim if flagged, Barry Park (lookout, toilets, water), remote forest/heath, optional Big Rocky side trip, Samurai, overnight One Mile.
2. Day 2 One Mile to Birubi (~9 km, 3.5–4.5 hrs): optional koala / swim, dunes/sandstone, Slot Canyon lookout, Boat Harbour, Kingsley / Little Kingsley, Fishermans Bay, Iris Moore, finish Birubi Point.
3. 3-day option (official): summit and back on day 1, then start from Shoal Bay.
4. Walking village to village is what most people should actually do — use the road exits.

What to expect

Official: 27 km one-way, Grade 4, 2–3 days, clearly signposted, some bushwalking experience recommended. Most of the terrain is described as relatively gentle with short steep hills; you will still walk sand, rock platforms and many steps. The grade is largely about length.

This is not a remote wilderness traverse. That is the safety feature: you can exit to a road. It is also why treating it as a “quick coastal stroll” fails — 18 km on Day 1 is still 7–8 hours on official timing.

Day shape (official 2-day example)

Day 1 (Summit to One Mile, ~18 km): optional sunrise on Tomaree Head, Fort Tomaree, then south via Zenith toward Fingal. Official map ~7 km summit–Fingal; standalone Shoal Bay to Fingal Bay page is 5 km one-way Grade 3 from Zenith (1.5–2.5 hrs). Then Fingal–One Mile (~11 km) through quieter forest/heath. Toilets listed at Shoal Bay, Fingal Bay, Barry Park, One Mile Beach.

Day 2 (One Mile to Birubi, ~9 km): Slot Canyon lookout, Boat Harbour, Fishermans Bay, Iris Moore, finish at Birubi Point Aboriginal Place. Cultural artwork and audio belong here — listen; do not add stories that are not on the official interpretation.

Start/finish logistics

Car shuffle is the usual plan for a true one-way. Route 130 is the public-transport story if it is running to your timetable — confirm current Port Stephens Coaches times. Fill a trip intention form. Download offline maps. Do not rely on live coverage for 000; Emergency+ needs a signal to place the call.

A satellite messenger or PLB is an optional planning note for remote mid-sections or a Samurai overnight — not a requirement we invent, and not a Starlink mandate.

Not walked — verify with NPWS

Not walked by site authors — verify with NPWS; conditions change. Track works, beach-vehicle closures and swimming safety alerts are live problems, not this page.

Map (orientation)

Pin may be approximate. Confirm trailheads, parking and track status on NSW National Parks before you drive.