Saltwater picnic area
Saltwater National Park
Overview
Enjoy relaxed picnicking or barbecues at this well-equipped picnic area with ocean beaches and walking tracks nearby where you can swim, fish, surf, kayak or birdwatch.
- Type
- Picnic areas
- Where
- Saltwater National Park in North Coast
- Accessibility
- Easy
- What to
bring - Hat, sunscreen, drinking water
- Please note
You'll need to bring your own supply of drinking and cooking water.
Saltwater picnic area is a lovely, wide-open space that makes a perfect spot for a barbecue or picnic. Relax under the sheltered picnic table or spread out on the grass under the shady rainforest trees.
There are free gas barbecues to use while admiring the superb views of the rainforest. Be sure to pack the kids' bikes as they will no doubt enjoy cycling around this picturesque picnic spot.
You can swim, surf, sunbathe and fish at the adjacent Saltwater beach, Khappinghat Creek or the nearby Wallabi Beach. Take a walk along Five Islands walking track and remember to keep your eyes open for the intriguing local wildlife, including carpet pythons, monitor lizards and red-neck wallabies.
Saltwater Beach has been a popular recreation spot for more than a century and continues thousands of years of tradition as a seasonal campsite for Aboriginal people.
Map
Map legend
Local alerts
For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/picnic-areas/saltwater-picnic-area/local-alerts
General enquiries
- National Parks Contact Centre
- 7am to 7pm daily
- 1300 072 757 (13000 PARKS) for the cost of a local call within Australia excluding mobiles
- parks.info@environment.nsw.gov.au
Park info
- in Saltwater National Park in the North Coast region
Saltwater National Park is always open but may have to close at times due to fire danger.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about the Saltwater picnic area.
Getting there and parking
Saltwater picnic area is in Saltwater National Park. To get there:
- Take Old Bar Road from Taree/Pacific Highway
- Drive 10km east and turn right onto Saltwater Road
- Follow Saltwater Road past the village of Wallabi Point
- Saltwater picnic area is at the end of Saltwater Road
Road quality
- Sealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
There are several carparks near the picnic area.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Saltwater National Park. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Take walks around the headland and through to adjoining Khappinghat Nature Reserve.
Spring
Enjoy whale watching from the viewing platform at Saltwater Point from August through November.
Summer
Swim, surf and sunbathe on the beaches, canoe and kayak in the creek, or enjoy a picnic on the grass under the shady rainforest trees.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
17°C and 29°C
Highest recorded
45.2°C
Winter temperature
Average
8°C and 21°C
Lowest recorded
-5°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
March
Driest month
August
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
280.2mm
Facilities
Amenities
Toilets
There are accessible toilets near the lagoon boat ramp.
- Flush toilets
Picnic tables
There are accessible picnic tables with roofs set on concrete slabs at the picnic area. There are no pathways to the picnic tables; you'll need to cross over grass to reach them.
Boat ramp
Carpark
Showers
There are accessible outdoor showers at the picnic area.
Step-free access
The picnic area is mostly flat and there's step-free access, but no pathways. You'll need to cross over grass to reach the facilities.
Maps and downloads
Accessibility
Disability access level - easy
The picnic area is mostly flat and step-free, but there are no pathways. You'll need to cross over grass to reach the picnic area's facilities.
There are accessible toilets, picnic tables and an accessible outdoor shower.
Permitted
A current NSW recreational fishing licence is required when fishing in all waters.
Prohibited
Pets
Pets and domestic animals (other than certified assistance animals) are not permitted. Find out which regional parks allow dog walking and see the pets in parks policy for more information.
Smoking
NSW national parks are no smoking areas.
Learn more
Saltwater picnic area is in Saltwater National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Spiritually significant landscape
Saltwater Beach and its surrounds are a cultural landscape of great importance to the local Aboriginal Biripi tribe. There are several sites related to the Dreamtime within the park, and the area is declared an Aboriginal Place. Joint management with Aboriginal people and local residents, in association with Saltwater Tribal Council and NPWS, gives this park special local importance.
- Five Islands walking track This gorgeous coastal walking track follows a part of the Saltwater National Park coastline that is rich in Aboriginal history with great spots for swimming, fishing, surfing, and sailing, near Taree.
- Saltwater picnic area Enjoy relaxed picnicking or barbecues at this well-equipped picnic area with ocean beaches and walking tracks nearby where you can swim, fish, surf, kayak or birdwatch.
Striking plant life
Parts of the park are listed as endangered ecological communities and there are a number of rare and lovely plant species to be spotted here. Keep your eyes out on the walking tracks for magenta lilly pilly, a small tree with dark shiny leaves, magenta-coloured fruit and white-flowered wax plant. Pink-flowering pinnate boronia, and the golden flowers of the wallum banksia, among others, can all be seen in Saltwater National Park. The park also supports many marine-dependant species, such as the white-bellied sea eagle, as well as endangered or vulnerable species including the pied oystercatcher, little tern, the flesh-footed shearwater and osprey.
- Headland walking track This short walk around the headland takes you to a whale watching viewing platform, has Aboriginal history, is near Khappinghat Nature Reserve near Taree.
Surf's up
Saltwater Beach's headland is a highly popular surfing point break used for recreational surfing, as well as club and competition surf events. Take a stroll through a rainforest walking track, and be sure to do a spot of whale watching at Saltwater Point. The adjacent Saltwater Beach and Wallabi Beach are popular surfing and swimming areas.
- Khappinghat Creek At the flat water Khappinghat Creek, kayak or canoe through undeveloped wetlands, mangroves and rainforest. Swimming and fishing near Taree on the mid-north coast of NSW.
- Saltwater picnic area Enjoy relaxed picnicking or barbecues at this well-equipped picnic area with ocean beaches and walking tracks nearby where you can swim, fish, surf, kayak or birdwatch.
Unique geology and landscape
Saltwater headland, which separates Wallabi Beach and Saltwater Beach, is one of only three headlands between Wallis Lake and the Manning River. Khappinghat Creek, which borders the park, is the largest area of undeveloped wetlands and the only naturally opening and closing estuarine system on the mid-north coast of NSW.
- Five Islands walking track This gorgeous coastal walking track follows a part of the Saltwater National Park coastline that is rich in Aboriginal history with great spots for swimming, fishing, surfing, and sailing, near Taree.
- Headland walking track This short walk around the headland takes you to a whale watching viewing platform, has Aboriginal history, is near Khappinghat Nature Reserve near Taree.