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Hungry Gate campground

Hat Head National Park

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Current alerts in this area

There are no current alerts in this area.

Upcoming management events

Upcoming management events
Date Event Title
1 June 2026 Other planned events Planned Aerial Spraying - Temporary Area Closures Details

Applies from Mon 1 Jun 2026, 9.00am to Fri 19 Jun 2026, 11.59pm. Last reviewed: Thu 14 May 2026, 8.46am

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NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will be controlling invasive bitou bush using aerial spraying in selected coastal areas of Crowdy Bay, Limeburners Creek, Goolawah, and Hat Head National Parks between 1 and 19 June 2026.

To ensure public safety, temporary closures will be in place on the day of spraying only in affected areas. These closures will include: 

Crowdy Bay National Park

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  • Dunbogan Beach (from the northern NP boundary to the Diamond Head 4WD access point)
  • Blackbutt, Cheese Tree, Geebung and Abbey Creek picnic areas
  • Mermaid Lookout, Diamond Head Loop and Forest walking tracks
  • Kylies Beach / Crowdy Beach (from south of Kylies Campground to Crowdy Gap)
  • Mermaid and Figtree beach access tracks (off Fig Tree Road)

Limeburners Creek National Park

  • Big Hill Walk Track and Big Hill Back Beach
  • Barries Bay Beach
  • Plomer Back Beach (southern end)
  • Short delays on Point Plomer Road from Big Hill to Point Plomer Campground
  • Plomer Road (south of Point Plomer Campground to The Broken Bit)
  • Queens Head Day Use Area
  • North Shore Beach

Goolawah National Park

  • Goolawah Beach (Crescent/Back Beach), including the 4WD beach access road to Racecourse Campground
  • Racecourse Headland car park

Hat Head National Park

  • Killick Beach (from Richardsons Crossing to Hungry Headland)
  • Killick Beach 4WD access road (from Hungry Road and Kemps Headland Road)
  • Kemps Headland to Connors Beach walking track
  • The Gap car park
  • Connors Hill Trail
  • Korogoro Circuit Walking Track
  • Smoky Beach (from Hat Head township to Smoky Cape Campground), including 4WD beach access
  • Smoky Beach 4WD access track

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Please note that closures will apply only while operations are underway in the area. NPWS staff will be onsite during closures, and affected areas will be reopened approximately one hour after treatment, once the spray has dried on vegetation.

For further information, please contact NPWS Hastings Macleay at npws.hastingsmacleay@environment.nsw.gov.a

Details

Nearby alerts

Applies from Thu 7 May 2026, 8.00am to Fri 29 May 2026, 6.00pm. Last reviewed: Wed 6 May 2026, 5.52pm

Closed areas: Partial park closure for weed management

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) will be controlling invasive environmental weeds using hand spraying in selected coastal dune areas of Limeburners Creek National Park between Thursday 7 May and Friday 29 May 2026.

Temporary closures will be in place on the day of spraying only in affected areas. These closures will include walking trail access to Barries Bay Beach north of Point Plomer.

The program is designed to reduce infestations of invasive weeds species such as bitou bush, lantana, senna and morning glory.

Please contact the Kempsey NPWS Office on (02) 6561 6700 for more information.

Affects 1 park and 1 location nearby. Show list

Applies from Mon 20 Apr 2026, 8.00am to Wed 20 May 2026, 11.17am. Last reviewed: Fri 8 May 2026, 8.58am

Closed areas: Smoky Cape Lighthouse closed for track upgrade

Some parts of Hat Head National Park are closed from Tuesday 21 April to Wednesday 20 May 2026 while the Smoky Cape Lighthouse walking track is being upgraded. The closed areas are:

  • Smoky Cape Lighthouse
  • Captain Cook lookout
  • Walking track to the Lighthouse from the carpark
  • Access to the Lighthouse will be temporarily closed during this maintenance period

Penalties apply for non-compliance. For more information, contact the NPWS Kempsey office on (02) 6561 6700.

Affects 1 park and 3 locations nearby. Show list

Applies from Tue 19 Mar 2024, 9.25pm. Last reviewed: Mon 13 Apr 2026, 9.20pm

Closed areas: Ngambaa Feral Predator Free Area - Closed Roads

Construction is complete on the Ngambaa Feral Predator-Free Area which has necessitated the closure of roads in the reserve for visitor safety.

 

Cedar Park picnic area will remain open and available for visitor access. 

 

The following roads are subject to permanent closure as part of the construction and operation of the feral predator free area: 

  • Wittigs Road
  • parts of Stockyard Creek Road
  • Seams Road
  • Jacks Road
  • Buds Crossing Road

 

Construction works were completed in August and the 23k of fencing is complete. 

 

Construction works have included:

  • clearing the fence corridor
  • building the fence
  • installing bridge and culvert crossings.

 

Closed areas: Closed for ground pest control operations

Pest animal control shooting operations will also occur in these areas

Shooting operations will occur on select nights throughout this period. The operations will run from sunset to sunrise in areas that are closed for public access.

 

Information regarding the project can be obtained via the following link: https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/topics/parks-reserves-and-protected-areas/park-management/return-of-threatened-and-declining-species/ngambaa-feral-predator-free-area

 

For further information please contact the NPWS Coffs Coast area office on 02 6652 0900

Affects 1 park nearby. Show list

Applies from Mon 1 Mar 2021, 11.38am to Fri 30 Oct 2026, 9.17am. Last reviewed: Thu 19 Mar 2026, 9.41am

Closed areas: Area permanently closed - Mermaid Pools

Access to Mermaid Pools is permanently closed including for swimming. Sudden large swells and tides create major waves that wash over the rocks and pools.

Do not access this area. The severe conditions at this site have caused a number of significant injuries and deaths in the past.

Mermaid Pools have never been a designated visitor site due to the extreme nature of the surf and tides at this location. There is no approved public access walking track to Mermaid Pools.

For further information call the NPWS Verges Creek area office on 02 6561 6700.

Affects 1 park and 1 location nearby. Show list

Local alerts

For the latest updates on fires, closures and other alerts in this area, see https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation/campgrounds/hungry-gate-campground/local-alerts

Park info

See more visitor info

Emergency services

For all NSW fires visit the Rural Fire Service

For the latest information on wildfires in your area please contact the NSW Rural Fire Service.

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