Melaleuca campground

Limeburners Creek National Park

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Melaleuca campground is Limeburners Creek’s best-kept secret. It provides a peaceful sanctuary for walking, surfing, swimming, and relaxing coastal camping.

Accommodation Details
Number of campsites 50
Camping type Tent, Camper trailer site, Caravan site, Camping beside my vehicle
Facilities Carpark, toilets
What to bring Drinking water, cooking water, fuel stove
Entry fees

Park entry fees apply and can be purchased at the time of booking.
Group bookings Book up to 20 people or 5 sites online. For larger groups, make a group booking enquiry.
Please note
  • Check in after 2pm, check out before 10am.
  • There are no marked sites and sites are not powered
  • This is a remote campground, so please make sure you arrive well prepared.
  • Fires are only permitted in off-ground braziers. You can hire a brazier from the campground manager.
  • Noise restrictions apply at this campground after 10pm
  • There is no public use (for example, kayaking or swimming) of the waterway adjacent to Melaleuca campground. The waterway is privately owned and is not for the use of national park visitors.

Melaleuca campground is Limeburners Creek’s best-kept secret. Located alongside a privately owned waterway, this picturesque coastal campground is tucked away from the strong coastal winds and offers a place of peaceful solitude for those looking to get away from it all.

Once you’re there, you’ll have the place to yourself. Your only visitors might be a goanna or a dingo scavenging for food, so keep things well-secured.

Find a grassy campsite to pitch your tent or park your caravan looking out across the tranquil waters, with the lush rainforest behind you.

Unwind in the tranquillity of this peaceful setting or head off to explore the rare coastal rainforest on Big Hill Rainforest walking track. There’s also great surfing, swimming and snorkelling at the nearby beaches.

For directions, safety and practical information, see visitor info

Also see

  • Delicate campground, Goolawah Regional Park. Photo: John Spencer/DPIE

    Delicate campground

    Delicate campground, in Goolawah Regional Park near Crescent Head, offers beach camping and caravan camping and welcomes those camping with dogs. It’s the ideal Kempsey region camping spot.

  • A family camping on a grassy site by the beach on the NSW north coast at Point Plomer campground in Limeburners Creek National Park. Credit: John Spencer © DCCEEW

    Point Plomer campground

    Point Plomer campground is ideal for a family holiday, or a relaxing weekend getaway. Golden beaches, lush rainforest, world class surfing, swimming, and fishing await you.

  • A man cleaning his surfboard on the grass nearby by the outdoor dining area at Plomer Beach House, Limeburners Creek National Park. Photo: John Spencer/OEH

    Plomer Beach House

    Located just moments from the beach near swimming and fishing spots, Plomer Beach House is the perfect accommodation for family holidays or remote surf and beach getaways.

Map


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Current alerts in this area

There are no current alerts in this area.

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/melaleuca-campground/local-alerts

Bookings

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Park info

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Visitor info

All the practical information you need to know about Melaleuca campground.

Getting there and parking

Melaleuca campground is in the northern precinct of Limeburners Creek National Park. To get there:

  • Drive towards Crescent Head from Kempsey
  • As you enter Crescent Head village, turn right into Point Plomer Road, also known as Bakers Road.
  • Continue for approximately 14km to Big Hill
  • At the Big Hill entrance to the park, take the inland road for approximately 500m to the campground.

Road quality

Check the weather before you set out as the road to Melaleuca campground can become boggy when it rains.

  • Sealed roads

Vehicle access

  • 2WD vehicles

Weather restrictions

  • All weather

Parking

Parking is available on hard grassed areas at Melaleuca campground. Bus parking is available.

Best times to visit

There are lots of great things waiting for you in Limeburners Creek National Park. Here are some of the highlights.

Spring

Watch the heathland wildflowers burst with colour and enjoy long walks on the beach as you look out for whales in the distance.

Summer

Take the kids to Point Plomer for a family holiday by the beach, swimming by day and discovering the star-filled skies by night.

Winter

Take advantage of the better surf conditions in winter and a chance to spot whales on their migration north.

Facilities

  • Water is not available at this campground.
  • Firewood can be purchased from the campground manager
  • Rubbish bins are provided, but please try to take your rubbish with you.

Toilets

  • Non-flush toilets

Carpark

Step-free access

The campground is flat and step-free, but there are no pathways. You'll need to cross over flat grass to reach the facilities.

Maps and downloads

Safety messages

Beach safety

Beaches in this park are not patrolled and can have strong rip currents. These beach safety tips will help you and your family stay safe in the water.

Camping safety

Whether you're pitching your tent on the coast or up on the mountains, there are many things to consider when camping in NSW national parks. Find out how to stay safe when camping.

Fire safety

During periods of fire weather, the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service may declare a total fire ban for particular NSW fire areas, or statewide. Learn more about total fire bans and fire safety.

Fishing safety

Fishing from a boat, the beach, the rocks or by the river is a popular activity for many national park visitors. If you’re planning a day out fishing, check out these fishing and rock fishing safety tips.

Mobile safety

Dial Triple Zero (000) in an emergency. Download the Emergency Plus app before you visit, it helps emergency services locate you using your smartphone's GPS. Please note there is limited mobile phone reception in this park and you’ll need mobile reception to call Triple Zero (000).

Accessibility

Disability access level - medium

Melaleuca campground is flat and step-free, but there are no pathways. You'll need to cross over flat grass to reach the facilities.

There's an accessible non-flush toilet at this campground.

Prohibited

Noise restrictions apply at this campground

Gathering firewood

Generators

Generators are not permitted in this campground.

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

Melaleuca campground is in Limeburners Creek National Park. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:

    A place of historic heritage

    Coastal views from Point Plomer Headland, Limeburners Creek National Park. Photo: Barbara Webster

    Back in the early days of the Port Macquarie penal settlement, lime for building mortar was in great demand. They used to collect and burn enormous quantities of oyster shells from this area, giving the park its unusual name. Many of the landmarks in the park were named after some of the more colourful pioneers of the past. Barries Bay was originally a whaling station, named after the Barrie family who lived there for many years. Big Hill was named after Kevin Hill, reputedly a hermit who lived on the northwest side of the hill during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

    Strong Aboriginal cultural connections

    Plomer Beach, Limeburners Creek National Park. Photo: Michael van Ewijk

    The Dunghutti People from Kempsey and the Biripai people from Port Macquarie continue to have a strong connection with the area surrounding Limeburners Creek. Point Plomer and Big Hill in particular are Aboriginal sites of outstanding significance. Several sites and artefacts tracing Aboriginal settlement in this region back to at least 6,000 years have been found, including burial sites, shell middens, a quarry for stone tool production and axe grinding grooves in rock outcrops around Point Plomer.

    Wildlife and bird watching haven

    Bird, Limeburners Creek National Park. Photo: Barbara Webster

    Limeburners Creek National Park is a hot spot for animals. Spotted tail quoll, dingos, butterflies, micro bats, giant pythons and even brolgas make their home here. Birdwatchers will also be in heaven. You'll see rare pied oystercatchers and little terns along beaches, osprey and other large birds of prey circling above and migratory seabirds on their journey north. You might also see the rare ground parrot out in the grass and heathlands.

    • Big Hill Rainforest walking track Discover lush rainforest, rocky headlands, spectacular views and abundant wildlife along Big Hill Rainforest walking track.
    • Multi-day pack free hike on NSW Mid-North Coast Journey through untouched, coastal landscapes on this 3-day, pack-free walk with Positive Energy Adventures and Retreats. You’ll walk 34km across the beautiful Limeburner’s National Park and Goolawah National Park.

    Plants and animals protected in this park

    Animals

    • An eastern ground parrot bird's green and yellow colouring camouflages it amongst grassland. Photo: Lachlan Hall © Lachlan Hall

      Eastern ground parrot (Pezoporus wallicus wallicus)

      The eastern ground parrot is a beautiful, ground-dwelling native bird that lives in low heathland habitat along the NSW North and South coasts and escarpments. It’s listed as a vulnerable species in NSW.

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