Charles Hamey lookout
Kattang Nature Reserve
Overview
You’ll be amazed at the breathtaking coastal views from Charles Hamey lookout. Admire the colourful spring wildflowers and enjoy birdwatching and whale watching.
- Type
- Lookouts
- Where
- Kattang Nature Reserve in North Coast
- What to
bring - Hat, sunscreen, drinking water
- Please note
- Remember to take your binoculars if you want to bird watch or whale watch.
Just a short walk from the carpark, you’ll be amazed at the breathtaking coastal views from Charles Hamey lookout. Sit on the cliff tops and admire magnificent scenery overlooking Gogleys Lagoon, with North Brother Mountain in Dooragan National Park providing a dramatic backdrop.
Gaze across the golden sands of Dunbogan Beach as it sweeps around to Diamond Head in Crowdy Bay National Park. Look out for whales and dolphins in the glistening blue waters below. You’ll also see plenty of birdlife, and you may even be lucky enough to see a peregrine falcon flying high above.
Then shift your perspective and admire the delicate beauty of the wildflowers around you. In spring, the bush comes to life with bright wildflowers like boronia, flannel flower, everlasting daisy and wedding bush. Why not really immerse yourself in colour and continue walking around the 2km Flower Bowl circuit or try the nearby Perpendicular Point walking track.
Take a virtual tour of Charles Hamey lookout captured with Google Street View Trekker.
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/lookouts/charles-hamey-lookout/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 Kattang Nature Reserve in the North Coast region
Kattang Nature Reserve is always open but may have to close at times due to poor weather, fire danger, or pest management.
Visitor info
All the practical information you need to know about Charles Hamey lookout.
Getting there and parking
Charles Hamey lookout is in the southern precinct of Kattang Nature Reserve. To get there:
- Continue driving along Camden Head Road
- Turn right into Charles Hamey Lookout Road
- Follow until you see Hamey’s carpark, where the short walk to the lookout commences.
Road quality
- Unsealed roads
Vehicle access
- 2WD vehicles
Weather restrictions
- All weather
Parking
Parking is available at Charles Hamey lookout, including several designated disabled spots.
Best times to visit
There are lots of great things waiting for you in Kattang Nature Reserve. Here are some of the highlights.
Autumn
Try your luck beach fishing at Dunbogan Beach, or from the rock platforms.
Spring
Immerse yourself in colour and surround yourself with blossoming wildflowers.
Summer
Wander along the wide rock platform near Washhouse Beach and discover the plentiful marine life in the rockpools.
Winter
Head to Perpendicular Point or Charles Hamey lookout for spectacular views and a great vantage point for whale watching.
Weather, temperature and rainfall
Summer temperature
Average
15°C and 26°C
Highest recorded
25.8°C
Winter temperature
Average
5°C and 18°C
Lowest recorded
5.3°C
Rainfall
Wettest month
February
Driest month
September
The area’s highest recorded rainfall in one day
1,188mm
Facilities
Carpark
Maps and downloads
Permitted
Fishing
Fishing from a boat, the beach 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 safety tips.
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
Charles Hamey lookout is in Kattang Nature Reserve. Here are just some of the reasons why this park is special:
Fascinating plants, birds and animals
There are 154 types of animals recorded in this reserve: 8 amphibians; 6 reptiles; 17 mammals; and 123 birds. The cliff tops provide an excellent vantage point for whale watching and spotting dolphins. You might also see northern brown bandicoots, koalas and goannas on walking tracks. With 123 bird species spotted here, you'll see plenty of birdlife all year round. Osprey, white-breasted sea eagle and brahminy kites soar overhead. Spring wildflowers attract flocks of Lewin's honeyeater, white-cheeked honeyeater and yellow-faced honeyeater. You might also see migratory birds like the black-faced monarch, dollarbird and rainbow bee-eater in spring and summer. And, of course, if you're lucky, you might see the threatened wompoo fruit-dove or glossy black cockatoo.The black she-oaks here are an important food source for the glossy black cockatoo and the wildflowers on the heath attract feeding birds, insects and mammals with their sweet nectar.
- Charles Hamey lookout You’ll be amazed at the breathtaking coastal views from Charles Hamey lookout. Admire the colourful spring wildflowers and enjoy birdwatching and whale watching.
- Perpendicular Point walking track This easy walk rewards you with spectacular scenic coastal views to Port Macquarie and Diamond Head. The lookout is perfect for whale watching, birdwatching and photography.
Maritime past
Camden Head Pilot Station, right next to the reserve, is heritage listed as a relic of an era when ships wishing to enter the estuary had to wait, sometimes for days at a time, for the pilot to signal their safe passage. Today the Pilot Station's role is to contribute to community well being and enhance cultural and natural heritage. They also have holiday accommodation so check out their website and get involved.
Plants as a life source
Whether you're exploring the rock platforms or wandering across the cliff tops, you're sure to see lots of wildlife at Kattang. Washhouse Beach is one of the most diverse rock platforms in NSW, with some 128 species of organisms living there. This small nature reserve also supports a variety of habitats, including rugged and exposed headlands, patches of littoral rainforest, dry eucalypt forest and wet and dry heaths. Why not join the Friends of Kattang to get involved in protecting this precious bushland?
- Charles Hamey lookout You’ll be amazed at the breathtaking coastal views from Charles Hamey lookout. Admire the colourful spring wildflowers and enjoy birdwatching and whale watching.
- Perpendicular Point walking track This easy walk rewards you with spectacular scenic coastal views to Port Macquarie and Diamond Head. The lookout is perfect for whale watching, birdwatching and photography.
Thousands of years of Aboriginal culture
The name 'Kattang' comes from the local language of the Birpai Aboriginal people. Shell middens provide evidence of Aboriginal occupation for thousands of years. The landscape and wildlife of Kattang continue to be an important part of the identity, spirituality and cultural heritage of the Birpai People.