If you want to clear your head and recharge your batteries, the town of Seal Rocks will do the trick. Entirely surrounded by the Myall Lakes National Park, Seal Rocks is only 275 kilometres from Sydney.
Start your trip by taking a hike up to the Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse, high above the coastline, with sweeping views north and south. The lighthouse was built in 1875, with materials delivered by boat.
While the original lighthouse keepers and their families were initially isolated, an access road from the highway eventually opened things up. It became a bustling fishing village until the area was declared a marine park, and has been a sleepy coastal town ever since.
But there’s still plenty to do: Swim or surf at the many beaches, kayak on the lakes, walk in the bush, take your four-wheel drive on the beach, or throw in a line.
Make sure you check out the town itself, even though it won’t take you all that long. The Seal Rocks Store is an icon, and owner Raymond has plenty of stories to tell. In the warmer months, you can grab a coffee and a toastie at Single Fin, a caravan café at the back of the store.
If you want to stay at the most spectacular place in town, you can’t go past the Lighthouse Cottages. Perched over Lighthouse Beach, the three cottages are incredibly cosy and give you the perfect vantage point to see dolphins swimming among the rocks, or to watch the annual whale migration up and down the coast.
