Smoky Cape Hiking Tour
Fully Guided 5 Day Hiking Tour
This exciting 5 day / 4 night trip includes accommodation at the beautifully renovated Lighthouse Keepers cottages at Smoky Cape Lighthouse. We book out both cottages for our groups. The rooms are generous in size with luxurious King beds for couples, and the views are out of this world! There are also up to four single beds available on each trip.
Each day we’ll do a hike in the beautiful National Parks in the area, including Hat Head National Park, Arakoon National Park and Dorrigo National Park. There are also visits to Trial Bay Gaol and Dorrigo Rainforest Centre.
See our Frequently Asked Questions below for more information, and check out some of the photos from previous trips!
National Parks NSW Accredited
Trip dates
| Departure Date | Tour | Duration | Price | Spots remaining | Private groups only - you pick the dates | Smoky Cape Hiking Tour | 5 days, 4 nights | quote | Minimum 6 people, Maximum 11 people |
|---|
Photo gallery
Frequently asked questions
The cost per person will depend on the size of the group and the level of accommodation required. (Single or twin share or a mix)
As a guide, 10 people in twin share accommodation would be $1,350 per person.
Minimum: 6 people
Maximum: 11 people
Inclusions
- Accommodation in the Smoky Cape Lighthouse Cottages.
- Transport in our commuter bus
- 4 breakfasts, 1 lunch and 2 dinners and pre dinner snacks and drinks
- Hiking guide
- Local tour at Dorrigo
- Visit to Trial Bay Gaol
DAY 1 Monday
- Meet at Sancrox at 1.30pm (if you would like a lift in our Commuter Bus) or at the Smokey Cape Lighthouse Cottages at 3.00pm.
- Settle into accommodations, explore around the lighthouse
- Pre-dinner drinks and snacks
- Dinner included on first night
DAY 2 Tuesday
- Breakfast at the cottages, included.
- Commuter bus to Dorrigo, morning tea at Bellingen
- Visit Dangar Falls, Dorrigo
- Visit Dorrigo Rainforest Centre and skywalk. Cafe available for lunch
- Hike to Chrystal Waterfall in Dorrigo National Park, with local guide
- Drive back to Smoky Cape
- Dinner at South West Rocks Pub or similar
DAY 3 Wednesday
- Breakfast at the cottages, included.
- Hike from the Lighthouse to Trial Bay Gaol
- Lunch at Trial Bay Kiosk
- Tour of Trial Bay Gaol
- Return to Smoky Cape by commuter bus
- Dinner at South West Rocks Pub or similar
DAY 4 Thursday
- Breakfast at the cottages, included.
- Commuter Bus to Hat Head
- Morning tea at Gladstone
- Hikes in Hat Head National Park
- Lunch at Hat Head (included)
- Optional afternoon hike at South West Rocks
- Return to Smokey Cape by commuter bus
- Dinner at Cottages (included)
DAY 5 Friday
- Breakfast at the cottages, included.
- Check out of accommodations by 10.00am
- Optional visit to Crescent Head on the way home
Accommodations are managed by National Parks NSW. Bookings can only be made 11 months in advance or less. Trip dates will be confirmed once accommodation bookings are confirmed. We will take expressions of interest for trip dates more than 12 months out, but will not send an invoice, or require payment of deposits until the accommodations are confirmed.
Bookings can be made online or by email.
Click the ‘Book online’ button for online bookings. A deposit of $300 per person will secure your booking.
For email bookings, please use the “contact us” page to book your spots or make enquiries.
In both cases, the bank details for the deposit are:
Home Comforts Hiking
BSB 932000
Account 500196069
Irrespective of the booking method, a tax invoice will be provided for each booking.
Bookings can be made online or by email. Click the ‘Book online’ button for online bookings. A deposit of $AU300 will secure your booking. If less than one month before the start date of the trip, then payment in full will be required.
For email bookings, please use the “contact us” page to book or make an enquiry.
In both cases we will send you an invoice. Payment can be made via PayPal, Wise or OFX, or by bank transfer to:
Home Comforts Hiking
BSB 932000
Account 500196069
Please see our full cancellation and refunds policy on the “Bookings” Page
The balance is due one month prior to the trip start date.
There are no refunds, due to cancellation by you, unless you (the person cancelling) introduce a replacement hiker to replace you. If a replacement can be found by you, we will refund 75% of the total paid by you.
Book your flights (if applicable) once you have paid for the trip in full, or make sure the trip is confirmed before booking your flights.
All hikes on this trip are optional. For experienced hikers the hikes are rated easy to moderate. For less experienced hikers some of the hiking is hard. Some of the hikes that may be included are:
- Smokey cape Lighthouse to Trial Bay Gaol. Some steep sections and unmarked trails. 9.2km, 400m ascent. Moderate to Hard.
- SWR Back Beach, 6.4km, 35m ascent, Easy
- Korogoro Walking Track and O’Connors Beach, Some steep sections and unmarked trails. 5.5km, 150m ascent. Moderate to Hard.
- Korogoro Creek and Hat Head Beach, 5.0km, 20m ascent, easy
- Wonga Walk, Dorrigo. 6.0km, 220m ascent, good track, rated moderate
- Dangar Falls, Dorrigo, 2.0km easy
Four nights accommodation at Smokey Cape Lighthouse Cottages. There are 2 cottages, and we book both cottages. Each cottage has two rooms with a King Bed, suitable for couples, and one twin share room with 2 single beds.
The single supplement price is $400
Breakfasts – all breakfasts are at the cottages, and are included in the cost of your trip.
Lunch – One lunch is included in the trip. Other lunches will be at your own cost. You can take a packed lunch or buy lunch from venues near our hiking locations
Dinner – Two dinners are included in the trip. On other days we will visit local restaurants, pubs or clubs, or you can choose to dine on your own, or at the cottages. There are fully equipped kitchens at the cottages.
Our support vehicle is a 12 seater Toyota Commuter Bus. If you prefer to use your own vehicle, that’s fine.
- Small backpack with waterproof cover for hiking
- Shirts, pants, shorts, underwear, socks
- Hiking shoes and comfy shoes/thongs/sandals for at the accommodation
- Hiking Pole(s)
- Hat
- Water bottles / bladder
- Rainproof jacket
- Swimsuit and micro towel
- Money and/or Debit/Credit Card
- Passport (if applicable), Visa (if applicable), Travel Insurance docs
- Phone and/or tablet, camera and chargers
- Toiletries and medication
- Food/snacks can be purchased each day
At Sancrox at 1.30pm, or at Smokey Cape Lighthouse Cottages at 3.00pm
At Smokey Cape Lighthouse Cottages at 10.00am on Day 5, or on arrival at Sancrox if you are on the bus. Arrival time at Sancrox will be between 11am and 1 pm.
There is an optional visit to Crescent Head on the morning of the last day.
Our accommodation was on the second floor and our room had a huge sliding window that opened at waist height with a drop to the cement many metres below. An OH&S disaster waiting to happen! The place was thumping, literally, as it was Saturday night with a band and lots of backpackers and locals enjoying the entertainment.
Pam and I searched out some food in town for the next day, and later, wished that we had bought/brought more. Even at 5.00 pm, there was not much open.
The bus trip and dinner provided an opportunity to glean some first impressions of our walking companions and they were all positive: a very nice bunch. As well as Pam Dawes from Manly, there was Sarah, Steve and Claudia from Port Macquarie, Tony from Byron Bay, Derek from Mosman, plus Marcus and his wife Marika, their daughter Monica with husband Dave and daughter little, 12 months old, Ashlin. Steve had camping gear and used it for some of the nights.
Home Comforts Hiking proved to be a well-organised and friendly crew.
Mara Creek Campsite is the starting point for the Yuraygir Coastal Walk and this site is historically-significance as it was a source of fresh water and fish for the local Goorie (Aboriginal) people. A natural fish trap on the rock platform below the Shelley Beach path is clearly visible.
So it is with an appreciation of the timelessness of this stunningly beautiful area that we set off, a family of sorts. A group photo is taken. Little Ashlin is strapped into her carrier and Monica steps out strongly with tales of her walk along the Pacific Crest Trail (4,270 km) that makes our 65 km effort over 4 days seem insignificant. But it is good to chat about ultra trail events and great walks and to hear Monica describe her new interest: trail running, her long legs perfectly built for that.
The walk to Lake Arragan via Shelley Headland is varied, with the beach and sand dune trails offering views of ochre-coloured rock platforms and coffee rock sand cliffs to the south. Whales and dolphins are spotted by some of the group but I'm not quick enough to focus. We follow the coastal emu footprint signs and although we come upon wallaby or kangaroo footprints in the sand, we see no emus. Heath and woodland vegetation is diverse and we enjoy a springtime flush of flowers - flannel flowers, orchids, boronias. Coastal banksias, pandanus palms and paperbarks (complete with a native beehive) shade the trails.
By midday, the air became quite smoky from the fires to the north-west of Lake Arragan and as we walk on, we speak with locals who have packed up their pets and driven to Plumbago Headland to be well away from the fires. Later we are told that the picnic area near the lake where some of the group enjoyed a bracing swim was burnt out the next day and National Parks closed the section of the walk from Angourie to Laka Arragan until further notice.
We end the day with views of Red Cliff and Grey Cliff Headlands and drop down to the beach via stairs - newly repaired. We walk briskly along the beautiful beach to Brooms Head with its stately Norfolk Island pines but as we a glance northward, we are reminded that the fire situation is worsening. Devastating for so many.
Our accommodation is adequate - spacious and clean, the only problem being that the bathroom door doesn't close but we aren't too fussed and manage. The bathroom light globe pops but is replaced promptly. The shop is run down as is the owner, the shelves barely stocked and the food is outrageously expensive eg 50g of coffee $12.95! Dinner at the Bowling Club is pleasant and we finish the day with a lively game of BOMB.
Sandon is a pretty place with an estuary separating the camping ground and the renovated beach shacks; some are pretty flash. Life is in the slow lane here as access is limited. There is a clear message in the lack of garbage bins - take care of this special place. There was time to have a swim but the wind was cold so a sit in the sun, lunch and a wander around the camping area and along the inlet filled in the time nicely. The break provided an opportunity to read the information signs and appreciate that this stretch of coast is protected by Sanctuary Zones and Commonwealth Marine Reserves. The environmental campaigns of the '80s and '90s are to be applauded.
There could not have been a greater contrast to the Brooms Head shop in the Minnie Waters shop: pleasant people run it, well-stocked shelves, pricey...yes but good quality. I eyed off the cheeses... not this time. The sign on the window said it all: Kitchen and Coffee close by 4 (or earlier if there are waves or we just wanna) and the local facilities indicate a community at work here.
And what a peaceful end to the day's walk through the Angophoras for the last kilometre to the comfortable cabins at the caravan park. The late afternoon light was magical.
We were all feeling a little worn out after the soft-sand slog in the afternoon but showers and pre-dinner drinks followed by a hearty barbeque dinner prepared by Marcus and the family is just what we needed. I need to add that when we left Brooms Head in the morning, there was a possibility that the road would be closed due to the fires and Dave and the trailer would not make it to Minnie Waters. All was well however and Dave was able to bring the gear through as well as the BBQ makings.
Unfortunately. a cool southerly wind had sprung up and battered us for 6.5 km.
We were pleased to arrive at Wooli River Lodges mid-afternoon. What a nice place. Shady, well-maintained gardens; lodges with good linen; an outdoor fully equipped kitchen; and just 5 minutes to the local store and hotel. We enjoyed dinner at the hotel and this was followed by a gathering in the outdoor kitchen to wish Dave a happy birthday with party hats and cake. It seemed like a long day and I headed back to our lodge while most stayed to play 31. I was surprised to find it was only 7.30 pm but the opportunity for an early night was too good to pass up.
After lunch, we crossed Station Creek estuary easily as it was only wading depth. Then there was another beautiful beach walk to Red Rock River and our final boat crossing to Red Rock.
Press play on the following link:
https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vjpeABDY6
Pam and I had intended to spend the night at Nambucca Heads but as it was only 2.00 pm when we arrived at Red Rock, we canceled our motel booking, thanked and fare welled our walking family and drove home to Caves Beach.
What a wonderful walk along a beautiful, pristine coastline in good company, thanks to Home Comforts Hiking – we couldn’t ask for a better few days!
[post_title] => Yuraygir Coastal Walk 7 – 11 September, 2019
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