Booti Booti

About 4 hours drive north of Sydney, located just south of Forster, this national park is worth visiting if only for 7 Mile Beach. There are short bush walks and beaches to be explored there as well as the usual surfing, fishing, and swimming. I have been to Booti Booti twice: once on an Easter weekend and once mid-week in March and had two completely different experiences.

If you can avoid Easter long weekend do it… unless you enjoy camping with 10 000 of your closest mates. That was my first experience at Booti Booti; the campground was so crowded we had about 10 square feet to pitch our tent on the only piece of grass left in the carpark. I wasn’t sure if I was camping or being part of an outdoor concert weekend with old ladies shouting the curfew at 10pm. Despite that experience, we gave Booti Booti another go a few years later, avoiding Easter long weekend and school holidays and it became one of my favourite spots for its closeness to Sydney and its wild 7 Mile Beach.

The Ruins Campground and Picnic Area

Both times we stayed at The Ruins Campground. The second time around we had the campsite all to ourselves, being literally the only ones sleeping there. There were tons of Kookaburras (watch out for your sausages – they will still them right from the BBQ!). We got to see a big goanna (monitor lizard) and enjoyed having the amazing 7 Mile Beach for just the three of us. We enjoyed the 1 or so hour bush walk from 7 Mile Beach to Elizabeth Beach, a few kilometers south, where we took a dip in the quieter waters. The return hike along the lake made for a longer but flatter bush walk.

The campground is well maintained with hot showers, water, and electric BBQ’s.

If you are a runner do not miss the chance to go for a morning run on 7 Mile Beach. I had a blissful time running there, enjoying those 7 miles of sand and water all for myself with not a single other human around.