Destinations > Arakoon State Conservation Area, NSW

If a feed of fish is what you really want then the water just off the beach is a good spot to catch some nice bream or whiting, especially on the incoming tide.

The scenery along this coastal strip is some of the best on the NSW north coast. One of the best ways to admire the views is to take a walk up to the Smoky Cape Lighthouse (www.smokycapelighthouse.com) just 10 minutes drive from Arakoon. The viewing platform at the base of the lighthouse looks south along Smoky Cape Beach and Hat Head National Park, while the view north overlooks North Smoky Beach and Green Island. There is a good carpark and a small picnic area just below the lighthouse. If you are around on a Wednesday afternoon there are guided tours of the historical working lighthouse. Bookings through the Arakoon State Conservation Area office are essential.

If you enjoy a spot of fun beach driving, Smoky Cape Beach is perfect. Within 500m of the blacktop you can drive through one dune and onto a wide, firm beach. The only down side is that a permit is required. While easily obtained, the $30 permits are issued on an annual basis, making beach driving expensive if you only use it once or twice. Like all beach driving you will need to pick your time. The sand close to the water is very smooth and firm on the outgoing tide but very soft above the high water mark. You can only get onto the beach via the access track that is well used and always soft. You won't get through without reducing your tyre pressures and because you are quickly back on the blacktop after you leave the beach you will need a compressor to re-inflate your rubber.

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There are a couple of other 4WD tracks on the north side of Smoky Cape, these lead down to the beautiful and secluded Gap Beach. Although not a serious challenge for the average 4WD, the tracks are steep and could be dicey after some rain. The track down to South Gap Beach terminates at a small carpark about 200m from the beach. It's a top spot for a picnic and if the seas are not too high it's a good place for a swim.

Little Bay, the next beach up from Gap Beach, is another picnic area with a few things to keep the kids occupied. Overshot Dam was originally built to supply water to the jail but now is little more than a duck pond where the kids can feed a string of waterbirds. The reserve also has a resident population of kangaroos and there are several shady picnic areas to sit back and take it all in. The beach at Little Bay can be treacherous at times but there is a quiet lagoon behind the beach that is perfect for young children.

Just about every feature, from the jail down to Smoky Cape, is linked by a series of walking tracks. If you only do one of these walks, try the track from the jail up over the headland past the monument and down into Little Bay. It's only a couple of kilometres but has some fantastic views over the ocean and back over Trial Bay. Some of the best land-based whale watching is along this walk.

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