Hat Head: Coast, Creek and Nature

Hat Head combines coastal scenery, a creek and nature experiences. The village lies in the heart of Hat Head National Park; Hat Head also has 12 kilometres of uninterrupted beach. For your planning, it is worth considering the different experiences on the water and on foot separately: timing before high tide matters at the creek, the Easy Way Walk can be understood by its distance, and two other walking tracks offer seasonal opportunities for whale watching. This can help you decide whether water, a walk or nature watching should shape your stay.

Experience the water and coast

Hat Head offers good fishing. You can snorkel in Hat Head Creek shortly before high tide, when the creek is rich in marine life. The water level is therefore a specific planning consideration for snorkelling, while fishing is another activity available in the area. If you are interested in snorkelling, you can time it for the period shortly before high tide.

Walking tracks: distance and season

The Easy Way Walk is an easy 5-kilometre walk that starts at the footbridge in Hat Head. For 1.7 kilometres, it follows the edge of the creek before reaching the traffic bridge on Hat Head Road. These two figures give you different ways to understand the route: five kilometres for the whole walk and 1.7 kilometres for the section alongside the creek. This gives you both a sense of the walk’s overall length and a specific point along its route. As track conditions can change, it is a good idea to check the current conditions before setting out.

The Going South Walking Track is part of Hat Head National Park and leads from Hat Head village towards Crescent Head. During whale migration season, there are opportunities to watch whales there. The Circumnavigating Korogoro Point “The Hat” Walking Track also offers good opportunities for whale watching during the season. You may also see schools of fish, dolphins or turtles in the sea along this track. On these two tracks, you can therefore take into account both the seasonal timing of whale watching and the possibility of spotting other marine animals.

Hat Head as a starting point for planning your trip

The beach and fishing offer a different focus from snorkelling in the creek; for the walking tracks, the Easy Way’s stated length or the seasonal nature watching may be deciding factors. If you are travelling with children or several generations, you can weigh up these differences together: the Easy Way is described as easy, while snorkelling and whale watching depend on specific conditions. If you are looking for a hotel in Hat Head, start by considering which of these activities you want to shape your stay.

Discover more destinations: Narrabri, Sydney, Gundagai, Morisset, Jeremadra, Mystery Bay, Waratah, Lankeys Creek.

For the broader travel overview: New South Wales.