Café, surfing, swimming, bird watching, day-trips and more..
There are so many activities to choose from while at Waves! The most beautiful beach lies just across the road from us. Within minutes you are standing at the Delicate Nobby headland, a gorgeous set of rocks that has a different look every day. There’s so much to see down our way and of course the Crescent Head point break is one to tick off your surfing bucket list. We absolutely love our local area and can’t wait to tell you all about it!
Surfing
Waves Campground is located about 10kms South of the world-famous Crescent Head point break. But trust us when we say there’s an amazing selection of breaks on offer down our back road!
The closest waves are right ‘out front’ of the campground at the Delicate Nobby headland. Just minutes from your camp! The headland’s orientation offers gentle beginner waves most days on the North side of the rocks and superb intermediate to advanced surf on the South side. There are four point breaks (going right) to choose from and countless beach breaks (going right & left). The waves here offer a great variety for long or short boarding.
Best of all, we are surrounded by beaches and bays that work all year round. You will find both summer- and winter season surf in Crescent Head, NSW. Each spot works with different swell & wind conditions, so make sure to check with our crew what the best spot for today might be!
Fishing
Our headlands and beaches are renowned for their shore and rock fishing. When you go out there to try your luck at catching dinner, you might even find yourself with a whiting, flathead or bream. We sell bait at the camp shop and are happy to chat to you about the latest success story we got told by other guests.
Swimming, snorkelling & diving
At low tide the rocks around Delicate Nobby and Racecourse create beautiful, natural rock pools that are great for a cool down. It’s so much fun to spend the day in the pools and search for star fish & anemone. The North side of Delicate Nobby is generally a really friendly spot to go for a swim as there is little current.
On a calm day Delicate Nobby, Big Hill or Racecourse headlands are great for snorkelling. Our oceans are teaming with all sorts of aquatic life, especially around the rocks. Make sure to tell us what you’ve seen!
Surf Fuel café
Surf Fuel café is a funky food truck in a gorgeous rainforest garden setting. It is a bit of a hidden gem, bringing delight to our locals, surf community and guests since 2015. They are proud to serve up barista made coffee with beans supplied by Doppio or Nothing espresso. Refreshing juices & smoothies are made to order from the best seasonal local produce.
They are open everyday from roughly 8:00-15:00 and serving dinner over the weekends. Please see their socials for the most up-to-date hours. Join us for one of their special events like pub quizes or supper clubs held throughout the year!
The menu is designed to satisfy sea-air appetites – a mixture of classic café and street-food dishes made with nourishing, wholesome ingredients and lots of love.
Bird watching
We like to co-exist with our surroundings and are very aware that the campground is situated in an amazing, littoral rainforest. That’s why we work hard to keep it as natural and healthy as possible. There are many beautiful, native species that call Waves their home at different times of the year and we love spotting new ones.
We have noticed that we have a spectacular variety of birds on the campground. Especially in dry periods our ‘boat pond’ and bird baths around the cafe area are gratefully busy every day. So far we have created a list with over 50 different bird species that are regulars here. We have built this list with the help of many avid bird watchers. Amongst others you will find many kookaburras that are full of laughter and a fun family of cheeky magpies here. Plus many honey eaters, cat birds, chipper whip bird couples, a young family of tawny frogmouth owls, a noisy pitta, wood doves, fruit doves, black currawongs, a black hooded friar bird, regent bower birds and flocks of beautiful yellow tailed black cockatoos. It brings us great excitement every time a bird watching guest tells us about a new species that has decided to stop by, so let us know if you spot anything!
Wild life
Besides birds there is an abundance of other wildlife you can encounter in our area. From May to October the migrating whales are passing right in front of our campground and they put on quite a show. Their breaches, tail flapping and waving of fins is a sight that will never cease to amaze. Dolphins, turtles, wobbegongs and rays are also frequent visitors. On land there’s kangaroos, echidnas, a spotted quoll, colourful butterflies and insects, green tree frogs, possums, some snakes, land mullet and blue tongue lizards, skinks, blue face lace monitor lizards and goanna’s.
Day-trips
If you’re staying for a while then come and chat to us about doing some day-trips in our area! There’s many great coastal towns to visit, if you like country then don’t miss out on the Slim Dusty centre and there’s heaps of beach fun and 4WD adventures waiting for you.
Tourist drive 12 (North)
The local tourist drive (12) is a beautiful drive along the Belmore river to Gladstone, Hat Head, Smoky Cape lighthouse, South West Rocks, Trial Bay Goal, Stuarts Point, Grassy Head and Scotts Head. While touring you get to visit cosy towns with shops, pubs and cafés, walk beautiful walking tracks for all abilities, try out different surf breaks and enjoy many gorgeous beaches.
Port Macquarie (South)
Port Macquarie is a lively town offering many great shops, buzzing cafés, a surf museum and much more. It’s also the home of the only not-for-profit koala hospital. The koala hospital is run by volunteers who do an amazing job and give a great guided tour every day at 3pm!
4WD adventures (North & South)
Those who enjoy an off-road adventure and are bringing the right gear can take the 4WD track from Point Plomer to Port Macquarie. Ask us for directions and an update on the latest conditions in the shop. If you’re not in a 4WD vehicle, taking the highway from Kempsey is the better option!
About 10kms South of the campground there is a beach access and a 4WD track. The 4WD track is an advanced track and conditions vary throughout the year. To the North of us there is a beach access at Richardsons Crossing (North of Crescent Head) through to Hat Head. Please remember to purchase your beach driving permit in town first.
Dorrigo NP & Bellingen (North)
The views at Dorrigo National Park are 100% worth the drive to Waterfall Way. And luckily the quaint little town of Bellingen is a great stop on your way into the mountains. Bellingen is a must see with its happy folk, eco shops and excellent markets. Once you’ve driven to the top the rainforest skywalk offers a fantastic panorama over the beautiful Dorrigo mountains. A great spot for sunset!
The rainforest centre has a wonderful little museum that teaches all about local flora and fauna before you start with one of the hikes. It’s always cool under the canopy which makes hiking to amazing waterfalls even better. There even is a big pool at the bottom of Dangar Falls where you can swim right under the waterfall!
Yoga & massage
Yoga and massage fit in amazingly well here with the serenity of the bush around us. We try to organise for a yoga teacher and masseuse to be a part of our crew throughout any school holidays. But it’s best to check with us to see what we have on offer when you are here. Interested in organising a retreat or other event with us? Get in contact!
Events
We are venue hosts to fantastic events every now and then. We’ve hosted wonderful weddings, birthday parties, surf competitions and brilliant Van Life and full moon drum circle gatherings. We love seeing the campground transform under the different event organisers and their followers. And if you need catering then the guys from Surf Fuel Café are the right people for the job! Follow our socials to find out about upcoming events or get in touch if you’re looking for a venue!
