South West Rocks: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
Trial Bay was meant to become a harbour of refuge, a safe anchorage for ships caught in storms on this coast, and a gaol was built on its headland so that prisoners could build the breakwater. The sea won, the gaol emptied, and in the First World War it was filled again with German-born internees. This route follows that story from the town's beaches around the bay to the ruins. Half a day, partly on the coastal path between town and the gaol, about 3 km each way; the walk is easy, and kangaroos are on the lawns at dusk.
A short history of South West Rocks
South West Rocks is a small town on the New South Wales coast, near the mouth of the Macleay River. On the headland above it the authorities built Trial Bay Gaol between 1877 and 1886, and its prisoners were sent to build a breakwater that would turn the bay into a harbour of refuge. The breakwater was never completed. During the First World War, from 1915 to 1918, civilians of German origin living in Australia were held in the gaol. Smoky Cape Lighthouse, first lit in 1891, stands on the nearby headland. Today the remains of the gaol are part of a reserve, and the town lives from holidaymaking and diving.
The ten best sights in South West Rocks
1Trial Bay GaolGranite ruins on the headland with a small museum; go late for the sunset over the bay
2Smoky Cape LighthouseShort steep walk from the car park; whales pass below in winter and spring
3Boatman's Cottage Maritime MuseumShipwreck stories of the Macleay coast, by Horseshoe Bay
4Slim Dusty CentreCountry music's biggest Australian name, in his home town of Kempsey
5Macleay Valley Community Art GalleryA small gallery in the river village of Gladstone
6Horseshoe BayA small sheltered beach in town, the easy swim
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7Front Beach
Calm water on the Trial Bay side, with a grassy reserve
8Back BeachThe open surf beach north of town
9Arakoon National ParkKangaroos graze on the grass around the gaol, especially at dusk
10Little BayA tiny protected cove with picnic tables
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in South West Rocks →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in South West Rocks:
Free walking tours in South West Rocks
The prisoners' breakwater
Trial Bay was meant to become a harbour of refuge, a safe anchorage for ships caught in storms on this coast, and a gaol was built on its headland so that prisoners could build the breakwater. The sea won, the gaol emptied, and in the First World War it was filled again with German-born internees. This route follows that story from the town's beaches around the bay to the ruins. Half a day, partly on the coastal path between town and the gaol, about 3 km each way; the walk is easy, and kangaroos are on the lawns at dusk.
- Boatman's Cottage Maritime Museum · The museum is in a cottage built for the boat crew of the old Macleay River pilot station, who guided ships over the dangerous river bar. Its displays cover the many wrecks along this coast.
- Horseshoe Bay · The little bay lies right beside the mouth of the Macleay River, behind the breakwall that trains the river into the sea. The wall shelters it, so it is the calmest swim in town.
- Trial Bay · The bay is named after the brig Trial, which convicts seized in Sydney Harbour in 1816 and sailed north; its wreck was later found here. No trace of the crew was ever found.
- Trial Bay Gaol · The gaol opened in 1886 for prisoners who were to build a breakwater across the bay. Storms kept destroying the work, the project was abandoned, and the gaol closed in 1903.
- German Monument · From 1915 to 1918 the empty gaol held about 500 men of German descent interned as enemy aliens, many of them professionals and businessmen. The internees raised this monument on the hill to those of them who died here.
- Arakoon National Park · The park around the gaol is home to eastern grey kangaroos that have grown used to people. They come out to graze on the grass of the headland in the early morning and late afternoon.
Smoke on the cape
When Captain Cook sailed past in 1770 he saw smoke rising from fires on the headland and called it Smoky Cape. The cape is now the start of a wild coast of dunes, wetlands and long beaches protected in the Hat Head National Park, with a famous dive rock offshore. Half a day to a day by car, 30 minutes each way to Hat Head; dirt roads in the park are fine for normal cars when dry.
- Smoky Cape Lighthouse · The lighthouse was first lit in 1891, designed by the colonial architect James Barnet. The keepers' cottages now take guests as a bed and breakfast.
- Fish Rock · Fish Rock is a small island off Smoky Cape with a cave that runs right through it under the sea. Endangered grey nurse sharks gather around it, and divers come from all over Australia to see them.
- Hat Head National Park · Behind its beaches the park protects a big system of dunes and freshwater wetlands. Swamps and lagoons between the dunes are a refuge for waterbirds.
- Hat Head · Hat Head is a village of a few hundred people with the national park on every side, so it cannot spread. There is one shop, a holiday park and a surf club, and that is the whole town.
- Korogoro Creek · The creek runs out to the sea through Hat Head village, and on an incoming tide its water is clear enough to see fish from the footbridge. Snorkellers drift down it with the current.
- Korogoro Point · Korogoro Point is the headland shaped like a hat that gives Hat Head its name. A walking track climbs it for views north back to Smoky Cape.
Slim Dusty's valley
Inland from the coast lies the Macleay Valley, dairy and river country whose towns grew on the river trade and the highway. Kempsey gave Australia its most famous country singer and its most famous hat, and the river villages keep their old pubs and shops. This loop runs up the valley and back to the surf at Crescent Head. A day by car, about two hours of driving in total; eat a pie in Frederickton on the way.
- Frederickton · Frederickton is a small river town best known for its pie shop, which bakes dozens of fillings and has won many Australian pie awards. Travellers on the Pacific Highway used to stop here for it before the bypass opened.
- Slim Dusty Centre · Slim Dusty was born near Kempsey in 1927, and his 1957 song A Pub With No Beer became one of the best-selling Australian records of its time. Kempsey is also where the Akubra hat factory has stood since the 1970s.
- Macleay Valley Community Art Gallery · Gladstone is a river village of old shopfronts, and its gallery shows the work of artists from across the valley. The village was a river port in the days when boats carried the valley's produce to the sea.
- Crescent Head · The long right-hand wave that peels around the point made Crescent Head one of the centres of Australian longboard surfing, and longboard contests are held here every year. The town sits where Killick Creek meets the sea.
- Killick Beach · Killick Beach runs north from Crescent Head into the Hat Head National Park. Killick Creek, which enters the sea at the village, is a calm place to swim when the ocean is rough.
- Point Plomer · Point Plomer lies in Limeburners Creek National Park, whose name recalls the early settlers who burned shells from Aboriginal middens to make lime for building. A dirt road runs south to it along the beach from Crescent Head.
Getting to South West Rocks and getting around
- Port Macquarie Airport · The nearest airport with regular flights from Sydney, about an hour south
- Kempsey Station · Sydney–Brisbane trains stop here, 35 minutes inland; there is no train to the coast
- South West Rocks bus stop (Gregory St) · A local bus links the town with Kempsey on weekdays
Cheap eats in South West Rocks
South West Rocks is a fishing town, and lunch here is fish and chips or prawns from the seafood shop, eaten on the grass above Horseshoe Bay. Oysters come from the Macleay River just behind town. For something different, the pie shop at Frederickton on the way in is a local institution. Prices are in Australian dollars, and the cafés close early outside the holidays.
- South West Rocks Seafood · Fish, prawns and chips, about A$15-25
- The Kiosk at Horseshoe Bay · Coffee and snacks on the beach, about A$6-15
- Shoeys Bakery · Pies and sausage rolls, about A$6-12
- Chillati Gelato · Gelato in town, about A$6-9
- Malt & Honey · Breakfast café, about A$15-25
- Fredo Pies · The famous pie shop in Frederickton, 25 minutes inland; pies about A$6-10
Nature and day trips near South West Rocks
- Fish Rock · Dive and snorkel trips from town
- Hat Head National Park · Dunes, wetlands and empty beaches
- Arakoon National Park · Kangaroos and bays around the gaol
- Gap Beach · Quiet beach down a dirt track
- Korogoro Point · Headland walk at Hat Head
Things to do in South West Rocks with kids
- Horseshoe Bay · Sheltered beach, patrolled in summer
- Korogoro Creek · Clear creek for floating and snorkelling
- Arakoon kangaroos · Kangaroos on the lawns at dusk
- Little Bay · Tiny calm cove for paddling
- Trial Bay Gaol · Cells and a small museum
Museums in South West Rocks
- Trial Bay Gaol · Ruins and museum on the headland
- Boatman's Cottage Maritime Museum · Shipwrecks and the river pilots
- Smoky Cape Lighthouse · Grounds open; whale watching in season
- Slim Dusty Centre · Museum of Australian country music in Kempsey
- Macleay Valley Community Art Gallery · Local art in Gladstone village
Where to eat in South West Rocks
- Seabreeze Hotel · The town pub; meals about A$25-35
- Riverside Tavern · Tavern by the river; meals about A$25-35
- Boulders Bar and Bistro · Bistro dinner; mains about A$30-40
- Thai on the Rocks · Thai in the town centre; mains about A$20-30
- Paragon Pizza & Pasta · Pizza and pasta; mains about A$20-30
Frequently asked questions about South West Rocks
What is there to see in South West Rocks?
The top sights in South West Rocks are Trial Bay Gaol, Smoky Cape Lighthouse and Boatman's Cottage Maritime Museum. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in South West Rocks?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of South West Rocks without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in South West Rocks?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in South West Rocks, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The prisoners' breakwater.
How do you get to South West Rocks and get around?
The main ways are Port Macquarie Airport, Kempsey Station and South West Rocks bus stop (Gregory St). Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in South West Rocks, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in South West Rocks that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in South West Rocks for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.