Point Plomer (March 2007)
Point Plomer is smack bang between Port Macquarie and Crescent Head in Limeburners Creek Reserve. Owned by National Parks, Point Plomer is accessed via the small surf town of Crescent Head. The drive is 15km of mainly dirt road, which is not the smoothest of ride. Plenty of two wheel drive cars were down there, but be prepared for a bumpy ride! An alternative access route is available from Port Macquarie.
From Port Macquarie we took the punt at Settlement Point. We then drove along the beach for about 10 minutes (making sure it is low tide) to reach our camp. An adjacent track suitable for 4WD’s is a second option with 2WD’s able to take Maria River Road which also takes you to Crescent Head.
The drive was picturesque with some lovely billabongs full of lily pads on the way. Each drive around the area was interesting making our day trips always different as we explored the different tracks and their outlook.
We spent seven nights at this beautiful location, which was seven nights too short! The cost per night is $10 per couple plus approx $3 per child depending on age. We recommend obtaining a National Parks Pass as this saves you $7 each day. There were clean, flushing toilets and cold showers (for the light hearted a solar bag shower is a good option!). There are no powered sites.
Bait, ice, firewood and drinks are available for purchase from the office with nearby Crescent Head the option for other necessities. Crescent Head also gave us a great meal out at the Golf Club, with the Chinese Restaurant section supplying great value for money meals. Port Macquarie is also fairly close with the punt being an exciting part of the journey. The punt costs $2.60 per way so be prepared with your shrapnel. In Port we stopped at Port Marina Laundromat, where the owner offered a great service of washing, drying and folding of our clothes for no extra charge whilst we enjoyed the local shops.
Why did we have to go the Laundromat you may ask?? Well, it rained and rained and rained. We can now confidently say that you can remain dry and comfortable in a Complete Campsite Camper Trailers in the rain. The fully enclosed annex was excellent. We played board games, the children coloured-in and we relaxed with a cup of tea. Small amounts of water trickled in after two days of very solid rain but over all we faired very well, all things considering.
Point Plomer is renowned for its surfing, however there is much more on offer with its wildlife, spectacular landscape and peaceful feel. Every day brought in new things to see (especially when the rain stopped!). Goannas wandered around, Kangaroos hopped by and the odd dingo passed up the beach in the evening. There were plenty of birds and different types of frogs. Dolphins visited our beach daily and starfish, crabs and even octopuses were a delight to watch during low tides. There was a paved walk up to the point where the views were amazing. We stopped and watched the rays riding the waves. It would be a fantastic place to spot whales migrating.
The camp ground was busier than we expected over the weekend, although weekdays remained extremely quiet. Even with the extra people the camp ground was still quiet and very pleasant. The office manager did say that it was much busier than usual. We still recommend arriving on a Friday morning or Sunday afternoon to get a good spot to camp. Those that arrived on Saturday were left with sites that others had already passed over.
Over all we loved our week and definitely would recommend Point Plomer and its surroundings to anyone. Our three children were happy, the grandparents were happy, so in turn we were very happy! Point Plomer is definitely on the list to return to.
A favourite of ours while camping is Scones. This recipe is so easy to cook making it a fun activity with with the kids. They are totally scrumptious straight out of the camp oven, eaten hot with jam & cream (we generally pack ready to go whipped cream when we know we're gong to cook these treats)
