The Wanderer
With long legs that would be the envy of ballerinas, a surfer dances gracefully down his board. Gliding to the nose and back again, pirouetting and stepping. A crumbling wave pushes him from the headland as the dawn sun casts a pink glow across the Pacific Ocean.
Dressed in tracksuit pants and a jumper, I watch in awe his silent performance; the surfer oblivious to the spectators on the pandanus-lined shore. Eventually, he drops into the water and paddles back toward the headland, where early risers are enjoying the sunrise over Killick Beach and Crescent Head.
Fellow RVers make their way to the footpath tracing the coastline's curves as I struggle to look away from the lanky surfers in their wetsuits. A generation ago, my father would have been one of them. At age 14, he’d hitch rides with older mates from the Central Coast to Crescent, on the Mid-North Coast. Five hours later, he’d arrive in the dark, sleep in semi-open timber sheds on the foreshore, and wake at the crack of dawn ready to hit the waves.
Surfing Legend
Crescent, on the Macleay Valley Coast, is one of the most popular surf destinations in Australia. Famous for its right-hand point break that produces line after line of swell, the 14 kilometre-long beach also has multiple breaks close to shore. The beach was named a National Surfing Reserve in 2008, and is home to the Malibu Classic competition. If you head south, you’ll also find beach after beach promising a good ride – culminating in Point Plomer and Back Beach in Limeburners Creek National Park.
With a permanent population of a touch over 1,600, Crescent is cherished by regular visitors in the quiet winter months when the swell is pumping, and by families and holidaymakers in summer when kids jump off the footbridge spanning the tidal creek. Crescent has changed a lot since my father’s teenage years. The beach sheds are long gone and the original timber footbridge was replaced a decade ago following a storm. However, the postcode retains its chilled-out vibes and entrenched surf culture.
A short stroll from the sand are a grocery store, chemist, butcher, bakery, coffee shops and a surf shop – everything an RVer needs for a week-long break. There’s also Crescent Head Tavern with its surfboards in the rafters; and Crescent Head Country Club, where you can enjoy a meal after a round of golf, bowls or tennis. If you’re holidaying with kids or grandkids, take them to the mini-golf course – one of the town’s newest attractions. Another newcomer is Sea Sea Hotel, a chic watering hole with a kitchen serving meals made with seasonal and sustainable ingredients.
The Camping
Crescent Head is a multigenerational destination, so it’s not hard to convince Dad and Mum to join my family of four for
a few nights. We stay in a retro caravan hired from Camplify that looks at home at Crescent Head Holiday Park. The campground is blissfully basic but it’s been undergoing changes, with prime sites replaced by money-making
cabins. However, within moments of glimpsing the sea you’ll be contemplating your return trip – and that’s before you’ve even discovered the pies at family-owned Barnetts Bakery.
Stepping Out
Many RVers are drawn to Crescent Head for its wildness. To the south lies a string of beaches, mostly empty aside from the surfers – tramping down cliffs, boards in arms – and children fossicking for shells.
Of course, back in Dad’s day it used to be wilder. The then-unsealed road south to Point Plomer was reserved for intrepid travellers willing to risk their chassis to reach another surf break. News of the road’s condition – Is it washed out? How big are the potholes? – would spread along the coast. Nowadays, the road is sealed, and Point Plomer campground has gone from a free-for-all to a tidy pre-booked stay. Not everyone will agree it’s better, but it’s more accessible for RVers who would rather not lose a few screws.
There’s no risk of that back in Crescent, where the days are always languid, the surf beckons like a siren, and the campground continues to charm with its simplicity. It may not be the ’70s but there’s still a lot to love about Crescent Head.
Journey Planner
Crescent Head is 50 minutes’ drive north of Port Macquarie, primarily along the sealed Highway 1. You can also take the scenic route via the Hastings River vehicle ferry and the unsealed Maria River Road. Point Plomer Road from Port Macquarie is rough and not advisable. Crescent Head Holiday Park is the only campground in town and has surfside, lakeside and creek-side powered sites. Facilities include a kids’ playground, boat ramp, barbecue area and kiosk. Dogs are welcome outside peak periods.
For low-cost campgrounds south of town, try Racecourse campground by the beach in Goolawah National Park or the recently upgraded Point Plomer campground in Limeburners Creek National Park. For a bush camping experience with the facilities of a caravan park, check in to Waves Campground, 10 kilometres south of Crescent Head.
macleayvalleycoastholidayparks.com.au
Category: Features
Written: Mon 24 Nov 2025
Printed: January, 2025
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