Mungo Brush camping, NSW: 77 sites between the Myall River and the ocean beach

Mungo Brush camping puts you in a flat, marked-out campground in Myall Lakes National Park on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, between the Myall River and the ocean beach, roughly 20 kilometres up the park road from Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens. It is run by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), takes tents, camper trailers, caravans and campervans, and suits anyone who wants beach and water access without a long dirt drive. The catch is the rulebook: no fires, no pets and no water on site, so a little planning decides whether the trip goes well.

What is Mungo Brush campground?

The operator lists Mungo Brush campground in the Bombah Broadwater precinct of Myall Lakes National Park, in the North Coast region. The park covers about 448 square kilometres, was established in 1972 and contains one of the state’s largest coastal lake systems, along with roughly 40 kilometres of beach, rolling dunes, littoral rainforest and Broughton Island. The lakes carry Ramsar wetland listing, which the park has held since 1999. The Worimi people have long used this country, and Dark Point, further north, is an Aboriginal Place with ceremonial use going back at least 4,000 years.

NPWS lists 77 campsites at Mungo Brush. They are marked and unpowered, and the operator describes them as suitable for tents, camper trailers, caravans and camping beside your vehicle. It is one of 22 campgrounds in the park, so the choice of setting is wide, and Mungo Brush is the one most people reach from the Hawks Nest side.

Can you camp at Mungo Brush?

Yes. The campground is open to the public, with the standing note that the park may close because of poor weather or fire danger. NPWS also lists an alert about planned events when the page was checked. Look at the live alerts on the campground page before you leave, because closures are the main thing that can change your plans at short notice.

Do you need to book Mungo Brush campground?

NPWS runs an online availability search for the campground. Online booking covers groups of up to 20 people or 5 sites; larger groups use an enquiry form. If you would rather speak to someone, the National Parks Contact Centre takes calls on 1300 072 757, from 7am to 7pm every day. Check-in is from 2pm and check-out is by 10am.

Booking is separate from park entry. A park entry fee applies per vehicle per day on top of the camping fee, and you need a Day Pass or Annual Pass. Day passes can be bought from the card-operated machine at the campground, from the Manning Great Lakes Area Office, or through the Park’nPay app. Camping fees are set by NPWS and change, so read the current figure on the booking page rather than a third-party listing.

How do you get to Mungo Brush?

There are two ways in, and the right one depends on where you are coming from.

• From Hawks Nest: follow Mungo Brush Road for about 20 kilometres, then follow the campground signs.
• From the Pacific Highway near Bulahdelah: take Bombah Point Road, which is unsealed, to the Bombah Point ferry, cross the water, then continue along Mungo Brush Road for about 5 kilometres. The campground is on the right, shortly after Dees Corner campground.

NPWS says the roads include sealed and unsealed sections and that the campground is suitable for two-wheel-drive vehicles with all-weather access. A normal car, a camper trailer or a van does not need four-wheel drive to arrive. For context, Myall Lakes National Park sits about 236 kilometres north of Sydney, and Tea Gardens is around 77 kilometres north-east of Newcastle.

The Bombah Point ferry

If you come from the highway side you cross on the Bombah Point ferry. It runs from 8am to 6pm every day, leaving about every half hour, and it can stop in strong winds, so check with the park office when it is blowing. It takes cash only, with no EFTPOS, and fees apply to pedestrians, bikes and motorbikes, cars, trailers and larger vehicles. Carry coins and notes. Arriving from the Hawks Nest side avoids the ferry altogether.

What is the campground like?

Mungo Brush is mostly flat. Drive-on sites hold one vehicle on the site, and tent-only sites have parking for one vehicle next to the site. Extra parking is available in bitumen bays. There are no powered sites.

The facilities NPWS lists are non-flush toilets, picnic tables, rubbish and recycling bins, a boat ramp, boat trailer parking and a boat-free swimming zone. One toilet at the north-east end is wheelchair accessible, and the operator rates disability access as medium: the ground is step-free but there are no paths, so you cross grass and bitumen to reach sites and amenities.

Does Mungo Brush have showers, water and power?

Water is not available at the campground, so bring all your drinking and cooking water. Power is not offered because every site is unpowered. Showers are not listed among the facilities, so plan on a wash-down using your own water or a swim in the lake. The operator does not say anything about generators, so ask the park office before bringing one, and remember that noise must stop at 10pm.

Are fires and dogs allowed at Mungo Brush?

Fires are not permitted. That also covers solid fuel barbecues and stoves, including wood, heat beads, charcoal, briquettes and hexamite, so bring a gas or liquid-fuel stove and cook on that.

Pets and domestic animals are not permitted, except certified assistance animals. If a dog is part of the family, choose a different campground or a caravan park outside the national park boundary.

Other rules from the operator:

• Amplified music and fireworks are not allowed.
• Quiet from 10pm.
• Do not tie ropes to trees.
• Do not feed wildlife.
• Drunken or offensive behaviour can lead to being asked to leave without a refund.
• National parks are no-smoking areas.
• Fishing in any water needs a current NSW recreational fishing licence.

The operator does not state a maximum stay, so confirm with NPWS if you plan a long visit.

What is there to do near Mungo Brush?

The campground sits between river and beach, so most days start with water.

• Mungo Rainforest walk: a 1.5 kilometre loop through littoral rainforest.
• Mungo and Tamboi walking tracks: longer bushland walks from the same area.
• Lower Myall River: paddle by kayak or canoe from the campground towards Hawks Nest.
• Mungo Beach: swimming, fishing and sailboarding.
• Hole in the Wall picnic area: a short drive for a lunch stop.
• Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse and Seal Rocks: a longer outing, with Seal Rocks more than an hour away by road.

Bird watchers have plenty of choice, and the park supports white-bellied sea eagles, tawny frogmouths and bowerbirds. The long-nosed bandicoot is nocturnal, so you are more likely to hear rustling at dusk than to see it. Keep food packed away and never feed animals.

When is the best time to camp at Mungo Brush?

NPWS describes summer averages of 19 to 27 degrees Celsius, with a recorded high of 41.5, and winter averages of 10 to 19 degrees, with a recorded low of 1.1. The wettest month is typically May and the driest November. The highest one-day rainfall recorded for the area was 257.8 millimetres.

Season	What the operator says
Summer	19 to 27 degrees on average; good for spotting dolphins
Autumn	Cooler weather and fewer visitors
Winter	10 to 19 degrees on average; whale watching at Sugarloaf Point
Spring	Wildflowers bloom across the heathlands

Whales migrate along the NSW coast from May to November, which lines up with winter and spring. Summer brings the warmest swimming but also the highest fire-danger risk, and the park can close on poor-weather or fire days, so watch the alerts.

What should you bring?

Because the campground gives you so little, the packing list matters.

• All drinking and cooking water, plus extra for washing.
• A gas or liquid-fuel stove, since solid-fuel cooking is banned.
• Cash for the ferry if you cross at Bombah Point.
• A Day Pass, or the Park’nPay app set up before you lose signal.
• Insect repellent and a shelter that handles evening mosquitoes.
• A fishing licence if you plan to fish.
• Paddling gear if you want to explore the Myall River.
• Emergency Plus app downloaded in advance; mobile reception is limited and you need reception to call Triple Zero (000).

Where are the nearest supplies?

Hawks Nest and Tea Gardens, about 20 minutes away by road according to NPWS, are the main supply points, facing each other across the Myall River. Hawks Nest has plenty of shops and cafes aimed at visitors. NPWS also notes a licensed cafe with basic supplies about 5 kilometres away across the ferry crossing. Stock up for the whole stay in town, because there is nothing to buy at the campground itself.

A one-night plan and a weekend plan

One night. Buy groceries and fill water containers at Tea Gardens or Hawks Nest, arrive after the 2pm check-in, set up, then walk the 1.5 kilometre Mungo Rainforest loop before dinner on a gas stove. Take a swim at Mungo Beach, watch for dusk wildlife and leave by 10am.

Weekend. Add a morning paddle on the lower Myall River, a beach session, and a half-day drive to Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse or Hole in the Wall. In whale season, make the headland your priority. Save the longer walks, such as Tamboi, for the cooler second morning.

Who is Mungo Brush best for?

It suits families and groups in cars, vans and camper trailers who want a sealed-and-gravel drive, ocean and river access and a marked site. It also suits paddlers, anglers and walkers. It is a poor fit if you want showers, power, campfires or a dog by your side.

Alternatives inside the same park, all listed by NPWS, include Dees Corner, which has 12 campsites and barbecue facilities and asks you to bring firewood, so its fire rules differ and should be checked. For something with more services, the park also lists NRMA Myall Shores Holiday Park. Check each page for current rules.

Planning checklist

• Check live alerts and the weather before you leave.
• Book your site and confirm check-in and check-out times.
• Decide the Hawks Nest or Bombah Point route.
• Carry ferry cash if using it.
• Buy a Day Pass.
• Pack water, a gas stove, repellent and a rubbish bag.
• Download Emergency Plus.

Common mistakes

• Planning a campfire or charcoal barbecue. Neither is allowed.
• Bringing the dog.
• Assuming a tap or shower is on site.
• Reaching the ferry with a card only.
• Forgetting that park entry is separate from the camping booking.
• Ignoring closure alerts on a hot, windy day.
• Leaving food out for wildlife.

More from the operator: nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/camping-and-accommodation/campgrounds/mungo-brush-campground.

Plan it in the app

Save the camp on your route in MotoRidez and the planner shows road closures along the way, and where your tank runs out once you have entered the range of your vehicle. Save the route for offline use before you lose signal: it saves the corridor around your route, not a whole region.

Details come from the operator’s own records and pages, read on 20 October 2026, and change. We do not show prices or availability. Confirm fees, bookings, closures and fire rules with the operator before you go.