Kylies Beach Campground, Crowdy Bay National Park, NSW.

Kylies Beach.

Kylies Beach Campground is a  large grassy campground set behind the beach. Like Indian Head Campground, Kylies Beach Campground is cheaper than Diamond Head Campground for solo travelers as there is no $24 minimum. Diamond Head Campground is lovely but the designated sites lean more to a caravan park style feel, so if you prefer a less structured campground then Kylies Beach would be our pick.

Kylies Beach Campground

Kylies Beach Campground.

4WD access to the beach adjoins the campground. The car park is called Kylies Beach Car Park but the beach is sign posted at the beach access as Crowdy Beach. As I've only ever heard it referred to as Kylies Beach, and to avoid confusion, I'm sticking with Kylies Beach. A permit is required before driving on the beach.

Kylies Beach Car Park and 4WD Access.

4WD access to Kylies Beach.

Kylies Beach looking north.

Kylies Beach looking south.

There are plenty of shady trees around the Campground and we saw a number of birds. Frequent visitors were Yellow-tailed Black Coackatoos, Red-browed Finches, Little and Red Wattlebirds.  

Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo.

Red-browed Finch.

We had read that koalas could be found in the campground but we didn't see any. We asked a ranger about the koalas and he told us that they came to the campground one day and found the last koala, a large male, dead on the ground and that none had been seen since. However, when I posted this on Facebook, one of our regular followers told us that she had seen koalas there in recent times so hopefully there is a future for koalas in the area.

The campground has good access to the excellent Diamond Headland Loop Walk: 4.3 km, Grade 3. It is only a 500 meter walk to Kylies Hut from the campground via Metcalfes Walk. Kylies Hut was built by local man Ernie Metcalfe for the well known Australian author Kylie Tennant. Kylie's book "The Man on the Headland" features the Diamond Head and Crowdy Bay area.

Kylies Hut.

Details for Kylies Beach Campground:
Where: Crowdy Bay National Park, NSW. 53 km, 50 minutes, south of Port Macquarie via the highway. 352 km, 4 hours, north of the Sydney Bridge. Leave the highway at Ocean Drive near Kew and drive through Laurieton and Dunbogan. Dunbogan Head Road becomes Diamond Head Road on entering the national park. It is about 7 km of unsealed road to the rangers office at Diamond Head Campground to book in and then a further 4 km unsealed road towards the end of Kylies Road.
Access: The 2WD, all weather, unsealed road was in good condition when we were there in August 2018. 
Bookings & Fees: No pre-bookings. Pay camping and entry fees at Diamond Head Campground ranger office before setting up. $12 per adult, $6 per child 5 - 15 yrs, free for children 0-4 years old. There is a daily vehicle fee for park entry of $8 or buy an annual pass. 
Sites: Undefined grassy sites. Suitable for tents, roof-top tents, camping beside vehicles, camper trailers, caravans, motorhomes and big rigs. 
Facilities: Amenities block with cold showers and toilets. Information. Walks. Fires permitted in off-the ground braziers only. Firewood and ice can be bought from the rangers office at Diamond Head Campground. No water. No power. We had Telstra phone reception. Separate car park at 4WD beach access; has an industrial bin. 4WD access to the beach with a permit from the Port Macqaurie-Hastings Council; arrange before arrival.
Prohibitions: No pets. No fires on the ground. No gathering firewood. No smoking.
Contact: Port Macquarie National Parks Office 02 6588 5555 enquiries only, no bookings.