1- A. From Boambee Headland TIME: 1 hour

Begin at the Car Park above Boambee Creek Reserve (enter the car park immediately south of the Walter Harvie Bridge over the railway where First Ave begins. From the car park a narrow track winds around the headland, allowing great views of Boambee Creek and the coastline along Boambee Beach to Coffs Harbour.
The track descends to Sawtell Beach where, turning right at the foot of the headland, there is a bush track parallel to the beach. This finally emerges on First Ave. opposite Dillon St.
You can walk along the road back to the car park, or alternatively take the track parallel to the road through the bush to the water tower, and then back along the lookout road to the car park.
Below the car park, Boambee Creek Reserve can be accessed via steps which pass under the Boambee railway bridge and Drinks and good
takeaways can be had from the kiosk.

1- B BOAMBEE HEADLAND to Coffs Harbour Fishing Club TIME: half-day.

From the same car park, (above) take the steps down to the Reserve and walk across the creek by the enclosed pedestrian bridge alongside the rail.
Descending on the other side walk around the creek to its mouth. Walk along the ocean beach some71/2 kms to Coffs Harbour Fisherman’s
Club where lunch can be had while enjoying harbourside and beach views. (Or carry a picnic to have on the foreshores area of Jetty Beach.)
To return to Sawtell, retrace your steps, OR from the jetty foreshores walk across the small bridge over the railway in a westerly direction, turning into Camperdown St. till Nile St. UP Nile St. to Edinburgh St.
Turn left heading towards the lookout, then along Victoria St. past the former hospital site to Hogbin Drive, where a bus may be taken back to Sawtell.

1 - C Boambee Headland to BONVILLE HEADLAND TIME: 1 - 3 hours approx

Around Boambee Headland as in A above Or go up the drive to the lookout and take the track heading down to the headland above the beach.
Continue south to Sawtell Beach and along the beach (l1/2kms.) to BONVILLE HEADLAND at the south end.
Walk around the Headland to the Rock Pool where you overlook the Bonville Creek Estuary. Here between October and the beginning of February you may see the protected nests of the Little Tern - an endangered migratory bird which flies some 8,000 kms. from Asia each year to mate, nest and raise chicks to fledglings able to fly back at the end of January. Protection comes from National Parks staff and a team of community volunteers.
On the far side of Bonville Creek Bongil Bongil National Park begins. Across the creek on the right is Sawtell Beach Caravan Park in Sawtell Reserve.
Cross the road and walk through a Council Reserve to Boronia Street. You can return to the beach entering alongside Boronia Park, OR
walk north along Boronia St. to Sawtell Village, where you can have a coffee and get a bus back to the car park - OR access the beach via the Surf Club area and return along the beach.

2- A SAWTELL VILLAGE to DOLMANS POINT Time 1- 2 hours.

Cross the bridge over Middle Creek at the south end of FIRST AVE. Turn directly right into BAYLDON Rd. (Bayldon was an early settler).
Take the low track by the creek and continue to the entry to the Golf Club. (This is worth a detour to see the view from the Clubhouse. Add 10 mins.) Continue along Bayldon Rd. to Lyons Rd., cross over and pass the Rotary club sign and walk straight ahead in an easterly direction through Forest Red gums with emerging littoral rainforest understorey.
This is an area rapidly recovering from a degenerated state as a result of a local campaign to save it for future generations of people, flora, fauna and the abundant bird life. It is hoped koalas and wallabies will return. Continue to the point where there has been a house and see the tall Norfolk Pine planted by Dr. Dolman which became a boating marker, explaining the name.
Return to the car park and take the left road down to the Boat Launch. Here there is a young rainforest climbing up the slope to meet the remnant mature rainforest above on Lyons Road. A trio of pelicans frequent this lovely section of the Bonville Estuary.
Return to the road junction and take the other arm to a picnic area on the Estuary called Mick's Retreat. Here, at low tide, you will see many waterbirds on the sand banks. A bollarded walk through a regenerating area of littoral rainforest will lead eventually to the beach behind the caravan park. Find the steps up to the caravan park and return through the park - right to the village or left back to the picnic area.
Note Sawtell Village Green. This is the area where Sawtell began - growing out of the largest camping area in NSW in the early twentieth
century. Here the annual New Year's Fun Day is held.

2 - B DOLMANS POINT from the car park. TIME: 1 hour.

Drive across the bridge up Lyons Road past the Sawtell Reserve and Caravan Park to the left-hand turn-off at the top of the hill. You can park here and walk as before.

3- A BONGIL BONGIL NATIONAL PARK from LYONS ROAD Time 2-3 Hours

The Lyons Road entry to the National Park is just west of Toormina Rd. and the Bayldon School. It can be reached by car/or bus to the car park at this corner A 2.5 km. walk will take you through a forest which was a plantation, a paper bark swamp and a creek walk to the Picnic Ground on Bonville Creek where there are facilities and an Information Board - also a little jetty for fishing or canoe launching. Return along the same route (take the soft track by the creek).

3-B BONGIL BONGIL N.P. PICNIC GROUND:

Drive west along Lyons Road to the Highway and south along the Hwy. to Williams Road. At the end of Williams Rd. is the entry to the Picnic Ground. Take a BBQ! Travel time: 10-15 mins.

3 - C. for Bushwalkers only: Time 2-3 hours.

Enter Bongil Bongil NP from Lyons Road and walk to the Railway Bridge. Turn left under the Bridge and follow the creek track east
to Bonville Waters Estate where the track emerges , just past a new estate, in Moller Drive. Turn left from Mollers Drive to Bonville Wcters Dr.up to Lyons Rd. Turn left along Lyons Rd. and walk back to the car park, or right to the village.

4 TOORMINA TO BOAMBEE NATURE WALK. Time: 2 hours or less.

Start at Apex Park, opposite the Toormina Gardens Shopping Centre in Toormina Road. (Drive or Bus from Sawtell Village 2 kms.)
From here a concrete path follows a water course to Jane Circuit. Cross Jane Circuit and take a track through a bushland park to the top of the hill where the Toormina water tanks are. Watch for koalas. Development is encroaching up the hill, but good views up the coast north can be had, and to the west across Linden Ave the mountains. The concrete path continues around the hill south to Sunrise Drive.
Take the first grassed lane in Sunrise Drive on your left to Harvie Drive, and a further lane left from Harvie Drive to return to the
Park, where any easterly track will take you back to Jane Circuit. Retrace your path to Apex Park, Toormina.

The above “Walks Around Sawtell” were thoughtfully composed by Maureen Trezise November 2003