Sometimes the best places on a road trip are the ones somebody else tells you about.
Our friends Mel and Andy had spent a week around South West Rocks and came home raving about it. Neither Phil nor I had visited before, so when we were planning our NSW caravan road trip, we decided to nick their destination and see what all the fuss was about.
We based ourselves at Trial Bay Gaol Campground in Arakoon National Park, just outside South West Rocks, and spent our time exploring the national park, discovering the history of Trial Bay Gaol, visiting Smoky Cape Lighthouse, wandering around South West Rocks and enjoying the simple pleasure of camping beside the coast.
There was plenty of rain thrown into the mix too, but even that didn’t stop this from becoming one of those places we were very glad someone had told us about.
Camping at Trial Bay Gaol Campground
Trial Bay Gaol Campground sits inside Arakoon National Park, with the ruins of Trial Bay Gaol overlooking the campground and the beach just beyond.
And when I say we camped close to the gaol, I mean close. From Connie we could look across and see the old gaol sitting above us.
We chose an unpowered site rather than paying extra for power or one of the beachfront sites. It saved us a little money, but that wasn’t actually the biggest advantage.
Most of the powered sites were quite busy during our stay, while our section of the unpowered campground was almost empty.
We had an enormous amount of space around Connie.
There wasn’t much opportunity for campground socialising when you don’t actually have any neighbours, but having that much room to ourselves was rather lovely.
We also decided not to pay extra for a beachfront site. Would the beachfront have been nice? Absolutely. Was it necessary? Not for us. We could already see the ocean from Connie and were only a short walk from the beach.
What Are the Facilities Like?
We were really happy with the campground facilities.
There were toilets, a camp kitchen and laundry facilities, and we found the amenities clean and well looked after. During our stay the washing machines were $4 per load, with dryers costing $1 per 15 minutes.
The staff were lovely too.
And then there were the other campground visitors.
Kangaroos.
Lots of kangaroos.
They wandered through regularly, including mums carrying joeys, and became part of everyday life around the campground.
After several nights there, Phil and I both agreed that Trial Bay Gaol Campground had been a brilliant place to stay.
Camping Unpowered in Connie
Our stay also gave us a decent test of Connie’s upgraded off-grid setup.
The weather wasn’t particularly helpful. We had rain, heavy cloud, and plenty of shade from the large trees surrounding our site, so it wasn’t exactly perfect solar conditions.
Even so, our upgraded solar system handled it well. On most days we returned to 100%, and even after a particularly miserable day of rain and cloud we were able to replace what we’d used the previous night.
Water required a little more old-fashioned effort.
After several nights away, we needed to top up Connie, which meant hauling water back to the van rather than simply connecting a hose. Twenty litres of water suddenly feels considerably heavier when you’re carrying it!
It’s all part of the reality of choosing an unpowered campsite, but for the space and location we had at Trial Bay, we’d happily made that choice.
Exploring South West Rocks
After unhitching Connie, one of our first outings was into South West Rocks itself.
We found the pub, had an afternoon drink and wandered down towards the Surf Life Saving Club and coastline.
Over the following days we returned several times, sometimes with a particular destination in mind and sometimes because we needed to do normal travelling-life things like shopping, washing or finding something to eat.
South West Rocks is a lovely little coastal town and suited the slower few days we were looking for.
And, of course, there was fish and chips.
Apparently Phil has a rule that when we come to the coast, there must be fish and chips.
I had beef nachos.
Make of that what you will.
Back Creek
Another easy place to explore around South West Rocks is Back Creek.
At high tide, the calm water makes it popular for swimming and activities like stand-up paddleboarding, and boats also use the creek to access the water.
We visited when a large sand flat was exposed, which gave us a very different view of the area.
It’s not somewhere that requires an elaborate itinerary. It’s simply another lovely little part of South West Rocks to wander around while you’re exploring town.
Smoky Cape Lighthouse
One of our drives from the campground took us into Hat Head National Park to visit Smoky Cape Lighthouse.
And there’s something you need to know before you head up there.
The walk to the lighthouse is steep.
Really steep.
The path itself was smooth, but both going up and coming back down involved a serious incline.
Once we reached the top, though, we were rewarded with beautiful coastal views, even with mist and wet weather rolling in around us.
And you need to know something before you head up there.
The walk to the lighthouse is steep.
Really steep.
The path was smooth, but both the way up and the way back down involved a serious incline.
Once we reached the top, though, we were rewarded with beautiful coastal views, even with mist and wet weather rolling in.
The lighthouse dates from the late 1800s and still uses its original lenses. The surrounding lighthouse buildings also provide accommodation.
We were visiting the coast during the northern whale migration and hoped the lighthouse might give us a good vantage point. We saw the aftermath of some splashing and breaching in the distance. Phil thinks he saw part of a whale.
I’m not convinced I did.
Either way, the views alone made Smoky Cape worth the climb.
Exploring Trial Bay Gaol
One of the biggest advantages of staying at the campground is having Trial Bay Gaol practically on your doorstep.
The gaol has a fascinating history.
It was originally built in the 1800s to house prisoners who were working on a breakwater designed to create a safe harbour at Trial Bay. The ambitious breakwater project didn’t quite go to plan, and the gaol eventually closed.
Its story wasn’t finished, though.
During World War I, Trial Bay Gaol was used as an internment camp for hundreds of men of German descent.
Today you can walk through the remaining cell blocks, kitchen and bakehouse areas, solitary confinement cells, hospital ruins and other parts of the complex.
Standing inside one of the tiny cells certainly puts things in perspective. They were originally designed for one prisoner, though at times two men were housed in them.
No, thank you.
What We Liked About Trial Bay Gaol
Phil loves history and will happily read every information board put in front of him.
Me? Not so much.
That’s why I particularly liked the way Trial Bay Gaol tells its story.
There is plenty of information, but much of it is presented in smaller, manageable sections. We could watch the introductory material to understand the bigger story and then pick up additional pieces of history as we explored the ruins.
It meant I could absorb the story without reaching that point where I’ve read so much information that none of it is going in anymore.
Phil still read everything.
We both came away impressed by how well the site had been preserved and how effectively its history was presented.
If you’re staying around South West Rocks, we’d definitely include Trial Bay Gaol in your plans.
Walking to the German Monument
One afternoon, I decided to explore some of the walking tracks above the campground.
My plan was to walk to the German Monument and, if I still had enough energy, continue to the old powder magazine.
I initially headed towards the wrong track.
Because apparently adding a little unnecessary exercise makes a walk more interesting.
Once I found the correct path, the walk to the monument was around 1.4 kilometres return from the area I was exploring.
The monument commemorates five German internees who died during the period associated with the Trial Bay internment camp. It was originally constructed in 1918, destroyed soon afterwards and later restored.
Nearby are also historic burial sites, although time and the coastal environment have taken their toll on many of them.
The Powder Magazine Walk
I continued on to the old powder magazine, which was used to store the gunpowder needed for blasting rock from the quarry during construction of the breakwater.
Even this small utilitarian building had decorative detailing around the top.
The walk itself ended up being one of my favourite quiet moments of our stay.
The late-afternoon light through the bush was beautiful, the tracks were marked, and along the way I stopped and chatted with some lovely locals.
Sometimes those unscripted moments become as memorable as the attraction you originally set out to see.
The Reality of Coastal Camping
Not every moment at Trial Bay involved sightseeing.
We did washing, carried water, Phil played with the fridge, we cooked outside, and then the weather decided to join us for dinner.
One evening, a storm hit while we were cooking, and we ended up rearranging our undercover area while getting thoroughly soaked.
Dinner may not have looked particularly glamorous by the time we sat down to eat it, but that’s caravan travel.
Not every meal comes with sunset lighting and a perfectly styled campsite.
Sometimes you’re wet, dinner has been shuffled around to escape the rain, and you’re simply grateful that it’s cooked.
Don’t Forget the Vanilla Slice
We also appear to have accidentally created another road-trip tradition.
Vanilla slice testing.
We picked one up from a bakery in South West Rocks and decided that the vanilla slice we’d previously eaten in Bingara had become the benchmark against which all future slices would be judged.
This one was good.
Bingara was still winning.
Clearly more research will be required.
Would We Stay at Trial Bay Gaol Campground Again?
Absolutely.
Trial Bay Gaol Campground gave us the kind of stay we really enjoy.
We had plenty of room around Connie, kangaroos wandering through camp, clean facilities, lovely staff and the beach almost outside our door.
South West Rocks was close enough for meals, shopping and exploring, while Trial Bay Gaol, Smoky Cape Lighthouse, Back Creek and the national park gave us plenty to do without having to travel far.
Most importantly, we didn’t feel as though we needed to rush.
We could explore something in the morning, come back to Connie, head out again later or simply stay around camp.
Mel and Andy were right.
We nicked their destination, and we’re very glad we did.
Watch Our Arakoon and South West Rocks Adventure
Want to see what staying at Trial Bay Gaol Campground was really like?
Come along with us as we explore Trial Bay Gaol, South West Rocks, Smoky Cape Lighthouse and the surrounding national parks, and show you what life at the campground looked like during our stay.
Watch our Arakoon and South West Rocks adventure on YouTube
If you’ve discovered a place around Australia that you think we’d love too, we’d love to hear about it. Some of our favourite destinations begin with somebody simply saying, “You should go there.”
Travel brilliantly,
Kerryn & Phil
