Day 5/6. July 7/8 2026. Jimmy's Beach. Incident? What incident?.

Last trip up the east coast we realised that the parks we liked to stay at are just out of the main centres, rather than in them. i.e. if we are heading to Newcastle, then what is near there that may be of interest. As I sit here outside, late afternoon, with the kookaburras in the background at a place called Jimmy’s Beach – the policy is paying off handsomely. The park is less than 25% full, has lots of trees, and is a short walk to a magnificent surf beach. The area is part of Hawks Nest and is a quiet holiday town that is famous for only one thing, which I found out on the first night here. We did get a magnificent rainbow show on one of our walks which was worth getting wet for. We also got to the IGA without liquor and that wasn’t worth getting wet for.

While walking around town, there had been some commotion with a couple of ambulances around and eventually the rescue helicopter making some noise. Later in the night I tried googling what the incident around Hawks Nest might have been. What came up was that this is the place where the only known case of H5N1 Bird flu has been recorded in NSW…only 5 days ago!!!! (at time of writing). While no risk to us, there are lots of people with pets here, and the town is not advertising their new found fame. We had lamb steak for dinner instead of chicken. Looking through the local paper, I also noticed that there is a measles outbreak in Port Macquarie – so better we shoot forward a few hours and move out of the central coast with its beautiful beaches and exotic diseases.

We came north to get away from the cold, and apparently Melbourne had their coldest night of the year last night, while we sweltered in a balmy 11 degrees heat at 6 o’clock this morning. The rain showers are a pain, but the afternoon has let us get into shorts for the first time and go barefoot along the beach. We haven’t fully set up with awnings, outside tables and BBQ as we do have the option to stay dry inside, but looking forward to being able to cook outside on the bbq, with a beer, enjoying the warmth and hopefully some surf in the background. Can’t be too far away, surely?

Google review: Reflections Jimmy’s Beach

Due to frequent rain in the area recently, this caravan park was able to live up to its name in providing many reflections in puddles around the camp. Curious to have a chain of accommodation options named like they are a day spa on the peninsula, but we found it. I don’t know who Jimmy is, but his beach and the adjacent Bennetts Beach are a great spot for a walk to admire the many reflections. The wet weather has kept people away and while difficult for the park, it has provided a serene setting for a couple of days chilling out. Facilities are clean, working and I will always give more stars to places that refuse to put up shower curtains. Hurrah. 5 starts.