Laurieton

Laurieton is the commercial heart of the Camden Haven.  It has a comprehensive shopping centre, an industrial park, library, post office, banks, cinema, community health centre, ambulance, fire and police stations, two primary schools, two pre-schools, a community college, School of Arts hall, neighbourhood centre and a historical society museum, plus a wide range of sporting, entertainment and accommodation facilities.

Once a small fishing and timber milling village, Laurieton is now home to thriving oyster farms.  It’s surrounded by lakes that are linked to the ocean by the Camden Haven Inlet and Stingray Creek.  There’s good fishing throughout the waterways - crabs and prawns in the lakes; bream, whiting, flathead and blackfish in the quieter waters; jewfish, taylor, snapper, rock cod and drummer from the breakwalls and beaches.

Nestled beneath North Brother Mountain (at 487 metres high) Laurieton is sheltered from unpleasant westerlies and has a mild climate all-year round.

Dunbogan & Camden Head

Dunbogan, over the Camden Haven Inlet from Laurieton, is a tranquil riverside village that extends east to the ocean and two of the most beautiful natural viewing points in the state, Point Perpendicular and Camden Head.  Walking trails through Kattang Nature Reserve, featuring magnificent wildflowers and bushland, connect the two headlands.

Views from Point Perpendicular extend along Dunbogan Beach to Diamond Head in the Crowdy Bay National Park, and a trail down to the sea takes you to deep water rock pools with a variety of sea life, excellent rock fishing spots, surfing and sun-baking.

Dunbogan has three beaches.  Pilot Beach is nestled inside the river breakwall with safe 'bay' swimming for littlies and golden sand protected from the wind.  Wash House Beach is an open beach south of the breakwall.  Its extensive rock platform is ideal for fishing and exploration.  Dunbogan Beach, on the southern side of Camden Head, stretches 8 kms from the headland to Diamond Head in Crowdy Bay National Park.  With a beach permit and a 4WD, it’s a beautiful drive along the coast.

Dunbogan General Store provides convenience grocery and liquor lines, Dunbogan Boatshed & Marina looks after all your fishing and boating needs and Diamond Waters Nursery offers coffee and an array of plants to suit all gardens.

The Camden Head Pilot Station was established in 1890 to assist ships to navigate the bar at the mouth of the Camden Haven Inlet.  It was active up until 1975 with the original Pilot house built in 1907 and the current building dating from 1950.  Today the heritage listed facility is a centre for community environmental, educational and cultural activities and the three bedroom cottage is available for holiday rentals.

North Haven

Situated just 1.6km from Laurieton (its sister town), North Haven is one of the most picturesque towns in the Camden Haven.  It has glorious views looking west along the Camden Haven Inlet towards North Brother Mountain, its retail and dining precinct is directly opposite the water and it has a continuous waterside walking/ cycling path that extends for about 4 kms from the North Haven bridge to the end of the northern breakwall.

North Haven is particularly well suited to river fishing.  Its extensive facilities include the breakwall, a jetties, two boat ramps, many fish cleaning tables and the sandbanks for worms.  Luderick, bream and mulloway are caught on a regular basis.

Grant’s Beach is North Haven’s surf beach.  It’s patrolled during summer holidays and the kiosk at the Surf Club is an ideal spot for Sunday brunch.  The beach stretches for about 3kms from the breakwall to Grant’s Head at Bonny Hills and is a designated dog exercise area north of the car park. 

North Haven has a thriving bowling club, tennis courts, two restaurants, a primary school and a variety of shops from clothing & homewares to marine, fishing and hairdressing.  Outdoor amenities are perfect for family relaxation with BBQs, playgrounds and a tidal pool offering safe swimming for families.  Deep sea fishing and scuba diving businesses offer charter excursions daily.

Bonny Hills

Four kms along the coast from North Haven is the delightful seaside village of Bonny Hills.  Originally a holiday place for timber getters and dairy farmers from nearby Wauchope and the hinterland, Bonny Hills nowadays is home to families whose breadwinners work in Port Macquarie or Laurieton.  Modern villas face the beach along Ocean Drive, replacing the old wood fishing shacks of the past.

Rainbow Beach is a long sun bleached belt of white sand stretching 30 kilometres north from Bonny Hills to the Tacking Point Lighthouse near Port Macquarie.  It’s patrolled at Bonny Hills during the summer months by members of the local surf life saving club and features the gently flowing Vinegar Creek - a great spot for the children.  Each August, surfers young and old gather at Rainbow Beach for the annual Mal Muster, a long board competition that attracts visitors from all over Australia.  In the same month, the Beach Bum All Girl Surf Classic, the second biggest all-girl surfing competition in Australia, also takes place.

Amenities at the beach reserve include electric BBQs and a range of colourful and safe playground equipment.  A skateboard park is popular with older children and excellent tennis courts on Ocean Drive are used for regular competitions.

Bartlett's Beach boat ramp provides direct access to the ocean, .and the Bonny Hills Caravan Park has self contained cabins with stunning views of the ocean.

The Bonny Hills community centre is available for activities such as public performances, meetings and exercise classes.

Kew

Kew is the gateway to the Camden Haven, and a busy service centre for the highway.  Kew Visitors Centre provides an information service for visitors to the Camden Haven and the Greater Port Macquarie.  Turn east at Kew onto Ocean Drive for the coast, or west onto Kendall Road for the country.

Kendall

The Camden Haven River flows through the village of Kendall, 3kms west of the Pacific Highway.  Originally called Camden Haven, the name was changed to honour the poet Henry Kendall who was a resident in the 1880s.

Kendall is home to the annual Kendall National Violin Competition and the biennial Watermark Literary Muster, two events of national significance on Australia’s cultural calendar.  

Comboyne & the Hinterland

The countryside west of the Pacific Highway, including the Lorne and Batar districts, offers breathtaking drives and views and, if you like to stay somewhere away from it all, you can't go past a B&B or farmstay retreat.

The rugged Comboyne Plateau, 50kms west of the coast, rises more than 400 metres above sea level.  It's a centre for dairying, beef cattle production, timber getting and boutique agricultural industries.  Its lush pastures and rolling hills are home to intimate B&Bs, quaint historic retreats and cosy cafes.  Spectacular escarpment sights include the Ellenborough, Rawson and Bridal Veil Falls and the Borganna Nature Reserve.

The tiny village of Comboyne provides services to the surrounding properties