Saltwater Creek to Bittangabee Bay

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Safer Bushwalks Tips on staying safe on track
Before you start any bushwalk ensure you;
• Tell someone you trust where you are going and what to do if you are overdue
• Have adequate equipment, supplies, skills & knowledge for the whole journey
• Consider the impact of weather forecasts, park/track closures & fire dangers
• Can respond to emergencies & call for help at any point
• Are healthy and fit enough for this journey
If not, change plans and stay safe. It is okay to delay and ask people for help.

Getting There Transport options and directions

Start	(-37.1688504,150.0007791)
Mode	Car (A park entry fee is required for driving into the park.)
Directions	From Princes Highway, A1 Turn on to Edrom Road then drive for 5.7 km Turn right onto Green Cape Road and drive for another 2.7 km Turn sharp left and drive for another 910 m Turn right onto Duck Hole Road and drive for another 2.9 km Turn left onto Saltwater Road and drive for another 4.1 km
Finish	(-37.216862,150.0147266)
Mode (end)	Car Shuttle Car (A park entry fee is required for driving into the park.)

Track Notes Turn by turn instructions & maps

Getting started
From the information signs at Saltwater Creek camping area, the walk heads through the 'Day use' parking area to the far left corner. The track then follows the track-marker through the fenced area and onto the beach between the creek and ocean. The track continues towards the bush on the other side, where there is a signposted intersection.....

Turn map	Directions & comments
	Start. There is a toilet (about 95 m back from the start). There is a BBQ (about 65 m back from the start). After 130 m pass the car park (20 m on your left).
	After another 90 m (from the Light to Light Walk) turn right, to head along Light to Light Walk. After another 150 m find the "Saltwater Creek Beach" (on your left). Saltwater Creek Beach Saltwater Creek meets the South Pacific Ocean at a beautiful white sand beach in Ben Boyd National park. The beach looks north-east and has a rock shelf at either end. The wide Saltwater Creek forms a lagoon at the northern end, popular for swimming. Woodburn Creek also forms a lagoon on the southern end of the beach. Both creeks have a brown colouration from the tea tree, that forms a beautiful contrast with the white sand and blue ocean. The back of the beach is heavily wooded, providing some shade, and is home to the Saltwater Creek campsite. The beach can be accessed from the Saltwater Creek campsite at the end of the access road from Duck Hole Road. After another 290 m cross the ford. After another 6.2 km find the "Black cliffs" (20 m on your left). Black cliffs The black cliffs of Ben Boyd National Park provide a great vantage point. The headland on the north side of Bittangabee has a fairly large clearing on a rock platform, high above the ocean. There are great views out to sea and into the mouth of Bittangabee Bay. There are no fences or facilities at this informal lookout. Being dark in colour, this rock platform can get very uncomfortable on hot days - trees on the south side provide some respite with shade. The rock slopes into the sea on the south side, but would be too dangerous for swimming. After another 1.4 km cross the ford. Then find the "Bittangabee Creek" (8 m on your left). Bittangabee Creek Bittangabee Creek is a small creek feeding Bittangabee Bay in Ben Boyd National Park. The creek enters the bay and is crossed by the Light to Light track about 800m north-west of Bittangabee Campsite. The creek provides a quiet place for people to paddle and relax.
	After another 325 m (from the Light to Light Walk) continue straight. After another 340 m find the "Imlay House" (on your left). Imlay House Imlay House ruins still show the foundations of a house built by the Imlay brothers in 1844. The ruins are found in Bittangabee Bay in Ben Boyd National Park, along the Light to Light track. The house was to be a station for the Imlay family to further their grazing and whaling in the area. It appears the stone house was never completed, with the brothers dying in 1846 (George) and 1847 (Alexander). Soon after the Imlay brothers died, Benjamin Boyd began using the bay for his own whaling company in 1848.
	After another 30 m (from the Light to Light Walk) veer right, to head along Light to Light Walk.
	After another 140 m come to the end. About 15 m past the end is "Bittangabee Bay Picnic Area". Bittangabee Bay Picnic Area Bittangabee Bay Picnic Area is near Bittangabee Bay and camp area in Ben Boyd National Park. The picnic area is a day-use only area with a few picnic tables, an electric BBQ and a pit toilet. There is a reasonable amount of natural shade, and is close to a car park. There is short walk to the beach and ruins at Bittangabee Bay. The picnic area is well signposted on the loop road near the Bittangabee camping area. About 70 m past the end is a car park. About 70 m past the end is a toilet. About 120 m past the end is "Bittangabee Bay Beach". Bittangabee Bay Beach Bittangabee Bay Beach, Ben Boyd National Park, is a small beach at the south-western corner of the bay. The beach can be accessed by a short walk from Bittangabee picnic area in Ben Boyd National Park. The yellow sand beach has a small creek and lagoon behind. The beach also has rock platforms at each end and is fairly well-protected from swells, being tucked away in the bay. The historic storehouse is visible on the shore to the right.

Terrain Know the Hills, grading & facilities

Saltwater Creek to Bittangabee Bay

Grading

	Class 4/6 Hard track
Length	9 km
Time	3 h to 3 h 30 min

Quality of track	Rough track, where fallen trees and other obstacles are likely (4/6)
Gradient	Very steep (4/6)
Signage	Minimal directional signs (4/6)
Infrastructure	Limited facilities (such as cliffs not fenced, significant creeks not bridged) (4/6)
Experience Required	No experience required (1/6)
Weather	Storms may impact on navigation and safety (3/6)

Some facilities on route

Toilet: There are 2 on route, on average they are 3.1 km apart with the largest gap of 9.1 km.

Order of key facilities on route

Item	From Start	Name & link to notes
Toilet	-89 m	[toilet]
Toilet	9.1 km	[toilet]

Articles Discover more details to thrive on track

Saltwater Creek Beach
Saltwater Creek meets the South Pacific Ocean at a beautiful white sand beach in Ben Boyd National park. The beach looks north-east and has a rock shelf at either end. The wide Saltwater Creek forms a lagoon at the northern end, popular for swimming. Woodburn Creek also forms a lagoon on the southern end of the beach. Both creeks have a brown colouration from the tea tree, that forms a beautiful contrast with the white sand and blue ocean. The back of the beach is heavily wooded, providing some shade, and is home to the Saltwater Creek campsite. The beach can be accessed from the Saltwater Creek campsite at the end of the access road from Duck Hole Road.

Hegartys Bay
Hegartys Bay is a north-east facing bay, about 2km north of Bittangabee in Ben Boyd National Park. The bay has many small boulders at the apex that then fade to rock shelves at each end. The bay is walled by red cliffs at the entrance and the northern wall has some spectacular examples of rock folding. The bay can be accessed along the Light to Light track and is home to a bush campsite.

Hegartys Bay camping area
Hegartys Bay camping area is a basic bush campsite on the Light to Light walk, about 2km north of Bittangabee. The campsite is signposted and is just north of a small creek that leads to Hegartys Bay. There is another, smaller campsite that is not signposted, about 50m north. The creek is very unreliable and other than some impromptu chairs made from driftwood, there are no facilities provided. The campsite is nestled in a clearing among the tall, dense bush, providing some shade and shelter from winds.

Black cliffs
The black cliffs of Ben Boyd National Park provide a great vantage point. The headland on the north side of Bittangabee has a fairly large clearing on a rock platform, high above the ocean. There are great views out to sea and into the mouth of Bittangabee Bay. There are no fences or facilities at this informal lookout. Being dark in colour, this rock platform can get very uncomfortable on hot days - trees on the south side provide some respite with shade. The rock slopes into the sea on the south side, but would be too dangerous for swimming.

Bittangabee Creek
Bittangabee Creek is a small creek feeding Bittangabee Bay in Ben Boyd National Park. The creek enters the bay and is crossed by the Light to Light track about 800m north-west of Bittangabee Campsite. The creek provides a quiet place for people to paddle and relax.

Imlay House
Imlay House ruins still show the foundations of a house built by the Imlay brothers in 1844. The ruins are found in Bittangabee Bay in Ben Boyd National Park, along the Light to Light track. The house was to be a station for the Imlay family to further their grazing and whaling in the area. It appears the stone house was never completed, with the brothers dying in 1846 (George) and 1847 (Alexander). Soon after the Imlay brothers died, Benjamin Boyd began using the bay for his own whaling company in 1848.

Bittangabee Bay Beach
Bittangabee Bay Beach, Ben Boyd National Park, is a small beach at the south-western corner of the bay. The beach can be accessed by a short walk from Bittangabee picnic area in Ben Boyd National Park. The yellow sand beach has a small creek and lagoon behind. The beach also has rock platforms at each end and is fairly well-protected from swells, being tucked away in the bay. The historic storehouse is visible on the shore to the right.

Bittangabee Bay Picnic Area
Bittangabee Bay Picnic Area is near Bittangabee Bay and camp area in Ben Boyd National Park. The picnic area is a day-use only area with a few picnic tables, an electric BBQ and a pit toilet. There is a reasonable amount of natural shade, and is close to a car park. There is short walk to the beach and ruins at Bittangabee Bay. The picnic area is well signposted on the loop road near the Bittangabee camping area.

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Weather & Alerts Check forecasts & closures
Weather Forecast
- Eden Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
  
  Sunday 20 April
  
  26°C
  Late shower or two.
  50% chance of rain
  
  Mostly sunny day. Medium chance of showers this evening. Light winds. Daytime maximum temperatures in the mid to high 20s.
  
  UV Alert: Sun protection 9:40am to 2:10pm, UV Index predicted to reach 5 [Moderate]
  
  Monday 21 April
  
  15°C → 21°C
  Shower or two.
  70% chance of rain
  0 → 9mm
  
  Partly cloudy. High chance of showers, most likely in the late afternoon and evening. The chance of a thunderstorm. Light winds becoming south to southwesterly 15 to 25 km/h in the middle of the day then tending west to southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h in the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 11 and 15 with daytime temperatures reaching between 18 and 22.
  
  Tuesday 22 April
  
  16°C → 21°C
  Showers.
  95% chance of rain
  6 → 30mm
  
  Cloudy. Very high chance of showers. The chance of a thunderstorm. Winds southwesterly 15 to 20 km/h turning southerly 20 to 30 km/h during the morning. Overnight temperatures falling to between 12 and 16 with daytime temperatures reaching between 17 and 21.
  
  Wednesday 23 April
  
  15°C → 19°C
  Showers.
  80% chance of rain
  1 → 10mm
  
  Cloudy. High chance of showers. Winds southerly 15 to 20 km/h tending southeasterly during the day then becoming light during the evening. Overnight temperatures falling to between 11 and 16 with daytime temperatures reaching between 15 and 20.
  
  Thursday 24 April
  
  14°C → 21°C
  Possible shower.
  40% chance of rain
  0 → 1mm
  
  Possible shower.
  
  Friday 25 April
  
  14°C → 23°C
  Shower or two.
  50% chance of rain
  0 → 4mm
  
  Shower or two.
  
  Saturday 26 April
  
  13°C → 19°C
  Shower or two.
  50% chance of rain
  0 → 3mm
  
  Shower or two.
  
  Forecast data thanks to © Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology
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