I have crossed the state lines into enemy territory, the land of the New South Wales Blues! But why have I done that? Welcome to Hastings Point in northern New South Wales. The site of the third Hattersley/Beckham trip of 2025.
Where is Hastings Point?
Approximately three and a half hours, and just over two hundred kilometres south of the Sunshine Coast, lies Hastings Point. It sits on the northern NSW coast between Coolangatta and Byron Bay. Accessed via the M1 (Bruce Highway) and then the Tweed Coast Road, it’s unmissable.
Weather
We are here in Hastings Point in the last few weeks of Autumn. The weather is estimated to be 22-24 during the day and around 17 at night. Let’s see how that plays out! More on that later.
Who am I?
My regular subscribers will know me well. I am the CEO of Madhatterpress. Accompanying me on this trip is my dad, Barry Beckham. A dad and daughter short holiday.
Why are we going?
Why not? We have had a couple of short trips this year and did debate one in April but decided to steer away from the inflated prices and school holidays. We also wanted to go somewhere a little different to usual. We have driven through Hastings Point and the other little towns on the northern NSW coast previously but never stopped there. It was time to change that.
Diary of the Trip
Monday 12 May
Time to hit the road! Like any journey, the first decision is always where to stop for breakfast. This time, though, it was an easy call – we opted for our usual McDonald’s breakfast at home since we weren’t in a hurry. Setting off around 10:30 am, we hit the highway, knowing that the only thing standing between us and our holiday let was crossing the NSW border! We arrived at Hastings Cove Apartments ½ hour early and it was ready for us, so we were given the keys.
Once in and settled, it was time for a drive. We headed over Round Mountain Road to Murwillumbah. The road was part tarmac, part gravel, part dirt-track but all in all it was fun. The weather was sporadic. Rain and sun. Sun then rain and more of the same. The temperature stayed around the 24-degree mark, so consistent despite the weather changes.
It’s this kind of weather that gives the photographer in the family the atmosphere that he looks for. In Dads words, “I’ll know it when I see it,” and today, he knew it. He was in and out of the car many times through the drive. We headed back via Pottsville and had our evening meal at the tavern.
Our cabin had Netflix, so we were able to relax with one of the series we have been watching at home, while our dinner settled.
Tuesday 13 May
While the weather was forecast to be rain and 24 degrees today, dad risked an early morning start and headed out to get some sunrise shots. Once back, and breakfast was done, he headed back to bed to top up the sleep!
Late morning, we decided to get going out and about. The decision was made to check out a couple of the lookouts along the beaches. We jumped in and out of the car and snapped a few pictures here and there. We had lunch at The Beach Bar at Cabarita and then was on our way again.
Gradually we made our way to Fingal Head. We stopped at the Pickled Pig Brewery, which was in disarray following the recent cyclone. They had had their power knocked out which meant they had lost a copious amount of their beers and ales. They still had enough for dad to have one though!!
We did head out for sunset, but it didn’t colour up, it started to rain instead, so the evening was completed with some leftovers for dinner that we had brought with us and Netflix!
Wednesday 14 May
Today started with coffee and breakfast. We decided to go to a local eatery and ended up at Black Drop Cafe. After breakfast, it was time to hit the road and cruise south, stopping wherever the mood took us. That mood took us to Johansen Park, Wooyung, and all the way to Byron Bay. But there was an ulterior motive in heading towards Byron. That motive…Stone and Wood Brewery
We had been here before when we stayed in Byron Bay, but it was time for a revisit. A couple of beers, a blood orange spritzer, a case of beer (thank you Craft Beer Passport for the discount!) and we were on our way back up the M1 to Casuarina Beach Bar for a snack! Then coffee and cake at the holiday let before heading out for sunset.
While sunset coloured up a little, it wasn’t the most spectacular. It was then back to the holiday let for snacks, beer, and red wine! A couple of episodes of a Netflix series rounded off the night.
Thursday 15 May
Today started with another sunrise photography attempt for dad. I use the word ‘attempt’ as it was ‘grey, dull, didn’t stop raining’ and ‘I picked the wrong morning!’ In other words, a washout. He came back, having not even taken his camera out of the car, and caught up on some sleep. Coffee and breakfast were on the cards before anything else today. Breakfast was at Black Drop Cafe. Bacon, eggs, and sourdough toast – simple and effective!
Back to the holiday let for a shower and to pack everything not needed today so that tomorrow would be a get up and go. Then it was off out. Today, we ventured inland, over Round Mountain Road and out to Murwillumbah. The day was ours and the roads stretched out ahead of us. We had sporadic bouts of rain, but the temperatures dropped to around 19-20 degrees today. It’s very clear that ‘Winter is coming!’ After reaching Murwillimbah, we headed out towards Tyalgum and Natural Bridge, which took us back into Queensland for a brief few kilometres! We spent many hours just having a drive around today.
When we go back to Casuarina, we ventured to the shoreline to see how sunset was playing out. The sun set, but it was not a colourful one, so we headed to Casuarina Beach Bar and had dinner. Back to the holiday rental for a few drinks and Netflix.
Friday 16 May
Friday means home and like every hotel, B&B, cabin or Air B&B, checkout is 10am. We were packed and ready to go by not long after 9, so we loaded the car up and hit the road. The traffic was pretty good, the only major hurdle was a bit of stop/start traffic around Bracken Ridge, but other than that, we were home in good time.
We’re unpacked. The washing is on. The couple of bits of food shopping have been bought. Life is back to normal.
Time to review the trip.
After a trip, I always ask myself three questions. So, here goes!
Would I come back to Hasting’s Point?
Yes I would. It’s calm and quiet. There are beaches and lookouts and a few eateries, all localised. While we were here in the last month of autumn, there were still enough eateries open, but you can see things starting to wind down business for the low season. Hastings Point is only 31km north of Byron Bay so if you stay at Hastings Point, you can have a good day out to Byron Bay. It is not far from the southern end of Surfers Paradise and Tweed Heads so there is plenty around to see and do.
Would I stay at the same accommodation?
I would. It was reasonably priced and in a good position. We were local to the beach and to lookouts. If I were to be picky, the accomodation had a tiny toilet, one of those that you really had to be a contortionist to get into! My other comment is about the second bedroom.
When you are a dad and daughter travelling, privacy is necessary. It’s not like mum and daughter or father and son travelling, life is a little different then. The second bedroom did not have a lockable door, and it was a sliding louvre door. It was unable to be shut properly. I had also asked for the single beds to be made together as a double, but that was not done.
Would I do anything differently?
No. I don’t think I would. Would I shorten or lengthen the trip? Depends on the time of year. But safe to say, this trip was pretty damn good.
