Scotts Head is one of those places you arrive and just stare in awe for a good 10 minutes before you say a word. It’s simply breathtaking. The sun shines onto the water, lighting it up, as the surfers catch right hand breaks into shore. Cruising ever so slowly through the waves. It’s a surf town that has a surreal feeling to it.
Relaxed living
If you’re looking for some relaxed living, I can only imagine how perfectly you’d be able to attain this living in Scotts Head. The town doesn’t get too busy, the coastal walks are calming, and everyone is happy. I can already picture my ideal day living here. Waking up, going for a walk around the headlands, picking up a coffee and enjoying it at the lookout at the main beach (Forster Beach), before going home to work for a couple of hours online. That would be the dream.
Sustainable culture
One thing I noticed that was truly amazing was how environmentally conscious people were. Every single person at the village town had brought their own takeaway coffee cup with them. There wasn’t a single use cup in sight. Even kids had their own reusable cups. It was a perfect reminder to run back to the car and grab my Keep Cup.
You can tell this extends to the land and surrounds as the environment here is quite pristine. I didn’t see one scrap of rubbish on the ground while I was here. My fiancé James and I were pretty amazed by this.
I find when the locals set the example, the visitors follow, and that is exactly what happens here.
The perfect spot to see marine life
The headlands here offer pretty spectacular views up and down the coastline. All offering different scenery to the next, making it a pretty special place for a morning walk paired with whale watching!
One of our favourite lookouts was this little hidden track up Ocean Ridge Drive. If you continue driving to the end of the street, you’ll see a dirt track leading up to the headland. Go past the Private Property sign on your left, continuing right instead. (Don’t be deterred… it’s a little bumpy but definitely worth the short ride).
After about 1 minute the road opens up to this spectacular view on the cliff side. It’s not steep up here. It’s more of a gradual slope before you reach the cliff, giving you lots of room to park up, spread out a picnic rug and chairs, and watch the marine life from above. There is an abundance of it. Especially during the whale migration which was when we were here.
We saw multiple dolphin pods, countless whales and to our surprise, sea turtles! A few of them too. There is a rock submerged in the water at the base of the cliff which is where the turtles like to swim about. The water is so clean and clear making it very easy to see them. (I’d actually never witnessed this before).
Where to surf (or sunbake) around Scotts Head
There are a few really nice spots to surf around Scotts Head, including:
Wakki Beach
While we were here, James surfed at Wakki Beach. It’s just one beach over and there is hardly ever anyone there. It has a nice, secluded feeling to it.
Forster Beach
For a beginner surfer, like myself, Forster Beach is best. This beach is also an aerial photographers dream. It’s best captured just after sunrise, in the golden hour, when the sand ripples on the seafloor are lit up underneath the aqua green of the ocean.
Middle Beach
I prefer to swim, go for walks or just relax at the beach, which is why Middle Beach is one of my favourite spots. The beach is long, the sand is soft, and there are a few shady spots to sit if you’ve forgotten your beach umbrella. (It may not look like it but I do sit in the shade at the beach. My skin tans very easily as my mum is half Greek!)
Grassy Head
This gorgeous place deserves an article of its own. It’s one of my favourite places on the east coast of New South Wales. The relaxed vibe of this town, just 15 minutes away from Scotts Head, could keep me here for weeks. This is another beach that stretches on for what feels like forever. The sand is a soft white, and there is this perfect little sheltered area at the south end of the beach where I like to sit. Right next to the pandanus tree.
I can’t wait to return
As James and I cruise back down the east coast of Australia, we’ll definitely be returning here (as well our favourite paradise, Seal Rocks). The weather will be warmer, daylight savings would have arrived, and we feel like we have plenty more to explore. I can’t wait!
All of these stunning images of Scotts Head were taken by my fiancé James, at Aeroaus and are all available for purchase.
Have you been to Scotts Head before? What do you love about it? Leave me a message in the comments below!