Where to stay in North Haven
A quiet beach and fishing village where the Camden Haven River meets the sea, under North Brother Mountain. North Haven pairs a surf beach with calm river swims, breakwall walks and good fishing, with Laurieton and Port Macquarie close by. Here's where to stay in North Haven, and what to do when you get there.
- Weather
- ·· Loading current conditions
- Best time to visit
- Spring to autumn for the beach and the river, which stays calm and warm enough for a swim through the summer. The school holidays are the busiest, when the fishing and the foreshore parks fill up.
- Getting there
- About a four hour drive north of Sydney. Leave the Pacific Highway at Kew, then a short drive east through Laurieton to North Haven. The nearest airport is Port Macquarie, around 40 minutes north.
- Location
- Mid North Coast, NSW · View on map
Why go
- North Haven Beach, a surf beach backed by Norfolk pines
- The Camden Haven River entrance, with breakwall walks and good fishing
- The River Baths, a calm and easy spot for a swim
- Grassy parks and picnic spots all along the inlet
- North Brother Mountain behind town, with a lookout over the coast and lakes
- Tandem paragliding over the coast with High Adventure Paragliding
- A quiet, old-fashioned holiday village, handy to Laurieton and Port Macquarie
The top 7 places to stay in North Haven
North Haven has motels on the riverbank, holiday parks by the breakwall, and houses and cabins along the river and the back streets. As a family holiday and fishing town it books out over summer and the school holidays, so reserve early. Here are our picks, and the search further down compares everything else with live prices.
Transparency: some links below are affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
- Our pick
Haven Waters Motel & Apartments
Best foran easy riverfront base, and families in the apartments
Motel rooms and self-contained one and two bedroom apartments on the riverbank at the quiet end of The Parade, with a pool, a barbecue area and the bowling club a hundred metres away. It is the best-rated stay in the village across hundreds of reviews, and the apartments suit families and longer stays. The breakwall and the beach are a fifteen minute walk along the river, with dolphins often in the channel on the way.
- On the river
- Apartments sleep 6
- Pool
Woongarra Motel
Best forsolid value near the river
A sixteen room motel two doors up from Haven Waters, opposite the river inlet and family-run since 1979. Rooms are simple, big and impeccably kept, there is a pool and a barbecue camp kitchen, and it is usually the cheapest solid bed in the village. The kind of motel that gets guests coming back every year.
- Family run
- Pool
- Near the river
Reflections North Haven
Best forcampers who want the breakwall at the doorstep
The last property before the breakwall, on twelve shady acres between the Camden Haven inlet and Grants Beach. Sites, cabins, tiny homes and beach glamping tents, with dogs welcome year-round on all sites and in selected tiny homes, plus dog wash stations and free mini golf. The pick for campers who want the beach and the wall a stroll from the tent.
- By the breakwall
- Tiny homes and glamping
- Mini golf
North Haven Holiday Village
Best fora simple family park near the river mouth
The old Jacaranda park under a new name, a few hundred metres short of the breakwall with the beach a short walk over the dunes. Cabins and sites, a pool, a playground and boat parking make it the straightforward family park, and pets are welcome on selected sites. It is a basic park rather than a resort, so set expectations accordingly and enjoy the position.
- Pool
- Boat parking
- Playground
Dunbogan Caravan Park
Best forquiet stays with the dog, and fishing trips
A small, quiet park across the river at Dunbogan, five minutes' drive from the shops, with seven cabins and powered sites kept meticulously. Pets are welcome on all sites and in two of the cabins, and the owners hand guests a list of the local dog beaches. Pilot Beach, the Kattang headland walks and the boat ramp are all close, which makes it a favourite for fishing trips.
- Quiet
- Near Pilot Beach
- 5 min drive
Treehouse Retreat at Diamond Waters
Best forcouples after somewhere special
Two hand-built treehouses on a wetland by the lower estuary, ten minutes south near Dunbogan, each self-contained with a balcony over the reeds, a boardwalk to a bird hide and a campfire for the evening. Guests get garden produce and morning coffee from the hosts, and the reviews are a wall of five stars. There are only two treehouses, so plan ahead, and book direct; it is not on the booking sites.
- Treehouses
- Wetland boardwalk
- 10 min drive
The Mariner Motel
Best forwalking to the Laurieton shops and clubs
A refurbished family-run motel at the entrance to Laurieton, a short flat walk from the supermarket, the cafes, the cinema and the services club, with the beach a five minute drive back across the bridge. Rooms are spotless and the owners are hands-on. The pick if you want to walk to dinner and do not mind driving to the sand.
- Walk to Laurieton shops
- Refurbished
- 5 min to the beach
How we choose: guest ratings across booking sites, plus our own time in North Haven. We visit every town we cover, and no place on this list has paid to be here.
North Haven is a quiet holiday village where the Camden Haven River meets the sea, on the Mid North Coast south of Port Macquarie. It is the kind of low-key, old-fashioned beach town that fills up with families and fishers over summer and goes quiet again the rest of the year. North Brother Mountain rises green behind it, and the river, the beach and the breakwall are all a short walk apart.
Why stay in North Haven
North Haven suits a slow, outdoorsy holiday. You can surf or swim at the beach, paddle or fish the calm river, walk the breakwall out to the entrance, and watch the light fade behind North Brother Mountain. It is family friendly and unflashy, with foreshore parks, a boat ramp and a small shopping strip, and it sits in the middle of the Camden Haven, so Laurieton, Dunbogan and the lakes are all close.
The beach
North Haven Beach is the main surf beach, a sweep of sand backed by Norfolk pines and a surf club, patrolled over the summer season. It is good for a swim or a surf, and the rocks at the southern end mark the start of the breakwall. The coast runs north from here towards Bonny Hills and Lake Cathie.
The river and the breakwall
The Camden Haven River opens to the sea at North Haven, and a long rock breakwall guards the entrance. It is a favourite walk and ride, out along the wall with the water on one side and North Brother on the other, and a popular fishing spot too. Back towards town the River Baths give you a calm, easy place to swim, and grassy reserves line the bank for a picnic or to launch a boat or a kayak.
North Brother Mountain
North Brother Mountain stands over the Camden Haven as part of Dooragan National Park. The drive or walk to the top is worth it for the lookout, which takes in the river, the lakes, the beaches and the coast for miles. It is a good spot to watch for whales passing in winter and spring. The Brothers are also a launch point for tandem paragliding, and High Adventure Paragliding runs flights out over the Camden Haven and the coast.
Things to do
- Swim or surf at North Haven Beach
- Walk or ride the breakwall to the river entrance
- Swim the calm water of the River Baths
- Fish the river, the breakwall or the beach
- Drive up North Brother Mountain for the lookout
- Take a tandem paragliding flight with High Adventure Paragliding
- Picnic or launch a kayak from the grassy reserves along the inlet
- Explore Laurieton, Dunbogan and the Camden Haven lakes nearby
Food and coffee
North Haven and neighbouring Laurieton have the cafes, bakeries and takeaways you need for a holiday, with a few good spots for a coffee by the water or the shops. It is busiest in the holidays, so expect a queue at the popular places.
Getting there
North Haven is about a four hour drive north of Sydney. Leave the Pacific Highway at Kew, then it is a short drive east through Laurieton to North Haven. The nearest airport is Port Macquarie, around 40 minutes north, and you can also reach town on Ocean Drive down the coast from Port Macquarie.
Good to know
North Haven is busiest over summer and the school holidays, when the holiday park and units book out and the boat ramp gets busy. The town has a small shopping strip, and Laurieton just across the river has more shops and services.
Local tip: the breakwall is a fine place to be at first light or last, with the mountain catching the sun. Take care near the rocks and the entrance when the swell is up.
Walks and hikes near North Haven
Coast, headland and rainforest tracks worth the boots, each with directions to the trailhead.
North Haven breakwall and beach
A flat, sealed path runs out along the breakwall to the mouth of the Camden Haven River, with the water on one side and North Brother Mountain on the other. Add the surf beach and the calm River Baths and you can make a loop of it. Good for a walk or a ride, and a favourite at first and last light.
Getting to the startStart from the surf club on the North Haven beachfront and follow the path south to where the beach meets the rocks at the start of the wall. View on map
North Brother Mountain, Dooragan National Park
The green mountain behind town, with lookouts at the top that stare straight down over the river, the lakes, the beaches and the coast for miles. You can drive almost to the summit, or earn it on the steep Laurieton Track up through eucalypt forest, grass trees and cycads. A good whale watching spot in winter and spring.
Getting to the startFor the lookouts, take North Brother Mountain Road off Ocean Drive at Laurieton and follow it to the top. The Laurieton Track climbs from lower down the mountain. View on map
Perpendicular Point, Kattang Nature Reserve
A clifftop walk on the headland across the inlet, where sheer cliffs drop to the sea and the heath lights up with wildflowers in late winter and spring. Long views north to Port Macquarie and south to Diamond Head, and one of the better whale watching spots on this part of the coast.
Getting to the startDrive through Laurieton and Dunbogan, then take Camden Head Road and Bergalia Crescent to the Bergalia car park, about 15 minutes from North Haven. View on map
Surf, tides and wind in North Haven
Live wave, tide and wind conditions for the open coast, updated through the day.
Tap an arrow for the time, speed and direction.
- Swell
- –
- Period
- –
- Direction
- –
- Water
- –
Wave, tide and wind data from Open-Meteo. Tides are open-coast predictions and can differ inside creeks and river mouths.
The North Haven notice board
Ask a question or leave a tip for the next traveller. Notes are public, checked automatically before they go up, and cleared out now and then. Keep it kind and local.
