When we were thinking about exploring Australia, we didn’t know we’d be visiting Agnes Water & Town of 1770. Honestly speaking, when we made the plans, we did not know what to expect; Agnes Water wasn’t exactly a place that we knew about, but we decided to trust the process and next thing we knew, we were in Agnes Waters.
Accommodation
When we’d finally planned to go to Agnes Water, the first thing that came to our mind was finding a great place to stay. After spending a while looking through various options, we found our first pick; It was a gorgeous little place that would have been perfect for us, and we were already thinking about how happy we’d be there. But little did we know, Agnes Water was already pretty much booked and to our dismay, so was the park we'd picked out!
We thought Agnes Water wasn’t that popular, but we learnt the hard way that it gets very busy with tourists which is why it’s smart to make reservations at least a few days in advance.
But the story doesn’t end on a sad note; we weren’t going to let that get in the way of our fun, so we moved to our next choice, Captain Cook Holiday Village. Now, this place wasn’t exactly our first pick, and we were a little bummed about that, but in the end, it turned out to be a pretty good place to stay. The sites were a bit like a bush camp and overall a really nice place to be. However, the facilities were outdated a little bit…so, if you’re not one to compromise, we recommend booking months ahead of peak times.
Activities
After setting up we decided to head out and find out why Agnes Water was so popular among tourists. We made a point to explore as much as we could, so we hit up quite a few spots. I’m going to be honest here, our trip to Agnes Waters wasn’t exactly all a smooth run; us being completely clueless travellers and peak times really didn’t blend well. That being said, there were quite a few places that surprised us, pleasantly I should add, and we were glad that we were able to get into this Australian town after all.
Here’s just a little bit of what we did.
Paperback Trail Walk
We’re nature lovers so it’d be practically impossible for us to not head out on a walk. As soon as we had the chance we set off for Agnes Water & 1770 Town’s most popular nature trail, the Paperback Trail. Initially, everything looked okay; the trail is set in a gorgeous thick forest, so we were really pleased to connect to nature. However, we realized half way, the trail wasn’t exactly easy for a small child; there are stepping posts which if you don’t have good balance, well let’s say you will have wet shoes for the rest of the day, the kids struggled a little (my heart was in my throat because I could see wet shoes and tears). But they did great, and we had NO wet shoes thank god.
We weren’t aware that The Paperbark trail is right in amongst the local wetlands. But therefore we travel because on each journey we find something special even if that isn’t the landscape but the way our children react to new challenges and experiences. Oh, and Australia’s pretty fond of bugs and animals but Giant Burrowing Cockroaches? They’re real, they’re massive and they’re not a helpful sight, especially if you’re deep into a forest and they’re crawling all around!
Spring Beach
Just across the road from the Paperback Trail we found Spring Beach, which was a much better respite than the forest. The beach was quiet, tranquil, and not that crowded (perfect for picnics), so we were able to get a breather. Fortunately, we found a wooden tepee someone had tried to build out of driftwood and vines, and admittedly it was a pretty good effort.
I’ll give it bonus points for keeping the kids occupied while we could relax; and just when the kids were about to get bored, they found a new activity: exploring the rocks. It kept them occupied for only a few minutes, but parents know how precious even that is, so we’ll say that our time on Spring Beach was pretty amazing.
Bastard Bay Lookout
If you’re in Agnes Water and you want to have a great time, you must include this on your list. Seriously, it was one of the best places we visited, but we did find out that it can get pretty crowded around sunset, so it’s best to go before then. Andrew and I had been waiting for that perfect place to reignite the flame, but we hadn’t been that lucky.
To our surprise, Bastard Bay Lookout turned out to be that spot! Watching the sun slowly set against the cool wind would have been mesmerizing all on its own; but as the sun was fading, it reflected these gorgeous hues of color all over the ocean, and that was what really set the mood. It was simply perfect…oh, if only I had brought a picnic basket so we could nibble onto something along with our favorite bubbly, then it would have been pure bliss! Next lap that’s on the list for sure.
Eurimbula Creek Campground
Eurimbula Creek Campground was one of the few places we’d heard about, and we were really looking forward to it, but be aware this a 4x4 track. The track to the campground was narrow and consists of low overhanging trees which unfortunately meant we couldn’t fit our van, but camper trailers are definitely doable.
If you like to rough it up and really like the wild, then you’ll love this campground. Just make sure you birdwatch while having lunch on the beach (that’s what we did and it was awesome); and if you’re that mad, keen fisher type, you’ll probably be among those people we spotted fishing in the creek.
Captain Cook Monument and Lookout
If you’re a history buff, then you already know what the Captain Cook Monument is. But we learnt on our visit there that this monument was Lieutenant James Cook’s second landing spot, centuries back in May 1770. We also discovered that he first landed in Queensland and then spent several weeks here. If you’d love to check out this historical place, we’d be glad to give you a thumbs-up on this one!
Chinaman’s Beach
During our short time at Agnes Water, we’d learnt that the town’s full of beaches, so we decided why not and hit this one up. Chinaman’s Beach is a hub for turtles who nest here between the months of November to April; and we were really hoping to catch a glimpse too but unfortunately missed it by just a few days. That really saddened us and although the beach is spectacular on its own, if you’re in Agnes, make sure you get to see those cute reptiles and give them a rub on the back from us!
Drive Along The Foreshore
We took a casual drive along the foreshore one evening and let me tell you if that wasn’t one of the most stunning sunset-drives I’ve taken, then I don’t know what is. We continued driving a little way and took our time in choosing where to eat because there are so many options you find along the way. Eventually, we did find our pick and had a romantic dinner with the breath-taking ocean view beside us. If you’re in Agnes Water, this is the one thing you don’t miss!
Bonus: One of our few memorable experiences at the foreshore is when we grabbed coffee and happened to spot the lark rolling in after its daily tour. I don’t know what exactly caught our attention but seeing a boat roll onto land was something else.
Unfortunately, we were unable to get our own tour even though we’d booked because we’d fallen a little sick. But that’s okay, we’ll hit it next time!
Overall, Agnes Water was a pretty good experience but it was unexpectedly expensive too. However, we won’t say it’s not worth a visit because we did make a lot of memories.
We’ll keep you updated as we go!