Is Harrington Worth Visiting? A Relaxed Weekend on the Barrington Coast
If you’re looking for somewhere on the NSW coast where you can slow down, breathe out and forget about your to-do list for a couple of days, Harrington is worth visiting.
Sitting at the mouth of the Manning River on the Barrington Coast, Harrington isn’t a destination packed with attractions. That’s actually part of its appeal. It’s a place for beaches, fishing, river views, wildlife and doing as much — or as little — as you feel like.
We drove up from Newcastle for a mid-week escape, but Harrington is also an easy option for a weekend escape from Sydney.
We were unlucky with the weather when we arrived, with storms threatening, but that didn’t stop us finding plenty to enjoy.
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Where is Harrington?
Harrington is located 3 1/2 hour drive north of Sydney, 2 1/4 hour drive north of Newcastle or 2 1/4 hour drive south of Coffs Harbour.
If you are travelling from Sydney on a slower road trip, check out my guide about things to do in Newcastle worth stopping for.
If you are travelling by public transport, catch the train to Taree (5 1/4 hours) and a local 320 bus (1-hr) or taxi to Harrington. Alternatively, the Greyhound bus takes 5 hours from Sydney to Taree.
Check transport timetables before you leave.
Where to stay in Harrington
We stayed at Discovery Parks – Harrington Beach, which worked well for a weekend in Harrington.
The holiday park has direct access towards the lagoon and plenty to keep families occupied, including two swimming pools, a splash zone, jumping pillow and nine-hole mini golf. There are also playgrounds and other family facilities.
Check accommodation and prices at Discovery Parks – Harrington Beach
The location is particularly handy if you’re travelling with kids because you don’t have to get in the car every time you want to do something.
The park also puts you close to Harrington Beach, the lagoon and the road towards Crowdy Head and Crowdy Bay National Park.
If you’re travelling during the warmer months, I’d book ahead. Harrington is a popular summer escape.
Harrington Lagoon
Our first outing was a wander down to Harrington Lagoon.
It’s a lovely spot for families with small children, with a sandy, gently sloping beach and calmer water than the open ocean. The lagoon is particularly appealing if you have little ones who aren’t ready for the waves.
The lagoon is also right beside Harrington Beach, so you can easily combine the two.
On a sunny summer day, I can see this being one of those places where you arrive for an hour and somehow spend the entire afternoon.
Club Harrington: the million-dollar view
With storms rolling in, we decided it was probably time to find somewhere undercover.
Enter Club Harrington.
The club describes itself as having a million-dollar view, and after seeing it for ourselves, we’re not going to argue.
The entire length of the club has huge floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Manning River. It’s a fantastic place to sit and watch the weather roll across the water.
And apparently, we weren’t the only ones who had the same idea.
It was a Wednesday night and the club was packed.
The food is classic pub-style fare and ours was delicious, but reserve a table if you’re planning to eat here, particularly on a busy night.
There’s also a courtesy bus that runs around Harrington, so you don’t necessarily need to drive. The club says the bus operates on the hour and can pick you up and drop you home.
Breakfast in Harrington
The following morning we headed to the cafe in Harrington Waters Shopping Village, where we had a good-value big breakfast at the Harrington Bakehouse & Cafe.
The shopping village has a rather unusual layout. An all-denominations church sits right in the middle of the car park, splitting the shopping area in half, with the IGA and courtyard around it.
It’s certainly not your standard suburban shopping centre!
If you’re looking for other breakfast options, Beach Street Dispensary Cafe is worth knowing about. We stopped in, but they didn’t have the big breakfast we were looking for.
It did, however, appear to be popular with locals. The cafe overlooks the river and a park with a children’s playground and focuses on organic food.
Crowdy Head and the Lighthouse
After breakfast, we headed towards Crowdy Head Lighthouse.
The lighthouse itself?
I’m going to be honest.
It may be the least impressive lighthouse I’ve ever seen.
But don’t let that put you off.
The views from up here are fantastic, looking across Crowdy Bay and towards the marina. And this is a particularly good place to keep in mind if you’re visiting Harrington during whale season (May to November).
Travelling along further along the coast? Check out when and where the whales will be and where to see them in Where to See Whales on the East Coast of Australia.
Stop at Sunset Cafe
If you’re around Crowdy Head at lunchtime, Sunset Cafe makes a handy stop overlooking Crowdy Bay.
Despite the name, don’t arrive expecting to grab a burger and sit on the sand watching the sun disappear over the water.
We initially thought that sounded like exactly the sort of thing you should be able to do at a place called Sunset Cafe.
It isn’t.
The cafe is open for brunch and lunch. Its name comes from the fact that the location gives you the opportunity to watch the sunset over the water.
The beach is also patrolled by volunteer surf lifesavers on weekends and public holidays from October to April.
So if you’re visiting in summer, this is a good spot to combine lunch with a swim.
Fishing in Harrington
Harrington has a strong fishing culture, and if you’re interested in fishing, it’s worth bringing your gear. The Manning River is known for flathead, bream, whiting and mulloway on lures like soft plastic and jerkfish. If you have a boat, throw in some crab pots for blue swimmer crab or mud crab.
For more fishing spots in Harrington, try the Fish Angler app.
We’d heard from locals that the harbour was a good place to try squid fishing at night, so we had planned to give it a go.
Unfortunately, the harbour was being dredged while we were there.
If the dredging has finished by the time you visit and you try your luck, let me know how you go. I’d love to know whether the locals’ tip paid off!
Fishing is also popular around the breakwall, where you’ll see people casting for species including bream and blackfish.
Crowdy Bay National Park
From Crowdy Head, we headed into Crowdy Bay National Park.
This is where Harrington starts to feel like much more than just a quiet seaside town.
We drove along the unsealed roads towards Diamond Head campground. It’s definitely worth a visit even if you aren’t camping there. A 2WD can access the campground, although the roads are unsealed and conditions can change, particularly after rain, so check conditions before you go.
Diamond Head campground information and bookings
And then there were the kangaroos.
They were lounging around on the grass as though they owned the place — which, let’s be honest, they probably think they do.
We walked along the beach and were lucky enough to see dolphins playing in the waves.
It’s exactly the sort of experience that makes you slow down and appreciate why you came to this part of the coast in the first place.
Can you drive on Crowdy Beach?
If you have a 4WD, you can also drive along designated sections of the beach, but you’ll need a MidCoast Council beach vehicle permit. It can take 2-3 weeks to receive your permit sticker from council if applying online. Alternatively, you can purchase one from Ritchies Bait and Tackle in Harrington.
Don’t confuse this with a National Parks pass. A National Parks pass doesn’t give you permission to drive on beaches.
Check the current access conditions before heading out because beach access can change.
Where to eat in Harrington
Harrington has more eating options than you might expect for such a small coastal town.
Along with Club Harrington and the cafe where we had breakfast, options include:
- Shoreline Tavern at Harrington Waters
- Em’s Thai Kitchen
- Ocean View Chinese Restaurant
- Nate’s Pizzeria
- Beach Street Dispensary Cafe for organic meals.
- Harrington Breeze for kebabs and burgers
- Seaview Retro Diner
- Harrington Hotel
We didn’t eat our way through all of them — our microwave meals got a run on this particular trip — but it’s good to know you have options if you don’t feel like cooking.
Pilot Hill and the Harrington breakwall
Before leaving Harrington, head up to Pilot Hill.
From the top, you get panoramic views across the Manning River, the breakwall and the beach.
It’s one of those places where you really appreciate Harrington’s geography. The town sits right at the meeting point of river and ocean, and Pilot Hill gives you a great perspective of both.
Then head down and take a walk along the Harrington breakwall.
This is one of the best places in town to see the fishing action.
We stopped at the fish cleaning station, although by the number of pelicans hanging around, I’m tempted to rename it the pelican feeding station.
The pelicans were keeping a very close eye on anyone cleaning a fish.
People were targeting bream and blackfish, but they weren’t the only ones interested in the catch. Dolphins were cruising around nearby while cormorants were also keeping watch.
It was a pretty entertaining wildlife show.
A little detour to Laurieton
If you’re staying in Harrington for a couple of nights, you can easily extend your weekend by heading north towards Laurieton.
After visiting Diamond Head, we continued to Laurieton and had a picnic at the top of North Brother Mountain, also known as Dooragan.
Before you drive up, the road is very steep and not suitable for caravans, or indeed any trailers. If your brakes aren’t great, I would skip this one!
And the views?
Wow!
The vegetation has been cleared around the lookout as it is the launch area of the local paragliding club. They hang out when the wind is blowing from the north or north-east and land down in Camden Haven. On a good day, you may get to watch them launch from the summit and soar above Camden Haven.
Interested in paragliding? Contact High Adventure / North Brother Mountain for flying information.
The mountain is a particularly impressive viewpoint over Laurieton, the Camden Haven waterways and surrounding coastline. You can drive almost all the way to the summit, making it an easy addition to a road trip.
The flying site is weather dependent, with North Brother suited to particular wind directions. If you’re interested in flying rather than simply watching, check the current requirements and conditions with the local flying operators rather than assuming you can launch.
So, is Harrington worth visiting?
Yes — but you need to know what you’re coming for.
Harrington isn’t somewhere I’d recommend if you want a packed itinerary of attractions that keeps you busy from breakfast until bedtime.
It’s somewhere I’d recommend if you want to unplug and relax.
Come for the beach in summer. Bring your fishing gear. Watch dolphins from the breakwall. Look for whales from Crowdy Head. Wander through Crowdy Bay National Park. Sit beside the Manning River with a drink and watch the weather roll through.
And if the weather turns bad?
You can always retreat to Club Harrington and stare through those enormous windows at the million-dollar view.
Sometimes doing very little is exactly what a weekend away is supposed to be.
Harrington is especially good for:
- Families, thanks to the lagoon and holiday park facilities
- Fishing, with the river, breakwall, beach and nearby coastal fishing spots
- Wildlife lovers, with dolphins, kangaroos, pelicans, cormorants and the chance of seeing whales
- Beach lovers, particularly in summer
- Anyone wanting to unplug, slow down and escape the crowds
- A relaxed weekend from Newcastle or Sydney
If that’s your kind of getaway, then yes — Harrington is worth visiting.