Where the house is

Tea Gardens

Tea Gardens is the riverside village on the southern side of the Myall River. The Lazy Pelican is a house in that village. Hawks Nest is the beach town on the other bank. Destination NSW and Barrington Coast both call the bridge between them the Singing Bridge. Myall Lakes National Park continues north from Hawks Nest through lakes, forest and a long dune coast.

The house is in the village, a one-minute walk from the Myall River. Once there, a beautiful riverside pathway runs to the Singing Bridge and over to Hawks Nest. Cafes, restaurants and a bakery are all along the way, along with the well-known Boatshed restaurant, sitting over the water’s edge. It is great for bikes, scooters, a stroll, or perhaps grab fish and chips by the water. It is also great for fishing and boating, with hire available nearby. Hawks Nest is a five-minute drive, or you can walk.

River and bridge

Destination NSW describes the Myall River as the town’s boating and fishing water, with the Singing Bridge carrying you over to Hawks Nest. Barrington Coast puts the twin towns at the mouth of the river, on the southern edge of that region and on the broad bay of Port Stephens. From the house, the useful mental map is simple: village on this bank, ocean and bay beaches on the other, national park beyond the beaches.

From the front door it is a one-minute walk to the river. Hawks Nest, across the Singing Bridge, is a five-minute drive, or you can walk the riverside pathway.

Art in town

Destination NSW describes a creative community in Tea Gardens: paintings, sculpture, drawing, ceramics and jewellery at Galleries in the Gardens, and the Myall River Art Walk. It says the walk has 25 installations and sculptures through Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest. It is a gentle thing to do if you want a reason to wander, and the installations are a public art trail rather than a single gallery you have to book.

Hours and what is on the walls change. Use the Destination NSW Tea Gardens page for the current visitor note, then the gallery itself if you want opening times.

On the water

The Original Tea Gardens Ferry runs between Tea Gardens and Nelson Bay in both directions. Book your voyage on the ferry’s page. Keep an eye out on the crossing: dolphins are often seen, and in season, from May to November, it is whale-watching time too. Destination NSW also names kayak hire on the Myall River and describes dolphin cruises as year-round. Fares and sailing times stay with the operator.

Tea Gardens BBQ Boats hires barbecue boats for a day out on the Myall River. Conditions, licences, weather calls and prices belong to those businesses. Check them on the day. The house listing does not include a boat.

Eating

Tea Gardens has a riverside run of cafes and restaurants, and all of them, including Thai and Chinese restaurants, are within walking distance of The Lazy Pelican. The Tea Gardens Hotel is popular, with music on the weekends and a children’s playground. Tea Gardens Bowling Club is a favourite, with karaoke and a Chinese buffet. Across the Singing Bridge, Jimmy’s Smash Burgers in Hawks Nest is popular after a day at the beach. Menus and hours change, so check with each venue before you go.

The house itself is self-catered. There is a kitchen, and you bring the food. Coles is five minutes away, along with a medical centre, a bottle shop and a pharmacy.

Getting to town

Tea Gardens is about a 2.5-hour drive north of Sydney and about 45 minutes from Newcastle Airport (Destination NSW / Visit NSW). From the north, Forster is roughly a 1 hour 25 minute drive (about 107 km). Use a map for the day you travel — times vary with traffic and where you start.

The same pages say coaches and trains run from Sydney via Newcastle. Check the operator. Newcastle Airport is the airport Destination NSW names for the district.

Once you are here, Hawks Nest and its beaches are an easy day out, across the Singing Bridge.

• Hawks Nest, Bennetts Beach and Jimmys Beach

Notes checked against those pages on 7 November 2026.