Seal Rocks as a village evolved for two principal reasons. Initially, it served as a small coastal port for subsistence, then later, commercial fishing. The fishermen and their families built the village. This dates from the mid-nineteenth century. In 1875 the lighthouse was built as coastal shipping expanded and after many shipwrecks in the near vicinity. Clearly, this was a catalyst for development with road entry being formalised and upgraded, and ultimately the introduction of electricity to better power the light. The rocky outcrops from the coastline and prevailing winds made local navigation particularly hazardous.
Yallumbee is nestled on the beach side of Kinka Road in Seal Rocks village at the eastern end of Boat Beach. The original house was built circa 1948, significantly upgraded in 2003, and is still held by the same family, originally from Lake Macquarie. It was, perhaps, one of the first beach houses constructed purely for holiday making. Very recently, it has had a major makeover to prepare it for the demands of high-quality tourist accommodation.
If you are seeking restaurants, night clubs or the trappings of a modern holiday destination please read no further. Seal Rocks is quintessentially old world. Ideally, you bring your own food and wine, enjoying the incomparable peace and beauty with friends and family. (The one local grocery store has only the bare essentials.) The views, the natural flora and fauna, and the seascape are internationally acclaimed. Well-travelled visitors will frequently comment that Seal Rocks is superior to the Caribbean, the South of France and many beach resorts of South-East Asia. Simply, it has retained its natural beauty with little or no human polluting interference, and its unique qualities have been proudly preserved by the villagers with strong support from local government. Still, there are 40 - 50 kilometres of pristine national parks extending both north and south of the village, providing a veritable gateway to almost unlimited adventure.
Before venturing outdoors let's take a quick look at the house. Although standing for roughly 75 years, Yallumbee has not been neglected and is the subject of constant attention given the harsh natural elements it contends with. Sun, salt, wind and water require constant vigilance and, fortunately, the house has recently had a major facelift. The kitchen and appliances are modern, the furnishings (including bedding) are new and, importantly, it doesn't leak, even in the wildest (more frequent) coastal storms.
The other distinguishing feature of Yallumbee is that the underlying principles for its design and functionality are sustainability. We drink collected rainwater, generate solar energy and use a septic tank. This is partly by choice and partly necessity. Where we differ from 75 years ago, though is that communication has improved markedly and the house has NBN Satellite wifi throughout. Yes, it is an office (including printer) by the beach if need be.
In terms of sleeping capacity, Yallumbee will sleep 10, at a squeeze. More sensibly, it will comfortably sleep 8, ideally two families of 4, or 3 couples. There are three double beds (4 adults) and two double bunks (4-5 children).
So, a week or two in Seal Rocks is as relaxing or as invigorating as you want it to be.
The surfing, snorkeling/diving, and fishing are world-class. Boat Beach is calm and protected for family swimming: Lighthouse Beach is more exposed and great for board and body surfing. The mountain biking is pretty amazing, too. Try the fire trails of Myall Lake all the way south to Hawke's Nest or the grueling ascent to Whoota Whoota Lookout in Wallingat National Park to the north. Otherwise, just sun bake on one of the several sandy beaches or swim in the aquamarine ocean waters. Yes, the sand here is finer and the ocean greener.
As already mentioned, Seal Rocks is surrounded by national park and national marine park. No, it's not like being on African safari, but, nevertheless, it's teaming with interesting native species, especially if you know what to look out for. More interesting birds include sea eagles, pheasant coucals, rainbow lorikeets, oyster catchers, butcher birds, pelicans and many varieties of forest finch. Land mammals and marsupials include spotted quolls, antechinus, goannas (enemy of the snake) and (the occasional) dingo. Dolphins visit the huge bay almost daily, while humpback whales take sanctuary when travelling north and south during the mating and calving seasons, respectively. It is also famous for the protected Grey Nurse Shark, which was hunted near to extinction in the 1960s and 1970s. Nowadays, their presence is pretty much restricted to the underwater caves off Light House Beach and there is no record of them ever causing any harm.
While natural beauty abounds, probably the most obvious man-made attraction is the light house which is widely considered to be the most stunningly positioned of all light houses of the Australian East Coast. The walk to the top and the views are both particularly breathtaking!
So, as you can see, there's nothing to do or a lot to do. Either way, you'll be very comfortable and having a lot of healthy fun.
P.S. Sorry, no pets. Main reason - they are beach restricted and strictly forbidden in the national parks for biosecurity reasons.
