Spring in Hawks Nest: wildflowers, whales heading south, warm water again
Updated: Oct 6
Written by the owners of Tilly and Annies Place and Seacrest 7, Hawks Nest. Last reviewed October 2026.
Spring in Hawks Nest is the season people forget about. Summer books out, autumn has a following, and winter has the whales. Spring sits in between with warm days, cool nights, water that has just become swimmable again and a town that has not filled up yet. It is when we would come if we were choosing.
In short: Spring in Hawks Nest runs from September to November, with water warming into the low 20s, surf patrols back on Bennetts Beach, humpbacks heading south with calves and wildflowers in Myall Lakes National Park. Outside the school holidays, the town stays quiet.
At a glance
Season: September to November
Water: 17 to 18 degrees in late winter, low 20s by late November
Whales: heading south from September into November
Days: mostly low to mid 20s, with cool nights
In this article
The water
Sea temperature off Hawks Nest bottoms out around 17 to 18 degrees in late winter and climbs through spring. By mid October most people are swimming without complaint; by late November it is in the low 20s. If you want a current figure rather than our memory, the Bureau of Meteorology publishes sea surface temperatures and the surf club posts conditions at the beach.
The surf patrols restart on Bennetts Beach in late September, which matters if you have children or are not a confident ocean swimmer. Patrol days and hours are set each season and listed on Beachsafe.
The whales
Humpbacks pass Port Stephens twice a year. Going north in June and July they move fast and stay offshore. Coming back south from September into November they travel slower and closer in, often with calves, and they rest in bays along the way. This is the better half of the season for seeing them from land.
The spot is Yacaaba Headland. The walking track is a proper climb, and since October 2024 it has been open only to a viewing point, with the section beyond closed for visitor safety, so check the NPWS alerts first. The southern end of Bennetts and the spit below the headland also look straight out to sea. Take binoculars and give it half an hour. Some mornings you see nothing. Some mornings you see a mother and calf in the first ten minutes. We do not promise whales to anyone and neither should any other site. The NSW National Parks whale watching page has the current season notes.
If you would rather be on the water, the whale cruises run from Nelson Bay, across the port. You can get there on the ferry from Tea Gardens and make a full day of it.
The flowers
Myall Lakes National Park is at its best in spring. The heath behind the dunes flowers from August, the paperbarks around the lakes come into blossom, and the wattles go through in waves. The Mungo Rainforest Walk at Mungo Brush is a 1.5 kilometre loop, graded easy, through a pocket of coastal rainforest that feels nothing like the beach a few hundred metres away. Brush turkeys everywhere, bowerbirds if you are quiet.
Park entry was $8 per vehicle per day at the time of writing. Current rates are on the NPWS site. Pay at the machine at Mungo Brush or through the Park'nPay app, and keep the receipt on the dash.
The birds
Spring is nesting season and the town is loud with it. Black cockatoos come through in groups, usually late afternoon, shredding banksia cones and shouting about it. Kookaburras work the lawns. Down on the river the pelicans at the Tea Gardens jetty are in their breeding colours, with the bill going brighter. Along the beach, keep clear of any roped-off areas on the upper sand: that is where the little terns and pied oystercatchers nest, and a dog or a child running through does real damage. BirdLife Australia has notes on beach-nesting birds if you want to know what to look for.
Hawks Nest weather in spring
September can still throw a cold southerly through. October and November settle. Days are mostly in the low to mid 20s, nights cool enough to want a blanket. The afternoon nor'easter that defines summer here has not yet set in properly, so the beach stays pleasant through the day in a way it will not in January. Rain comes in short systems rather than long wet weeks.
The one thing to plan around is the school holidays at the end of September and start of October, when the town fills for two weeks and then empties again.
What spring in Hawks Nest is good for
Long beach walks without heat.
The walk towards Yacaaba, which is miserable in January and lovely in October.
Whales from the headland.
The national park, for flowers and quiet lakes.
The golf club, which is green and uncrowded and has kangaroos on the fairways late in the day.
Working from the house for a few days. The Wi-Fi at both places handles video calls, and the 3pm swim does more for a working week than anything else we know.
What it is not good for
Guaranteed hot swimming weather. If you want 28 degrees and a 24 degree sea every day, that is late January and February. Spring is 23 and a swim that makes you gasp for the first minute.
Booking
Spring midweek is the easiest time of year to get either house at short notice, and the weekends outside school holidays are usually available a few weeks out. Tilly and Annies Place suits a family or two couples; Seacrest 7 suits a couple or a small family who want the pool and the beach across the road. Live dates and prices are on each house page.
Frequently asked questions
When can you see whales from Hawks Nest?
Humpbacks pass twice a year. Heading north in June and July they move fast and stay offshore. Heading south from September into November they travel slower and closer in, often with calves, which is the better time to see them from land. Take binoculars to the Yacaaba Headland viewing point or the southern end of Bennetts Beach.
Is the water warm enough to swim at Hawks Nest in spring?
By mid October most people are swimming without complaint, and by late November the water is in the low 20s. Surf patrols restart on Bennetts Beach in late September.
What is the weather like in Hawks Nest in spring?
September can still bring a cold southerly. October and November settle, with days mostly in the low to mid 20s and nights cool enough for a blanket. Rain tends to come in short systems rather than long wet weeks.
This is general information based on our own experience. Conditions change. Check Beachsafe, SharkSmart and NSW National Parks alerts before you go, and follow lifesavers' directions on the day.
Plan your stay
Two Waters has two places to stay in Hawks Nest, each sleeping six. Tilly and Annies Place is a three-bedroom townhouse near calm Jimmys Beach. Seacrest 7 is a two-bedroom apartment with a pool, across the road from Bennetts Beach. Pick your dates on either live calendar.
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