Discover Harrington: Lagoon, Riverwalk and nature

Explore Harrington through its lagoon, the Manning River and Harrington Beach State Park. Activities range from swimming at the beach to following a trail that offers insights into the town’s history and enjoying nature in the park. You can choose the focus of your trip based on whether you would rather spend time by the water, go for a walk, or combine scenery and history.

Lagoon and park: enjoy the water and nature

Harrington Beach includes a breakwall and a lagoon that is considered a safe swimming spot. Harrington Lagoon is a swimming spot in summer. Its shallow, calm water is considered suitable for families and children. Near the breakwall, the lagoon is in front of the Marine Rescue building. For families who want to include a swimming spot in their travel plans, this description offers a specific point of reference; it complements the nature and history experiences that also shape Harrington.

Harrington Beach State Park covers 430 hectares, stretching from Harrington to the village of Crowdy Head. The park’s size and extent give its landscape a different scale from the individual places in Harrington’s townscape. The park offers opportunities for fishing, surfing and bushwalking. You can also explore sand dunes and look at rock pools. This range of options offers various reasons to visit the park: you can plan an outing around one activity or include several nature interests in your travel plans, without following a set route.

Riverwalk and views

The Harrington Heritage Riverwalk runs for approximately 3.5 kilometres from Pretoria Parade to Gordon Smith Reserve. Signs along this stretch of the Manning River commemorate the history of ships, shipbuilding and early pioneers. The walk therefore links a named route with themes from Harrington’s past. If you’re interested in the history of the river and its shipping, this offers a different way to experience the town than spending a day at the beach or in the state park. The approximate length of the route and its two endpoints help you consider the Riverwalk as a separate activity.

Pilot Hill Reserve offers views, a historic cemetery and picnic tables. Nearby, Pilot Hill Lookout provides a sweeping view across the river delta. The two places have different features: the reserve brings together views, a cemetery and picnic tables, while the lookout is defined by its expansive view across the delta. You can make a note of these places as separate destinations if you’d like to include views or local history in your trip alongside the water and walks.

Choose your travel focus and holiday rental

When looking for a holiday rental in Harrington, it’s worth first deciding what kind of stay you want. The lagoon is described as a summer swimming spot with shallow, calm water; the state park offers a range of outdoor activities, and the Heritage Riverwalk focuses on ships, shipbuilding and early pioneers. These differences can help you choose Harrington based on the experiences that matter to your family. However, they don’t indicate how far a rental is from any particular destination. So check the location of a holiday rental in relation to the places you actually want to visit.

There’s also a specific point of reference for boating enthusiasts: a concrete ramp on Beach Street provides boat launching access. There is also a fish-cleaning station where you can clean your catch. If you’d like to include fishing or boating in your trip, you can take these facilities into account when choosing your travel focus. This sets it apart from a stay centred mainly on the lagoon, the Riverwalk or the landscapes of the state park.

More places in the directory: Taree, Koorainghat, Tallwoods Village, Manning Point, Wingham, Rainbow Flat and Hallidays Point.

Back to the main travel overview: Greater Taree City Council.