Large swells and high tides have forced the temporary closure of beach vehicle access at Samurai Beach and Stockton Beach in the Worimi Conservation Lands.
National Parks and Wildlife Service, Hunter Coast spokesman Andrew Bond said the large swells and resulting soft sand had made the popular four-wheel driving beaches impassable and unsafe for vehicles.
"Large swells experienced over the past days have swamped the beaches, eroding away the sand and creating steep drop offs and large areas of very soft sand," he said.
"There is insufficient beach remaining in these locations to allow for the safe traverse by 4WD vehicles, forcing the temporary closure of both beaches."
Dune driving in the designated Recreational Vehicle Area in the Worimi Conservation Lands remains open, however is only accessible via the Lavis Lane entrance at Williamtown.
Drivers are reminded not to drive on the frontal dune or any vegetation. Fines apply.
The Samurai Beach campground has also been temporarily closed. Park closure signs have been installed at all entrances and NPWS staff will be advising visitors of the closure.
NPWS said this week that it would continue to monitor the conditions at Samurai and Stockton beaches and will re-open the beach when conditions improve.
Camping was reintroduced to Stockton Beach in February 2019 following a five year project to restore parts of the beach.
The loss of thousands of tonnes of sand in 2012 made parts of the 22-kilometre beach front impassable. The damage was compounded when up to 15metres of frontal dune was stripped off in the April 2015 super storm.
The 'Ganyamalbaa Camping Trial', which opened in February 2015, is restricted to 15 camp sites accommodating up to eight campers per site.
The location of the camping area was chosen due to the minimal number of cultural sites in the area, the close proximity of the recreational vehicle area, and the easy access from the Lavis Lane and Fern Bay four-wheel drive entrances.
For more information, and to check the status of the closures, visit https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/alerts or call NPWS Hunter Coast on 02 4984 8200.
