Seal Rocks is gloriously undeveloped, which means most of your eating and drinking happens right at the park, and that is half the charm. The camp kitchen, BBQs and the seasonal communal fire pit become the social heart of any stay, and we found ourselves swapping fishing stories with neighbours over snags and a glass of wine more than once. Bring an esky packed with the good stuff from Forster or Bulahdelah on the drive in, because once you are here the only thing pulling you away from a lazy lunch on the deck is the sound of the surf.

For your morning caffeine fix, the Single Fin coffee van parked near the general store is a Seal Rocks institution. We grabbed flat whites and a banana bread on our first morning and took the lot down to Boat Beach, watching the colourful fishing boats bob about while the kids hunted for shells. It is the kind of breakfast that makes you wonder why you ever ate indoors.

A scenic 20 minute drive south delivers you to Blueys Beach, where the food scene properly opens up. Kembali Cafe does an Indonesian-leaning menu with some of the best coffee on the coast, and their fruit smoothies are exactly what you want after a long beach walk. A few doors down, Blueys Italian is the go-to for a casual dinner of wood-fired pizza. Parmigiana or pasta and a cold beer. The added bonus is they offer delivery on Friday nights which is convenient if you don't feel like leaving the Park.

For something with a view, head ten minutes inland to the Frothy Coffee Boatshed on the edge of Smiths Lake, where the verandah hangs right over the water. We stopped in for an afternoon coffee and ended up staying for a long lunch as pelicans drifted past. Bookings are wise on weekends and through summer.

The beauty of Seal Rocks is that the best things to do are essentially on your doorstep. Number One Beach is a short stroll from the park, and we spent most mornings there with boards and a thermos before the day warmed up. The park's giant chess board near the ocean is a quiet hit with the kids, and pre-breakfast surf checks become a daily ritual. Beach fishing along the rock platforms regularly turns up bream and tailor if you have a rod and a bit of patience.

Walk or drive the short distance to Boat Beach and you will find one of the calmest swimming coves in the region, framed by headlands and dotted with timber fishing boats. From there, the climb up to Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse is a must, especially between May and November when migrating humpbacks cruise past in numbers. The lighthouse itself, completed in 1875, has one of only two external stairways in the country and the views from the headland are spectacular at sunrise.

Just below the lighthouse is Lighthouse Beach, a wild crescent of sand that delivers some of the best snorkelling and diving on the Mid North Coast. The water is clear, the rock pools are generous and on a still day you can drift around watching wobbegongs and bream cruise the reef. Pack reef shoes and an underwater camera.

For a bigger day out, point the car towards Myall Lakes National Park just to the south, where you can paddle the lake system, picnic at Mungo Brush or wander the rainforest tracks. Mountain bikers will find a network of forest trails on the doorstep, and 4WD enthusiasts can air down for a run along Treachery and Lighthouse beaches when conditions allow.

Pick up all your groceries from Forster or Bulahdelah on the way in, because Seal Rocks village has no supermarket, and that quiet self-sufficiency is exactly what makes a stay here feel so unplugged.