However, the rest of the town is generally low, flat, sandy and covered in coastal scrubland, with some bushland, resulting in the northern part of the suburb being accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicles until the 1980s.

Most (approximately 95%) of the suburb is still uninhabited with the population concentrated around the Hawks Nest township, on the Myall River and Winda Woppa on Port Stephens.

[1] While nearby Tea Gardens is primarily a residential and commercial area, Hawks Nest tends to be dominated by holiday rentals and caravan parks which causes the population to vary considerably with the influx of tourists.

Hawks Nest has many shops and cafes catering to the tourist trade and, with its sandy beaches and bush walks, proximity to Sydney, and much greater seclusion than suburbs on the southern shores of Port Stephens, it is a popular weekend getaway for Sydneysiders.

[10] Holiday activities in the area include swimming, snorkeling and diving, golfing, bush walking, dolphin and whale spotting, four-wheel driving, caravanning and fishing.