We had never been to Evans Head before, passing the turnoff many times on various visits to Brisbane to see family and friends. So we had no idea what to expect. What we found was a real gem of a town – excellent facilities, lovely river, beautiful beaches and stunning walks. It really grew on us and we will definitely be back. 

Getting There

We were in Evans Head from 25 March 2023 for 3 nights. 

We live in Kingscliff so this was a very quick drive – 114km to Evans Head. We had picked up the van from storage a couple of days prior, to pack and get it ready.

Kerry’s snippets in fuchsia.

History

First Nations

Evans Head is of major cultural and historical significance for the Bandjalang People and wider Bundjalung Nation. This stretches north to Ballina, west to Casino and south to Iluka.

Dirawong Reserve is regarded as one of the last intact coastal cultural landscapes for First Nations people in NSW. It is the subject of a complex series of spiritual/creation stories and therefore of spiritual significance for local descendants of First Nation people.

It is a tragic fact that the Evans Head and Ballina areas are renowned for a number of brutal massacres of First Nations people by British colonialists.

To read more on the history of the First Nations people click here.

Colonial History

The first British settler was Captain Thomas Paddon who first encountered the area during a lengthy beach walk when his coastal survey ship was unable to leave Ballina.  it was around 1877.

Evans Head is named after a marine surveyor, Lt Evans, RN who carried out the first marine survey of the coastline in the area.

To read more on the colonial history of Evans Head, click here.

Day 1 – Sat 25 March 2023 – To Evans Head

It was an easy drive down the M1 and at the Broadwater-Evans Head road we took the exit. It was then a short drive to the coast. 

We got to the van park – this is massive – at about 11am and had a quick checkin. However, as the van park is so big and as a large area had been used for flood victims, we had to then drive into the park so as to come back out, and drive around to another entrance. We finally got to our site – after asking some people to please move a large fishing boat completely blocking the road. 

We got the van into position pretty easily, then put the levellers under the kerb side of the van. It didn’t need much and we then chocked the wheels.

However, we had terrible problems unhitching. The pressure of the van being elevated on one side resulted in the van hitch being unable to “let go” of the ball. As we wound the jockey wheel up, it simply brought the car up with it. So we tried to lever the hitch so as to separate the two. Then tried to shake the van and jump up and down on the car. Finally it came away with a big lurch to the side. This was very frustrating.

I then recalled that we had troubles like that with our previous van a couple of years before. We were advised then to let the car and van settle by putting the car into neutral and pushing the van around, before unhitching.  

We also discovered we had landed in the pet-friendly part of the park. Not so good having other peoples dogs under our feet while unpacking. 

The park is great – amenities are excellent and even though the park must have been close to full on the Friday and Saturday nights, we had a feeling of space. When most people left on Sunday morning it was an immense space.

After setting up we walked around to the river through the adjacent park. There was a sculpture as we walked though that is meant to show the town history. We continued walking the park and then out to the northern breakwater. We saw many swirling masses of mullet right next to the rocks, and then a small turtle came up for air right next to us.  Never seen so many mullet before.

 We then walked on to the main beach, which is excellent. The surf was pretty poor or I might have had a swim. 

Later we had a walk around town. It’s not massive but it certainly has everything covered.

The van park is only a short walk to the RSL, the Illawong Hotel, the bowlo and the surf club (which does meals).

That evening I’d arranged to meet my school mate Dominique and her hubby Stephen for dinner at the pub…  We didn’t realise that there’d be live music and we were sitting right in front of the band…. we could barely hear ourselves think, but we managed somehow to still talk.  Lots of dancing ensued later on.  A great evening.

Day 2 – Sunday 25 March – Northern section Dirawong Reserve 

We firstly went to see the Broadwater Inland Lookout. We had tried to see that on the way in the previous day but there were no signs for it. The National Parks site says its on a trail on the northern side of the Broadwater-Evens Head Road. We had it in our sat nav and at the “you are at your destination” we were at a place where a track to a home was on the southern side of the road and there was what looked like a trail on the right hand side. But no signs.

So we walked this trail and quickly got to a signpost pointing to “Lookout”. So we scampered up what is a pretty good trail.  But when we got to the top – it was not steep by any means – we could not see much at all because of the trees.  We got a couple of photos with a sliver of a view but that was all. There was a concrete slab up there which intrigued us. We retreated, and would not recommend it to anyone.There were some magnificent groupings of Grass Trees – all very lush and green.

We went to the Tourist Information office – they had never heard of the Lookout. I got the brochure for the Dirawong Reserve walks which has all the maps and details. You can download the brochure here.

Kerry had been feeling quite ill all morning – not up for much at all. So back to the van to work out what we would do. We decided that I would do the northern section of  the Dirawong Reserve walks and see what that was like. If Kerry was feeling better the next day perhaps we could both go and enjoy it. 

So I drove over the bridge to the southern part of town and then up to the Razorback Lookout. This is pretty specular with views all the way up to Ballina. The lookout is excellent and there is a lovely park there as well with BBQs and tables. Quite a few family groups having a picnic. we have been really impressed with the facilities at the various parks of the town.

I parked at the top of Ocean Drive as there seemed to be a track in from there. The brochure says to go in from Anson Ave but there was a track right in front of me.  I walked past some houses and the escarpment was before me. The track was pretty good – I was at the start of the Laurie Wilson Walk, or at least I assumed I was as there are no signs on these trails. At the start I had good views to New Zealand  Beach and Snapper Point. 

I then turned left at the first track I came to, so I assumed I was heading  to Half-Tide Rock (the yellow track on the map).  I was soon going down hill and began to see the cliffs and rocks down to the rock ledges.  There was a set of steps down. That was when I retreated back up to the Laurie Wilson Walk and turned left.

I soon came to another track on my left and took that. I assumed I was going to the Big Cutting and the Joggly Point area. Part of the track was not so good as there was knee high grasses on the edges of the track. Perfect for an ambush by a snake, I thought. I had a stick and made as much noise as I could on the way through. I came to a deep narrow gorge with 2 rock formations pointing to the skies. And with the seas thundering below.

Looking south I saw a row of lower rock shelves being pounded by the sea. I even got one photo back to Evans Head.

There did not appear to be a pathway heading south so I retreated back to the main Trail. I quickly came to the Lighthouse, which is not marked on the map. It’s not a pretty sight – unlike the very pretty little lighthouse at Fingal Head.

I continued down the Laurie Wilson trail looking down on rock shelves and gullys being pounded by the ocean. Very spectacular.

The track descended to sea level and I came out onto a short beach partially covered with grey pebbles. Quite unusual and I wondered why the angry waves do not take the pebbles out to sea. There was also a deep channel in one part of the rock platforms, where the strong waves pushed the ocean water through and onto the beach. Very impressive.

I walked over the headland between this beach and Red Hill Beach and then walked the latter beach. The whole area is really stunning – a lovely landscape.

 

Then I walked on to Red Hill – a steep climb, thankfully short, to the top of the hill and where some major works had been undertaken to minimise erosion of the hill. It certainly was a softer rock/mud composition. 

At the top of the hill there was a clear trail with, at last a direction sign. I took the rights hand trail, heading north, with a final view over Red Hill Beach. Really enjoyed the experience.

The walk out on the inland track seemed to be so much quicker, through some scrubby bush. The grass trees are amazing and the flower stalks are so tall – amazing.

That evening we took the short walk to the RSL Club for dinner. The food was OK, just average. 

Day 3 – Monday 27 March – Southern section Dirawong Reserve

I did only a quick walk around town as I knew I would be walking the southern section of the Dirawong Reserve later. 

Although Kerry is still a tad unwell, she is coming to do the walk as well. First we took the road out to Chinamens Beach from the southern part of town – a good sealed road. This takes us to a large reserve with good picnic facilities. The walk to the beach is on an elevated paved trail made of recycled plastic.

It is quite a large beach with some small creeks discharging rivulets of water to the sea. At the southern end is The Bluff (middle photo) and past that is Snapper Point. The third photo is from the Bluff looking north.

 

There are plenty of warnings in the brochures about getting caught on the wrong side of the Bluff at mid to high tide. Although the tide was still relatively low we decided to walk over the top of the Bluff to see what the track was like if we had to use it, and to see if it met up with the inland track shown on the map. 

The track is a steep but short and easy climb to the top, then a walk along the top before descending onto New Zealand Beach. The only issue was again some sections of the long knee-high grass also the track edges. Snake country, we thought. There are some good views from the Bluff, especially the last one of New Zealand Beach.

New Zealand Beach is a beauty and we enjoyed the walk south to the base of Snapper Point. There were many rocks and ledges on the northern side of the Point. 

Whilst Kerry took a rest on the rocks, I went up to the top of the adjacent sand hill. I quickly came to some warning signs. Apparently, the beach immediately to the south of the Point is part of the RAAF Weapons Range and access is prohibited. I did not need any persuasion. The offending beach is the one pictured after the photo of the signs. 

I followed the tracks over to the southern side of Snapper Point. It’s an open grassed landscape, with many rocky shorelines and cliffs. Very pretty.  Then I got to the very end of the point.  

From there I worked my way along the rocks and shelves on the northern side of the Point to get to Kerry. Then we walked back to the Bluff. We were intrigued by what appears to be a wreck of a very old jetty on the rock platform – posts and tracks. But we can’t imagine why there would be a jetty out there in the middle of nowhere. It may have been the wreck of a ship but it does not look  like one. The internet failed to provide an answer. 

Getting around the Bluff was no problems as the tide was still lowish. From there we walked back up Chinamens Beach collecting plastic and other rubbish on the way. As usual, we got a fair bit. I ended up carrying a lot of the plastic in my cap and the other bits in my bum-bag.

We drove back the town and then out to the southern breakwater and Shark Bay. I then took Kerry up to the Razorback Lookout – she was suitably impressed. 

We had intended to go to the Heritage Aviation Museum that afternoon but is was not open that day. It seems to have very restrictive opening hours.

That evening we went to the Bowlo for dinner. We had heard this was regarded by some as the best Chinese on the coast. The menu is massive and the food was excellent. We ate my Combination Sizzling Hot Plate  and took Kerry’s home for the next night.

To see photos of this post click here.