This was our first trip to Yamba and Iluka. We knew it was a surfing mecca but we had no other expectations other than gorgeous beaches. It was a one week break from day to day life and we ended up really loving the area. Fabulous beaches, rock platforms, sandstone bluffs and walks. We loved Bundjalung NP. As it’s around 2 hours from home, the area makes for an ideal future break. Looking forward to that already.

Getting There

We live in Kingscliff and got to Yamba fairly quickly – 175 km via the M1. Iluka is 42 kms to the north.

We were there from 19 Nov 2023 to 24 Nov 2023.

Note that while there are a few tourist information boards scattered around the town, there is no tourist office. The closest is the Clarence Coast Visitor Information Centre, Ferry Park, Pacific Highway, Maclean, tel: (02) 6645 4121. It is open from 9.00 am – 5.00 pm daily. I did eventually find a map on a panel at the western side of the town which may be useful.

Kerry’s snippets in fuchsia

History

First Nations

The Yaegl and Bundjalung people are traditional custodians of the coastal areas around Yamba, Iluka and Maclean. The ancestors of the present day Yaegl people lived around the mouth of the Clarence River and spoke the language Yaygirr which was closely related to Gumbaynggirr.

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

Colonial History

The first European to visit the area was Matthew Flinders, who stopped by in Yamba Bay for six days in July 1799.

In 1799 Matthew Flinders landed on the present southern headland at Yamba. He’d been despatched from Sydney to find a new Eden, but from his vantage point atop a craggy promontory, now Pilot Head, he dismissed the turbulent estuary as dangerous and unworthy of further examination, before sailing away. Flinders did not realise the bay was actually the mouth of the Clarence River.

To read more on the British colonial history of the area, click here

Day 1 – Sunday 19 November – To Yamba

We got away from home at about 10am for the comfortable drive to Yamba, getting there at about midday after a stop over. The rest area was packed, lots of people milling around, cars parked in the caravan parking area, and the amenities left in a bit of a mess. Not pleasant, but we do see that a lot!

The turn off to Yamba is just south of the very high bridge over the Clarence River at Harwood. Thankfully, there was little wind – it can be a little scary crossing the bridge in high winds. The drive to Yamba is only about 15 km, meandering over the islands at the mouth of the river.

To get to the Big 4 Saltwater caravan park, turn left at Schools Rd on Palmers Island, then turn right at O’Keefes Lane. This area looks very much sugar cane lands – dead flat. The suddenly you see the van park sitting on a massive grassed area. Such a contrast.

Checking in was a breeze – the site was about $50 a night. The sites are all excellent – drive through, very wide, we had a concrete slab, others had artificial grass. Each also has a fire pit – timber available at the office at $20 a bag. The amount of space is so impressive. We’ve never stayed in such a spacious caravan park. The staff are friendly and helpful and the facilities are excellent.

A track leads to the Clarence River where there are campsites and where kayaks are available for hire.

The facilities are also great. Good phone connection and the camp wifi was pretty good when outside the van. The amenities look near new, excellent. The kids water park and bouncing thingo are away from the main van sites. The camp kitchen is first rate. They even have a full sized oven as well as a pizza oven and bbqs. Incredibly rare .

All in all, its a first rate van park. The only issue is that it’s a 10km drive into Yamba. Later we walked past a couple of the alternative parks and they were so cramped on small sites that we agreed that Saltwater was best by far.

After setting up we drove into town to find the tourist information office and get some last minute shopping, crossing the little bridge that connects Yamba with the rest of the world.

The shopping centre is just after you get to the town. We thought this was the main town area but were quickly put right by a few locals we spoke to. However, all reported that there is no tourist office in Yamba. The closest is the Visitor Information Centre at Ferry Park, Maclean.

Also missing in town was soda water. None of the supermarkets had any which is a blow as I have was suffering a gout attack and had been drinking soda water to assist.

We drove out to view The Tavern on the river. Its a big and modern bar/restaurant with what looks like a good menu. It was very busy and loud – Sunday lunch.We aim to return to have a meal. Lots of modern and expensive looking houses along the foreshore.

We drove rather aimlessly into the town centre which looked interesting, and finished up at Turners Beach, with the breakwater wall at the northern end. There is a fringe of large rocks at the southern side of the beach and a cliff below the lighthouse, which we found out later. From that point we we could not see the lighthouse.

We drove on not really knowing where we should end up. We got to the clifftops at Main Beach, only a short drive away up the hill. The Main Beach is lovely. Below us at the southern end is the swimming pool. There is a surfclub in the middle of the beach and above that the Pacific Hotel looking proudly over the beach. There must be great views from that.

I walked down to the pool which was quite busy. The water was surprisingly not cold at all.

From there we made our way back to the van park.

We stopped at the Fishermans Cooperative so I could get some oysters, and perhaps some fish. As prawns and other crustrations are a no-go area for Des’ gout I was just after a dozen oysters. But the lady told me no oysters today, they come in tomorrow.

Back at the van park I went to the office and asked about a town map. Of course they had one, but I think we should have been given one at checkin.

Day 2 – Monday 20 November – Angourie Pools

It was a grey cloudy morning but no rain. I drove to Yamba to take my morning walk – there are no apparent walks at the van park. I parked near the start of the town and walked around Kolora Lake – a pleasant but short walk.

I then walked in towards the town, past the shopping area, the Cooperative and the Marina. The latter is quite large with many large sailing boats on the water. at the southern end of the Marina I turned around and headed back to the van park.

We decided to go to Angourie. But first we drove out to the camping area next to the river. It’s a vast grassed area with only a couple of campers. There is a boat ramp there, fish cleaning facilities and a number of kayaks waiting for hire. This is still in our caravan park.

The road to Angourie is to the right just past the Marina. It’s a short drive – perhaps 5km to the town. We started at Spooky Beach – there are steps down to the beach. It’s a lovely sandy beach surrounded by rocky cliffs.

From there we went to find the Green and Blue pools. However, it was a cloudy day and the colours were not at all pretty. The pools were formed between 1890 and 1899 when bluestone was mined for construction work at Yamba. Water from a spring flooded the pits in 1899 and the mining was abandoned. The area was subsequently used for swimming and picnics.

We could not tell which pool was which so assumed the first and largest one was the Blue Pool and the other the Green Pool. The Blue has lovely sandstone cliffs on the landward side. It’s a great setting. The green pool looked pretty stagnant. A lady I was chatting to said it used to be beautiful years ago.

The green Pool lies in the very rocky foreshore to the ocean. The rock formations are great and we could have spent a lot more time exploring the area.

But we discovered that Kerry had a very healthy looking tick in her ear. We decided to return to Yamba to find a chemist and the zapper and tweezers. After we found the tic-off and a decent pair of tweezers, I discovered it wasn’t a tick after all. Just a small scab – I must have bumped my ear on something.

Back at the Van Park I bought some timber for the fire pit. We had a lovely evening around the fire listening to the ABC Quiz on the radio.

Day 3 – Tuesday 21 November – Explore Yamba

We awoke to the sound of raindrops on the van roof and awning. Fortunately, the rain had stopped when we drove up to have a good look around Yamba.

We walked along the riverside track from just after the Marina, where we left the car. There are some very large yachts along the river and we wonder how often they get used.

The mouth of the Clarence River is massive.

We walked out onto the breakwater. I had nor realised how far it was to the end-point. We also saw a number of water dragons.

There are great views to Turners Beach, the lighthouse and Main Beach.

The views to Iluka were also impressive. We will be there on Thursday.

Some of the rocks on the breakwater have some very interesting colours and erosion patterns.

From there we went up to the lIghthouse – an impressive building. Even through the shower that hit us. The current building was completed in 1955 replacing the original structure of 1880.

At the lighthouse there is one of the Aboriginal Tourist Drive panels. We saw a couple of those on our drives.

There are great views over Turners Beach and the breakwater up to Iluka, and on to Evans Head in the distance. We then followed the beaches around – Main Beach (our favourite), then Convent Beach and Pippi Beach (last two pics).

We wandered around for a bit – its an interesting shopping centre with loads of good looking restaurants.

Day 4 – Wednesday 22 November – Explore Angourie

I started the day with a morning walk – drove into the town and walked the area. First I walked Whiting Beach – another great beach.

Then I walked up to the Lighthouse at Pilot Hill – love the views from up there.

At the rear of the lighthouse is the Boatman’s Cottage, circa 1905. Very pretty. Another good view over Main Beach.

Our day was at Angourie, although we did go up to the Farmers Market so Kerry could have a look around. This was on the walkway to Turners Beach.

We stopped at Green Point on the way to Angourie. This has great spiritual significant for the Yaegl people. Generations have camped there, fished and held ceremonial rituals. When food was abundant other groups were invited fo join the Yaegl people for ceremonies, trading, hunting, teaching and learning, story telling and socialising.

It’s a lovely place – beautiful cliffs and beautiful beaches.

There is a panel from the Aboriginal Tourist Drive – station 9. We found a few of these but could not really find where the drives starts and ends.

The beach to the North of Green Point is Dump Beach – not the nicest name for a beach – but it looks lovely.

To the south is Spooky Beach.

The headland and rock platform is fractured in layers – very unusual.

Next we went to Angourie Point – Point Beach on your left and Back Beach on the right.

It’s a stunning area and back Beach is amazing, providing the focus for the famous Angourie Surfing Reserve. The Reserve recognises the cultural and historical significance in Australian surfing. Angourie is one of the unique places in the world, where surfers have travelled from near and far just to experience the quality of the wave and the beauty of the natural environment that should never be lost. Generations of surfers have coming to Angourie since the 1950s. It’s a really beautiful place. Let the pictures tell the story.

Then we saw a black/yellow cockatoo.

From there we went to see Lake Wooloweyah. We had no idea this was so vast! The Angourie to Wooloweyah area is a highly ecologically valuable coastal landscape, containing a wide range of coastal and floodplain Endangered Ecological Communities. It is being impacted by fishing boats and a village perched on its shores. A number of surrounding farms and much of the floodplains and creeks that feed the Lake have been dredged, filled, redirected or cleared of vegetation.

We would have liked to do some of the coastal walks but remnants of gout for me and a painful ankle for Kerry confined us to the car!

Day 5 – Thursday 23 November – to and at Iluka

The short drive to Iluka was interesting. We crossed the Clarence River on the old bridge at Harwood – it was amazing to see just how big the new bridge is.

Then we travelled north along the old Highway, but both missed the turn off to the M1 – our sat nav missed it as well. We found ourselves on a very narrow lane leading across a paddock. Luckily there was a vacant area behind us so we could turn. This time we saw the access to the M1. After travelling that for 10km or so we took the exit to Iluka. It’s a 27km drive to Iluka on a good road. Wasn’t much fun reversing the caravan back up the narrow dirt track I have to say. I’m glad I didn’t drive in any further. Luckily there was a decent sized area where they park the sugar cane cages. I could reverse into that to escape.

The caravan park is on the outskirts of town. Our site had a small concrete pad for the van wheels and next to that a concrete slab for the awning. Next to that was a car parking space but that was a bit tight. We felt closed in compared to the spaciousness of the site at Yamba – luckily the sites adjacent to us were empty.

The facilities are pretty good. Good phone connection and the camp wifi was pretty good when outside the van. The camp kitchen is close to us and we had a BBQ just behind us – there were plenty of those scattered around.

After lunch we drove into the town area and had a look around. The shops are not all in the one centre but straggled along the main road. They are away from the river. There is an IGA, a liquor shop, bakery, butchers and lots of other shops. All the basics were there but little character.

We walked along the riverside – there is a paved path. The harbour is protected by a long stone wall like the breakwater and has a few openings to let the boats through. The foreshore has a length of sandy beach and the pathway ends at a van park.

We drove down to the Fishermans Cooperative, which had a good supply of all manners of seafood. I got a dozen oysters and we bought some orange roughy fillets to bring home with us. But my lingering gout meant I could only get white-fleshed fish.

We saw the Yamba Ferry coming into the harbour area.

We then drove out to Iluka Beach – a fine beach going all the way towards Ten Mile Beach.

Next up was the Breakwater – the northern wall. Having walked all the way out on the Yamba wall we did not feel inclined to to the same here.

Day 6 – Friday 24 November – Bundjalung National Park

Bundjalung National Park is well known for beach walking, fishing, mountain biking and kayaking. The is lots of beach accommodation and camping. We only explored the southern pocket of the park around Woody Head.

We started at Woody Head camp ground. This is an amazing place we had never heard about. It’s has a protected sandy beach that’s ideal for swimming and fishing, a boat ramp and spectacular rock platforms. There are rainforests and shallow reefs around the campground. There’s also a boat ramp. The park is set up for camping, for caravans or you can book a cabin. It looks very tight though – god only knows how you back a caravan into some of the spots.

The rock platforms with their lovely rock pools are amazing. We will definitely be back for another visit – maybe a few days next time. It’s less than 2 hours from home. The shallow protected “swimming hole” is so warm its incredible.

We drove a bit further north to Shark Bay, which provides 4WD access to Ten Mile Beach. It’s a beautiful beach.

Frazer Reef is further south, turn left again off Iluka Rd onto Frazer Reef Rd. This provides great views along Bluff Beach with Iluka Bluff in the distance. Lovely beaches.

Further south we turned onto Iluka Bluff Rd for the short drive to Iluka Bluff, widely known as a great whale spotting lookout. On the day we were there we had to settle for a frisky pod of dolphins. Pity I had left by zoom lense in the Van. The viewing platform is excellent to see the rock platforms at the water’s edge.

We walked to the edge of the Bluff disturbing 5 or 6 kangaroos on the way. The male was a big bugger. We then check out Bluff Beach on the northern side of the Bluff. All very pretty.