Day 2: Back to the beach

Text and photosGreg Keaney

In this article Greg recounts the second section of the walk. This stage is from Ballina on the Richmond River, to Yamba at the mouth of the Clarence and then on to Angourie.

Introduction

Total walk 6 days - 107kms

I love wandering along our magnificent coast. Despite the title of this magazine, my days on this coast walk are not so much hiking or bushwalking as they are gentle erratic meanders along beaches, up and down headlands, over dunes, and along the shore, with plenty of stops for coffee and snacks and swims and sighs and reflections and an occasional nap in the sun.

I’ve spent some time on the walk reflecting on the best way to describe these erratic movements. During the planning for this section I came across a social media post discussing John Muir, the Scottish-American naturalist, author, and environmental philosopher who also commented about this. I've adapted John’s thoughts below...

Hiking - I don't like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter not hike! Do you know the origin of that word 'saunter?' It's a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, 'A la sainte terre,' 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now [this coast is] our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter along them reverently...

Anyway, having a background in linguistics, I checked the actual etymology of ‘saunter,’ and it is, perhaps, even more apt than John Muir’s folk one above. Saunter, in the sense of to stroll dates from the 1660s and is likely from an earlier term meaning to muse, and possibly related to Middle French s'aventurer - to take risks'.

So, with a mix of musing, strolling, meandering and risk-taking, combined with a little of the feeling of a reverential pilgrim, the second chunk of my coastal journey began - a loving saunter from the Richmond River to the mighty Clarence River and a little beyond.

Day 4: The journey continues

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Day 1: Ballina to Wardell

23km, 5 hours

I started this phase where I left off last time - at Ballina on the Richmond River. I landed at Ballina airport around midday and then snared the sole waiting taxi to speed me to the car ferry across the Richmond at Burns Point in West Ballina.

I’ve always loved car ferries – a love instilled in me from a young age by my dad, an adventurous soul who particularly enjoyed the Hawkesbury River and Wisemans Ferry with its array of punts. I had some pleasant reminiscences of my ‘old man’ and his quirky likes and venturesome spirit as we punted across the river.

Once on the south side of the Richmond, it was a pleasant 6km stroll along the south bank taking me down to South Ballina Beach through the nature reserve. Once on the beach a mighty strip of sand greeted me – a 31 kilometre stretch from the south wall of the Richmond to the mouth of the Evans River. While there are seven beaches along the strip, it is effectively one long arc of perfect northern

Day 1: Home sweet home

Day 1: Burns Point Car Ferry

Day 1: Beswicks Beach

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rivers sand all the way to Evans Head – two full days of walking away. Indeed, this beach claims to be the second longest on the NSW coast (after Stockton, near Newcastle).

So, I enjoyed a pleasant afternoon saunter from South Ballina to Beswicks Beach then onto Robins and Patchs Beach. At Patchs I headed inland to the pretty little riverside town of Wardell. Wardell suffered massive damage in the 2022 floods and, to my dismay, even the gorgeous riverside pub remains closed. I contented myself with a fabulous steak pie from the famous Wardell pie shop and then made my way to my abode for the night - a little cabin in a caravan park a few kms from Wardell; a wonderfully peaceful spot to lay my weary head.

Day 2: Wardell to Evans Head

31km, 7 hours

Wardell to Evans Head was the plan for the second day of the walk. At 31km it was a little above my preferred quota, but, with my usual early start and relatively easy walking along the way, the day did not prove to be a difficult one at all.

I started with a 7km walk back to the beach. It was very pleasant strolling along the Richmond flood plain and through farmland in the early morning, although I was more than happy to arrive back at my spiritual home on the sand.

Broadwater Beach, in the eponymous National Park, covered about 10km of the shoreline north of Evans Head and looked magnificent in the morning light. Its lookout was splendidly located, perched among beautiful sand dunes. With views up and down the coast, whales

Day 2: Wardell sunrise, Richmond River

Day 2: Rock fingers, Broadwater Beach

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Day 2: Broadwater Dunes

offshore, dolphins frolicking in the waves and plenty of eagles and shorebirds to admire, it was another little slice of paradise. And to top it all off I loved the nearby ‘love shack’ and the embedded black rocks pointing menacingly out to sea.

It was perfect weather today, so I enjoyed a few dips with the dolphins. I have to stress though that these long, isolated beaches, with their strong rips and cross currents even on the calmest of days, demand respect. If I have a swim I always stay inside the inner bars and remain in waist deep water despite the temptation to join the dolphins as they body surf the rolling swells on the outer bars.

As a reminder of the above need for care, when I arrived at the (patrolled) Evans Head Main Beach, rescue boats and a chopper

were out in force for a missing swimmer... so don't do as I do (which is probably sound life advice in general)!

In Evans Head I met up with my brother, Graham, who was joining the latter part of the trip to provide support crew services in between rounds of swimming and golf! Always a pleasure to have some company after a few days of solo sauntering.

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Day 3: Evans Head to Goanna Headland and ‘Bombing Range’ Beach

14km, 4 hours

Day 3 was a saunter and then a meander (from the Greek Maindros the former name of a winding river which is now called the Menderes). It provided a dramatic change in scenery after the long flat sweeping beaches of the previous two days.

South of Evans Head is a fantastic array of rocky headlands and perfect little coves. Lots of kangaroos and sea eagles around (as well as a brown snake - the land snake with the world's second most deadly toxin - who thankfully didn't seem interested in a harmless saunterer). Once again plenty of whales and dolphins offshore and, despite the short distance today, it was one of the finest stretches of walking so far on my trip. There was just enough trackwork to help traverse the tricky bits, but otherwise landscape and walking paths felt completely unspoilt.

I crossed the Evans River at the Elm St Bridge (only a few hundred metres inland from the break walls at the mouth of the river) and walked to the southern breakwater. I strode up to Razorback Lookout and enjoyed viewing Ballina and the Richmond from where I had

come two days walk earlier. From Razorback I walked to Half-Tide Beach which is lined with pandanus palms. I continued on the rock shelf past a few other small patches of sand and then followed the track to Connor Hurley Point. There are several jagged inlets and fingers of rock in this area which make for dramatic views of the incoming waves crashing against the rocks.

Next was the delightfully named Joggly Point – my internet searches haven’t been able to find the origin of the name but for some reason it perfectly suits the place. Red Hill Beach, Chinamans Beach and New Zealand Beach came next and then the perfectly-named and sensationally unspoilt Goanna Headland – if you squint you really can see a great rocky goanna peering out to sea. Far more poetic than its other name - ‘Tick Fence Headland’ - although I was intrigued to find out more about the 100-year history of the NSW cattle tick program!

Ten-mile beach stretched southwards from Goanna Headland. I was prepared for the fact that the north end of this strip of sand is one of the very few restricted bits of sand on our coast. There is an RAAF air base in

Day 3: Evans Head sunrise

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Day 3: Goanna Headland

Day 3: Red Hill Beach

Evans Head and stern signage announced the restricted air force bombing range on the beach south of Goanna Head - who knew?

As I approached the restricted area, it felt a little like an episode of those old road runner and coyote cartoons with the warning signs getting ever sterner the closer I got to the beach. For Coast Quest purity’s sake, I took a chance on the laser hazards and live bombs not being absolutely everywhere and did scramble down onto the sand, where I could just make out Jerusalem Creek and Black Rock about 10km away.

I decided to let discretion be the better part of valour and retraced my steps back to Evans Head. My brother Graham and I then had an afternoon drive along the Evans and Richmond Rivers to Casino, reminiscing on holidays long past and the ‘exciting’ time as kids when we crashed into a cow on a family holiday which led to a forced stay in that town.

Day 3: Evans River from Evans Head

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Day 4: Esk to Iluka and Yamba

28km, 8 hours

Day 4 commenced from the Mibanbah - Black Rocks campground in Bundjalung National Park. Appreciated my brother getting up well and truly before the sparrows stir to drive me there. If you were doing the coast hike solo, the walk through the national park would still make for a pleasant journey as most of the trip is ‘inside’ the bushland but a lift back to the beach was much appreciated. Black Rocks campground is stunning and there are lots of fine paddling possibilities on nearby Jerusalem Creek.

From Black Rock it was 20km or so to Woody Head and then a few more to Iluka to take a ferry across the Clarence River to Yamba and Palmer Island for the night. It was a misty morning so Woody Head could not be seen when I started out. It had that lovely mysterious feeling of wandering into the fog and the great unknown – not quite Ludwig Leichhardt wandering off into the vast reaches of the Great Sandy Desert, but an uplifting and yet eerie feeling all the same.

After a few hours of walking, I reached Shark Bay and its delightfully sheltered beach – a perfect spot for a swim. Then it was around Woody Bay - which absolutely deserves its

Day 4: Endless beauty

Day 4: Looking south from Woody Head to Iluka

Day 4: A fine spot for a rest

Day 4: Mibanbah - Black Rocks sunrise

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name. I don’t think I have ever seen so many trees, branches, sticks and rotting timber on any beach ever, before or since. I suppose that most of the logs are trapped on the sand in the sheltered bay, but it is a sight to behold. Walking along Woody Bay feels like traversing those TV ninja courses – there is so much wood that it is hard to find the sand to walk on. For me it became a game that was sort of the opposite of ‘the floor is lava’ – a perfect challenge on a beautifully sunny day!

Woody Head has a campground on the actual headland, and it would be an incredible place to pitch a tent if you love a campsite with a view. I rounded Woody Head to Back Beach and then around Middle Bluff and Bluff Beach before enjoying a long rest and lunch at Iluka Bluff lookout.

There's a world heritage listed stretch of rainforest at Iluka which made a pleasant change from the open beaches. It was a bit of a diversion, so I then had to double back to Iluka Beach and Anderson's Beach and then… drumroll… the mighty Clarence River. It was a few more clicks to Iluka Wharf where I was rewarded with a wonderful ferry across to Yamba. The ferry travelled a fair way downriver and was almost as good as a pleasure cruise. Highly recommended. What a superb way to end a frabjous day!

Day 5: Yamba to Angourie

11km, 4 hours

It was the final day of chunk 2 today – a kind of postscript after arriving at the Clarence the previous day. I walked from Yamba to Angourie and the start of the Yuraygir coast walk, which would be the starting point for the next ‘chunk’ of my journey.

Angourie is one of the absolute highlights of the NSW coast. As well as some amazing beaches and headlands, there are also a series of natural rock pools and one of NSW's best surf breaks. In addition, there are beautiful views to the northern approach to Yuraygir - the longest stretch of fully national park protected coastline in NSW.

I journeyed along Turners Beach next to the Clarence breakwater and then across Wooli Park to Yamba Beach which is backed by the fading glory of the Pacific Hotel. Past the magnificent Yamba Ocean Pool to Convent Beach and then around South Head and Yamba Point to McKittricks and Pippi Beaches.

Day 4: The Clarence River Ferry pulling into Iluka

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Barri Point led on to Barri Beach and then sheltered Green Point Beach in the lee of Green Point. Next was Spooky Beach (so named because in the 60s it was so isolated that it was ‘spooky’ to surf there).

With plenty of time on my hands, I explored Angourie Blue Pool and Angourie Green Pool, two natural spring water swimming holes and finally Angourie Point Beach and magnificent Angourie Point. I looked longingly at the entrance to the Yuraygir walk and the long stretch of sand wending southwards – but that would be for next time!

I was a little sad to be winding up for the time being but excited to plan the next phase through Yuraygir. I had already started reading up on Yuraygir and that mighty stretch of national park protected coastline. I couldn’t wait to return for the third chunk of the quest.

Conclusion

More than 40 years ago (in 1982 to be exact) I hitchhiked around the Egyptian part of the Sahara Desert. I was overwhelmed by the kindness of strangers there and remember one old ‘haji’ explaining to me, in halting English, that in Islamic tradition (as in many others) one feels blessed to assist wayfarers and pilgrims. The thought has stayed with me

ever since, and I've always tried to reciprocate the kindness of those desert dwellers in Mut, Abu Minqar, Faraffra and Bawiti. And although I am now far, far away in time, distance and culture, I remain impressed by how fantastically hospitable most folk are to 'saunterers'. Every interaction I enjoyed on this part of the journey, from the Ballina taxi driver, to the Burns Point ferry master, to the top bloke in Patchs beach sharing a few cold beers and a chat to speed me along my way, to the Aussie/Filipina couple fishing near the Richmond Bridge in Wardell at sunset sharing their life tales with me, to the Sandalwood van park manager, to the farming couple enjoying their breakfast and inviting me to shorten my walk to the beach by going through their land, to the many and various 'strangers' I chatted with along the way, all have been great reminders that the world is full of kind, gentle, friendly, amazing people - whatever the doom-mongers would have us believe!

Day 5: Yamba sunrise

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