Nambucca Dreaming

In May and June of 2017 we propped for a month at Nambucca Heads on the New South Wales north coast. Not only was it a perfect place to be based for touring the Coffs Coast region but we were captivated by its natural beauty. The White Albatross Caravan Park is beside the V Wall and the soft warm and sandy Nyambaga Trail takes you over the saddle to Shelly Beach. A relaxing stroll along the river leads to waterfront cafes and the popular RSL Club. Perched high on the hill above is the town centre.

V Wall Breakwater in Nambucca Heads is busy with fishermen and strollers. Every rock of the wall is painted with a story. Stories of friendship, love and death, coastal road trips and memorable holidays with Nan and Pop.

Wellington Rock and its surrounding rock shelf is like nothing I’ve seen before. Rock in hues of pink and blue and shot with quartz, alongside corrugations that look and feel like marble and beg to be touched.

20170520-dsc_0071 — Wellington Rock, Nambucca Heads, NSW

20170520-dsc_0062 — Curved layers of rock so delicate it begged to be touched

Nambucca River is a mass of sand banks as it snakes its way to the sea. Further upstream there are oyster farms but along the bank oyster catchers delicately pick their way across the wild oyster beds, pelicans fish and sea eagles soar silently overhead.

20170525-dsc_0156 — The Nambucca River making its way inland

Shelly Beach a small curve of north facing sand with a deep swimming hole and banks of shells. Oysters, mussels, scallops, limpets, dog winkles, heavy turbans, wavy volutes, and cowries.

20170523-dsc_0138 — Shelley Beach, warm enough to swim even in May

The surf breaking on the bar is so loud day and night that it sounds like a dozen steam trains that never arrive.

20170603-dsc_0227 — Surf breaking between Wellington Rock and the V Wall

Nambuccans are a fit lot. This has to be one of the hillier towns in this flat country of ours, yet the locals of advanced age just follow the footpaths no matter how steep they are. Each morning they are down at Shelly Beach stripping off for an early morning dip and waving a cheery g’day even though this is almost June.