MINNAMURRA BEACH

Minnamurra Beach, also known as ‘Mystics’, is a favourite with the locals. Mystics Beach stretches from the rocky headland towards the volcanic outcrop known as Stack Island (aka Rangoon Island). This stretch of beach forms a sand spit, behind which is the estuary of Minnamurra River.

The natural setting features small areas of vegetation with a view out to stunning Stack island. Day visits are popular with people coming for the scenery, surfing, barbecue and picnics.

Mystics Beach forms part of the National Surfing Reserve at Killalea State Park and is a popular well known location for surfing. The swell from the south make good left breaking off the point over shallow sand a rock bottom, holding plenty of swell.

Minnamurra Beach has the same name as the waterfall, the river and the adjacent town, but is almost inaccessible and little known. The river sweeps behind the beach and a narrow barrier, flowing out to sea through a permanent opening against the southern Minnamurra Point and Stack Island. The river prevents access from the town and the only land access is via the Killalea track to a car park located on slopes above the northern end of the beach. Consequently the beach and low densely vegetated barrier is one of the more natural in the region. The beach faces east and curves to the south for 1.5 km to the river mouth. It receives east and southeast swell, the latter reduced by refraction round Stack Island, and is protected from northeast waves by Bass Point. As a result average waves range from less then 1 m at the river mouth to just over a metre up the beach. The beach usually has a continuous bar that is only cut by rips, particularly to the north following higher waves.

Swimming
Best to the south where rips are infrequent, but not at the river mouth where both strong river and tidal flows and a deep channel are a hazard. Rips increase in occurrence up the beach.

Surfing
The beach breaks are usually small and of poor quality, apart from the river mouth bars which can hold some good waves in bigger swell. At the north end, below the car park, is a reef called Mystics that produces a good left.

Fishing
The river mouth is the best location together with Stack (or Rangoon) Island.