NSW beach camping

[bugman]

Gents,

Anyone know of some good beach camping in Northern NSW.

We're looking for something like Straddie, D/I etc but in NSW. Does such a thing exist. I don't want a caravan park but more bush camping so the little fella can enjoy some room to run around and I can have a fish at the same time.

Probably doesn't even have to be open beach but nice river area will do.

Thanks in advance

Brett

An f in case you're wondering why we don't go to Straddie, DI, Fraser - its because we've been there a lot and thought we'd like to try somewhere different.

[Pete62]

Depending on how keen u r there is a great spot about 30k's nth of Coffs called Station Creek.
4wd access via tracks then beach then creek crossing(low tide only). It is a National park so u should be able to google it.
Great spot, safe beach, good fishing(landbased) and beach launch for close in reefs with a smallish boat.

Pete.

[pickenshovel]

i was going to say station creek as well , gr8 place to camp and fish, ive never been there but my mates rave about it.

[chisel]

Yes, Pebbly beach (which is the beach camping section near Station ck) is nice. It's not quite like straddie/fraser though but still excellent. The camping area is fairly small (maybe up to about 1km along the beach) so I think it would get crowded in busy times.
Minnie water is the other nice spot but same crowding situation. The topic has been discussed on here a few times so it might be worth a search in the archives.
You can also check similar chats in the 4wdmonthly forums.

I suppose you should include South Ballina too. You have to camp in a van park there though, and it isn't exactly beachfront (but close).

[tony2dogs]

Hey bugman, we're setting up at Ballina Beach Village (primarily a van park at South Ballina) over Easter, I google earthed the area and although it's well back from the beach there is the Richmond River across the road from the camp site area. Don't know the area but will hit the riverbanks with plastics and hardbodies. There's also the breakwall (don't know if it's safe for the kids), and the beach is about 400m walk from the kiosk, could be ok for bait fishing???

Chisel, it looks like we are staying at the place you mention. I'll have to give the beach a crack too. I doubt I can cast that far from the beach to hook up on any mackeral, any suggestions? Whiting, Jew, Flatties?

[chisel]

The beach there is pretty reliable for bream and tailor. I'd probably just grab some pippies or worms and try for bream/dart/whiting. I guess you might get the odd flatty too - they aren't really that common in the surf though.

You can drive on the beach there - worth a drive to find a decent gutter.

[aussiefool]

Mate I don't know if you want it for Easter or not but you could try Lake Ainsworth at Lennox Head.
http://lake-ainsworth-holiday-park.nsw.big4.com.au/

http://www.google.com.au/#hl=en&source=hp&q=lake+ainsworth+caravan+park&meta=&aq=1&aqi=g9g-s1&aql=&oq=lake+a&gs_rfai=&fp=c08a02817fd35166

Aussiefool
Andrew

[bugman]

Thanks gent,

Station creek sounds good. I can't find much info on the net other than the NSW parks stuff.

Is the camping on the beach or is it set back. Anyone got photos they can post?

Chisel, when you says it's not like Fraser - in what way?

Brett

[chisel]

bugman - you don't actually drive on the beach at pebbly beach in front of the camping area (although you can drive on a nearby beach). There's a track that runs along just back from the beach in front of the camping areas. Also the areas are a bit more formalised with some fences here and there - more well defined sites compared to fraser. There's a dunny block in the middle too.
But it is right on the beach, apart from the track, and you can see the water from your campsite.
Here's the beach
http://scwalker.smugmug.com/Fishing-Trips/Pebbly-Beach-August-07/IMG0977/189517965_bFkb7-L.jpg
Here's a campsite shot
http://scwalker.smugmug.com/Fishing-Trips/Pebbly-Beach-August-07/IMG0845/189465936_UgzCL-L.jpg

[tony2dogs]

cracker of a campsite, can see my seat from here.

[bugman]

Chisel,

Looks the goods.

What's the fishing like. Can you pull worms on the beach and are there pippis or do you need to take all your own bait in.

Brett

[themissus]

Jerusalem Creek is another option. Its just south of woodburn. It used to be really popular, I havent been there for years, not sure what it's like now
Cheers Kim.

[chisel]

Chisel,

Looks the goods.

What's the fishing like. Can you pull worms on the beach and are there pippis or do you need to take all your own bait in.

Brett
I've only been once so couldn't really say for sure. We caught a couple of big salmon directly in front of camp and we got a handful of bream and I think whiting around on the beach just south of the camping section. I can't recall exactly but pretty certain you can pull worms on the nearby beach (not in front of camp). Pippies could be hit-and-miss as there isn't much beach to drive on.

[PNG1M]

...jumping onto this thread a bit late, but some places I know of are:

Broomes Head & Sandon - both have good options and are generally safe for little kids (still gotta keep an eye on'em though).

Sandon is a few ks' Sth of the Broome & more remote but has a good estuary for fishing & swimming plus a surf beach (with 4wd access) and a river (with boat ramp & river bar for getting outside). Its very picturesque & has an island nearby that you can walk to at low tide. The beach there is pippi & beach worm city!

Woody Head, near Iluka is another great place to camp right close to the beach with 4wd access and a fairly protected bay. Plenty of room there for a toddler to toddle around, though last time I was there the amenities were a bit sparce.

Further South, I used to camp a bit at "One Mile Beach" near Anna Bay, the main reason being the nearby 4wd access to Stockton. The beach from the camping area was just over the dune so easy to access. There was a nudist beach there then, a few hundred metres to the north but I didn't notice as I was busy fishing.

[dec0guy]

Here's a map of national park camping sites on the north coast

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/parks/brochures/NorthCoast08.pdf

[Saltboy]

Blackrocks just south Of Woodburn near Jerusalem Creek is awesome also. Kind of in between Evans head and Iluka. Can drive on beach south of headland down to near Iluka. Great for family. Can't book there though. Both great rock and beach fishing.