You can easily vary the distance and mix of beach and dune walking to suit yourself. The beach is best at low tide.
Vegetation and wildlife in Boambee dunes
Wandering on the dune tracks amongst the coastal banksia is shady and peaceful, with lots of bird life and butterflies. The low lying valleys between the dunes get flooded after heavy rains, listen out for the frog noises from the pools in the hollows.
It is interesting to see how the vegetation changes, from the spinifex grasses on the incipient dunes, to the bitou bush on the foredunes, and the wooded swales behind. To the west of the hind dunes is the north coast railway line which makes a natural boundary for walking. Beyond is the airport and the sewage treatment works. You don’t want to walk there!
The local orienteering club, Bush and Beach Orienteering, occasionally hold events in the Boambee dunes. The navigation is surprisingly tricky!
There are a number of informal tracks that take you over the dunes from the bush to the beach.
Boambee Beach
Boambee Beach is a 5.7km long from Boambee Headland and creek in the south, to Gallows Beach and Corambirra point in the north. The long beach is good for meditative walking while listening to the waves and watching the fizz as waters advance and retreat on the sand. Boambee beach has rhythmic double sand bars separated by a troughs of deeper water, and can have strong rips and a heavy shore break. Not a good spot to swim.
The land bridge between the mainland and South Coffs was created in 1926, and the South Coffs breakwater some twenty years later. The land bridge and breakwaters stopped the natural sand flows onto beaches north of Muttonbird Island, and caused a build up of sand on Boambee beach. The sand on Boambee is now mined, you may see sand trucks.
If you have a dog with you, keep your eyes and ears open for horses from the stables nearby being exercised along the beach, and for 4WDs or trucks travelling at speed on the beach.
You can continue north onto Gallows Beach and climb Corambirra Point (South Coffs) or continue south all the way to Sawtell on the Solitary Islands Coastal Walk. Boambee Creek has shoals and strong tidal currents at the creek mouth.
