Yuraygir National Park
Fully Guided Hiking Tours
Fully Guided 5 Day Hiking Tour
‘Follow the ancient wandering trails of Australia’s coastal emus on the four-day Yuraygir Coastal Walk. This colossal track traverses the coastline from Angourie to Red Rock. The scenery and views along the way are diverse and astounding. You’ll encounter wildlife and wildflowers as you walk past heathland plains, long sandy beaches, tranquil creeks, lagoons, rocky headlands and even a marine park.
Tackle the full 65km with overnight accommodation stops along the way. You’ll never forget this journey through the traditional homelands of the Gumbaynggirr and Yaegl nations, it’s stunningly beautiful.
National Parks NSW Accredited
Trip dates
| Departure Date | Tour | Duration | Price | Spots remaining |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, 5 Sept 2023 | Yuraygir | 5 days 4 nights | From$AU1,190 | 2 |
| Tue 21 May 2024 | Yuraygir | 5 days 4 nights | From $AU1,190 | 9 |
| Tue 25 June 2024 | Yuraygir | 5 days 4 nights | From $AU1,190 | 10 |
| Tue 10 Sept 2024 | Yuraygir | 5 days 4 nights | From $AU1,190 | 10 |
| Wed 11 Sept 2024 | Yuraygir | 5 days 4 nights | From $AU1,190 | 10 |
Photo gallery
Frequently asked questions
The tour is 5 days and 4 nights.
2024 Prices (including GST):
$AU1,190pp (private room, twin, double or queen bed for two people, sharing bathroom),
$AU1,390pp (private room, queen bed for two people, with en-suite)
$AU1,390pp (private room double bed, one person, sharing bathroom)
$AU1,690pp (private room queen bed, one person, with en-suite)
Included
- All accommodation
- luggage transfers while hiking
- Boat and bus transfers
- A guide for the five days
- A support vehicle and driver for the whole trip
- Transport from Sancrox (near Port Macquarie) or Red Rock, to Yamba (the start point of the trip) and return from Red Rock to Sancrox (when available).
- All National Park fees and Public Liability Insurance
- Drinks and nibbles on 3 nights
Not included
- Airfares
- Meals
- Passport (if applicable), visa (if applicable) and travel insurance
- Transport to Port Macquarie or to Red Rock
The maximum group size is 11 people plus the guide and driver. A minimum of 8 hikers is required for the hiking tour to proceed.
NOTE: Itinerary is subject to change due to National Park alerts, weather conditions and track conditions.
Day 1
- Meet at Port Macquarie at 10.45am or meet at Red Rock at 1.30pm
- Bus leaves Port Macquarie at 11.00am (when available) and Red Rock at 2.00pm
- Arrive at Yamba accommodation around 4.00pm. Free time till 5.30pm.
- Safety and other information briefing at 5.30pm
- Dinner at Yamba at 6.00pm (own cost)
Day 2 Angourie to Brooms Head
- Transfer to start of walk at Mara Creek (Angourie) at 8.30am
- Start walking around 9.00am, to Brooms Head (17km, rated Moderate to hard)
- Accommodation at Brooms Head.
- Dinner at Bowling Club (Chinese, own cost)
Day 3 Brooms Head to Minnie Water
- Start walking at about 8.30am, to Minnie Water (20km, rated Moderate to hard)
- Arrive at Sandon around lunch time. River crossing is arranged. Note: Our support vehicle can pick you up at Sandon and take you to the accommodation at Wooli, if you don’t want to walk the 11km, after lunch
- Walk to Minnie Water General Store.
- Transfer to Accommodation at Wooli
Day 4 Minnie Water to Wooli
- Transfer to hike start at Minnie Waters
- Start walking at about 9.00am, to Wooli (15km, rated Moderate)
- Arrive Wooli accommodation at about 3.00pm.
- Canoes / kayaks available – explore Wooli River
- Dinner at Wooli Pub at 6.00pm (own cost)
Day 5 Wooli to Red Rock
- Boat crossing arranged at about 8.30am
- Start walking at about 9.00am, to Red Rock (11km, Rated Hard). The first 4-5km is the most difficult part of the walk. There are many rock platforms, plus some scrambling and bush bashing. It will be close to low tide.
- Lunch prior to reaching Station Creek
- Walk along Pebbly Beach and across Station Creek
- Walk to Red Rock. River crossing by small boat is arranged
- Walk finishes about 3.00pm. Drive home, or to Port Macquarie.
Please go to the Bookings page on this website, or contact us. A deposit of $300 per person will secure your booking.
The bank details for the deposit are:
Home Comforts Hiking
BSB 923100
Account 36237075
A tax invoice will be provided for each booking
Go to the Bookings page on this website or contact us. A deposit of $AU300 will secure your booking. If less than 1 month before the start date of the trip, then payment in full will be required.
We will send you a PayPal invoice in your preferred currency. You do not need a PayPal account to make the payment. You just need a Visa or Mastercard to make the payment. Alternatively, you can pay in $AU through a money transfer company such as OFX or your bank. In that case use the bank details as shown for Australian based customers.
Please see our full cancellation and refunds policy on the “Bookings” Page
The balance is due one month prior to the trip start date.
There are no refunds, due to cancellation by you, unless you (the person cancelling) introduce a replacement hiker to replace you. If a replacement can be found by you, we will refund 75% of the total paid by you.
For overseas guests, we recommend that you take out travel insurance that covers cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances, medical costs, and your valuables.
Overall the hike is rated moderate for experienced hikers. For inexperienced and less fit hikers, it would be rated hard. The total distance walked over 4 days of hiking is 65km. Around 50% of the hike is along pristine beaches. We walk at a slow to moderate pace with plenty of breaks and opportunities to enjoy the views and observe the abundant flora and fauna. There is minimal ascent on the hike, just a few headlands to navigate. There are also three river crossings, but these are all supported by local boat operators. There is also about 4km of walking along rock platforms and bush bashing on the last day. The rock platforms and tracks leading inland on the last hiking day are the most difficult part of the whole hike.
This hike is not recommended for inexperienced hikers. If in doubt, please contact us prior to booking.
Sections of the hike can be avoided by taking a ride in our support vehicle.
We have recently upgraded our accommodation options. Some previous guests have provided feedback that they would like a private bathroom as well as a private room. We now offer 4 levels of accommodation on our Yuraygir hiking tours:
For singles – either sharing a bathroom or ensuite
For couples or 2 friends – either with their own bathroom or sharing a bathroom with others.
Ensuite options are also larger rooms.
Note that bed linen and towels are provided at every accommodation we stay at.
Please contact us if you need any assistance with selecting your preferred accommodation level.
After arrival at Yamba, there will be time to do shopping at local stores for breakfast, morning tea and lunch needs for the hike. There is also an excellent Farmers Market at Yamba, on Wednesday mornings. There are also general Stores at Brooms Head, Minnie Waters and Wooli to buy what you need, but stock and selections are limited. You may want to buy your bread and other basics at Yamba as there is more selection available. When selecting food, keep in mind that your food may go up to 8 hours a day without refrigeration.
Breakfast – All cabins have basic kitchen facilities. There are no kitchens at Yamba. At all locations there are cafes/stores available for breakfast and coffee.
Lunch and morning tea needs to be carried in your day pack each day. There are no shops while walking.
There is a venue for dinner each night, so no cooking is required.
All of our Yuraygir Hikes are supported by a vehicle and driver. On all Yuraygir hikes, a support vehicle will transfer your luggage from accommodation to accommodation, and can also take passengers (if you want a rest day). You only need to carry a day pack while hiking each day.
We must impose limits to ensure our driver is not carrying excessive weights. There is a strict limit of 3 bags per person, as per the following:
Bag 1 – small day pack to carry on the hikes, 20-35 litre size
Bag 2 – Small Bag up to 10kg MAXIMUM for spare clothes and personal items
Bag 3 – Insulated shopping bag (NO eskies) up to 5kg for food.
No extra add ons such as handbags, pillows etc are allowed. If you want to bring these they must be placed in Bag 2.
Note there is a $55 surcharge for any excess luggage.
Due to the costs of providing a support vehicle, if there are less than 8 hikers booked for the trip, then the tour will not proceed.
- Small backpack with waterproof cover
- One bag for luggage transfer
- Shirts, hiking pants (for day 4), shorts, underwear, socks
- Hiking shoes and comfy shoes/thongs/sandals for at the accommodation
- Ankle gaiters
- Hiking Pole(s)
- Small torch
- Hat
- Water bottles / bladder
- Rainproof jacket
- Swimsuit and micro towel
- Photo ID, Money and/or Debit/Credit Card
- Passport (if applicable), Visa (if applicable), Travel Insurance docs
- Phone and/or tablet, camera and chargers
- Toiletries and medication
- Food/snacks can be purchased along the way
Meet at Sancrox (near Port Macquarie) at 10.30am on Day 1, or meet at Red Rock Store on the Corindi River (Lawson St) at 1.30pm, or meet at our first night’s accommodation at Yamba between 4 and 5pm. You can leave your car at Sancrox or near the store at Red Rock and take our commuter bus to Yamba for our first night’s accommodation, when available.
Sometimes our commuter bus is already at Red Rock. In those cases we will meet at Red Rock at 1.30pm.
At Red Rock, where your cars are parked, at about 3.00pm on Day 5. For those parked at Sancrox, we will arrive back at around 5.30pm.
Our accommodation was on the second floor and our room had a huge sliding window that opened at waist height with a drop to the cement many metres below. An OH&S disaster waiting to happen! The place was thumping, literally, as it was Saturday night with a band and lots of backpackers and locals enjoying the entertainment.
Pam and I searched out some food in town for the next day, and later, wished that we had bought/brought more. Even at 5.00 pm, there was not much open.
The bus trip and dinner provided an opportunity to glean some first impressions of our walking companions and they were all positive: a very nice bunch. As well as Pam Dawes from Manly, there was Sarah, Steve and Claudia from Port Macquarie, Tony from Byron Bay, Derek from Mosman, plus Marcus and his wife Marika, their daughter Monica with husband Dave and daughter little, 12 months old, Ashlin. Steve had camping gear and used it for some of the nights.
Home Comforts Hiking proved to be a well-organised and friendly crew.
Mara Creek Campsite is the starting point for the Yuraygir Coastal Walk and this site is historically-significance as it was a source of fresh water and fish for the local Goorie (Aboriginal) people. A natural fish trap on the rock platform below the Shelley Beach path is clearly visible.
So it is with an appreciation of the timelessness of this stunningly beautiful area that we set off, a family of sorts. A group photo is taken. Little Ashlin is strapped into her carrier and Monica steps out strongly with tales of her walk along the Pacific Crest Trail (4,270 km) that makes our 65 km effort over 4 days seem insignificant. But it is good to chat about ultra trail events and great walks and to hear Monica describe her new interest: trail running, her long legs perfectly built for that.
The walk to Lake Arragan via Shelley Headland is varied, with the beach and sand dune trails offering views of ochre-coloured rock platforms and coffee rock sand cliffs to the south. Whales and dolphins are spotted by some of the group but I'm not quick enough to focus. We follow the coastal emu footprint signs and although we come upon wallaby or kangaroo footprints in the sand, we see no emus. Heath and woodland vegetation is diverse and we enjoy a springtime flush of flowers - flannel flowers, orchids, boronias. Coastal banksias, pandanus palms and paperbarks (complete with a native beehive) shade the trails.
By midday, the air became quite smoky from the fires to the north-west of Lake Arragan and as we walk on, we speak with locals who have packed up their pets and driven to Plumbago Headland to be well away from the fires. Later we are told that the picnic area near the lake where some of the group enjoyed a bracing swim was burnt out the next day and National Parks closed the section of the walk from Angourie to Laka Arragan until further notice.
We end the day with views of Red Cliff and Grey Cliff Headlands and drop down to the beach via stairs - newly repaired. We walk briskly along the beautiful beach to Brooms Head with its stately Norfolk Island pines but as we a glance northward, we are reminded that the fire situation is worsening. Devastating for so many.
Our accommodation is adequate - spacious and clean, the only problem being that the bathroom door doesn't close but we aren't too fussed and manage. The bathroom light globe pops but is replaced promptly. The shop is run down as is the owner, the shelves barely stocked and the food is outrageously expensive eg 50g of coffee $12.95! Dinner at the Bowling Club is pleasant and we finish the day with a lively game of BOMB.
Sandon is a pretty place with an estuary separating the camping ground and the renovated beach shacks; some are pretty flash. Life is in the slow lane here as access is limited. There is a clear message in the lack of garbage bins - take care of this special place. There was time to have a swim but the wind was cold so a sit in the sun, lunch and a wander around the camping area and along the inlet filled in the time nicely. The break provided an opportunity to read the information signs and appreciate that this stretch of coast is protected by Sanctuary Zones and Commonwealth Marine Reserves. The environmental campaigns of the '80s and '90s are to be applauded.
There could not have been a greater contrast to the Brooms Head shop in the Minnie Waters shop: pleasant people run it, well-stocked shelves, pricey...yes but good quality. I eyed off the cheeses... not this time. The sign on the window said it all: Kitchen and Coffee close by 4 (or earlier if there are waves or we just wanna) and the local facilities indicate a community at work here.
And what a peaceful end to the day's walk through the Angophoras for the last kilometre to the comfortable cabins at the caravan park. The late afternoon light was magical.
We were all feeling a little worn out after the soft-sand slog in the afternoon but showers and pre-dinner drinks followed by a hearty barbeque dinner prepared by Marcus and the family is just what we needed. I need to add that when we left Brooms Head in the morning, there was a possibility that the road would be closed due to the fires and Dave and the trailer would not make it to Minnie Waters. All was well however and Dave was able to bring the gear through as well as the BBQ makings.
Unfortunately. a cool southerly wind had sprung up and battered us for 6.5 km.
We were pleased to arrive at Wooli River Lodges mid-afternoon. What a nice place. Shady, well-maintained gardens; lodges with good linen; an outdoor fully equipped kitchen; and just 5 minutes to the local store and hotel. We enjoyed dinner at the hotel and this was followed by a gathering in the outdoor kitchen to wish Dave a happy birthday with party hats and cake. It seemed like a long day and I headed back to our lodge while most stayed to play 31. I was surprised to find it was only 7.30 pm but the opportunity for an early night was too good to pass up.
After lunch, we crossed Station Creek estuary easily as it was only wading depth. Then there was another beautiful beach walk to Red Rock River and our final boat crossing to Red Rock.
Press play on the following link:
https://www.relive.cc/view/v1vjpeABDY6
Pam and I had intended to spend the night at Nambucca Heads but as it was only 2.00 pm when we arrived at Red Rock, we canceled our motel booking, thanked and fare welled our walking family and drove home to Caves Beach.
What a wonderful walk along a beautiful, pristine coastline in good company, thanks to Home Comforts Hiking – we couldn’t ask for a better few days!
[post_title] => Yuraygir Coastal Walk 7 – 11 September, 2019
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