Beach Number:

nsw012

Includes Beaches:

Belongil

State/Region:

NSW - Byron Bay

Post Code:

2481

General Beach Hazard Rating:

6/10 (Moderately hazardous)

Beach

Belongil Beach (NSW 12) trends southeast for 2.5 km from the sandy Belongil Creek mouth, to the seawall at Byron Bay (Fig. 4.14). It is part of a low eroding 200 m wide barrier, that is undeveloped along the northern few hundred metre where it is backed by Belongil Creek. The central 1 km long section has beachfront houses, many of which are fronted by rocks and debris, with the undeveloped southern section occupied by the Byron Bay Beach Reserve, then a beachfront caravan park and the swimming pool, both located behind the seawall. Limited access and parking is provided in the residential section and at the seawall car park.

The beach has an attached inner bar which is cut by rips every few hundred metre during and following periods of high waves, with the rips filling in under lower waves. A longshore trough runs off this bar with the outer bar cut by more widely spaced rips. A wreck lies in the surf just north of the seawall.

Swimming

This beach is moderately safe when the inner rips are absent, but still be wary of the rips when present and the longshore trough. Safest swimming is south toward Byron Bay and away from the creek mouth.

Surfing

Variable beach breaks decreasing in height to south, depend on prevailing conditions. Sand bars around The Wreck of the SS Wollongbar, just north of the seawall can produce a good right during larger swell.

Fishing

Gutters only occur following high seas.