From Crescent Head the coast trends to the south for 14.5 km to Queens Head, with four main headlands in between and a total of ten headlands and rock bound sandy beaches (NSW 152-158) in between. The longest is Goolawah Beach (NSW 152) which sweeps in a broad southerly arc for 6.6 km between the steeply dipping rocks of 60 m high Crescent Head and 30 m high Racecourse Head (Fig. 4.81). The beach is bcaked by a well vegetated foredune, then the elongate Goolwah lagoon and the gravel Plomer road. There is access in the north from a car park located 500 m south of Crescent Head and at the southern Racecourse Head end where there is a council camping area and a large blufftop car park, which provides a good view of the surf. This is an energetic beach receiving waves averaging 1.5 m, which produce a well-developed double bar system extending the entire length. Rips cross the inner bar every 300-400 m, with a deep trough and more widely spaced outer bar rips offshore. Strong permanent rips run out against the northern rocks and against Racecourse Head. In amongst the southern rocks and below the southernmost car park is a 50 m long pocket of boulders and intertidal sand (NSW 152S) fronted by a shallow bar amongst the rocks, with waves usually less than 1 m. This beach is used by some swimmers and by surfers to paddle out to the Racecourse Head surfing break. read more

Beach Length: 6.6km