Four small valleys located between 100 m high Thelma Ridge and Semi Detached Point converge into an 800 m wide southeast-facing embayment, occupied by North and South Era beaches (NSW 346 & 347) (Fig. 4.272 & 4.273). Like Garie, 1 km to the north, this land was cleared early for grazing and was still in private hands until the late 1940s. Today the beaches can only be reached on foot down the spur from the Garawarra car park, approximately 2 km to the west, or along the coastal track. The North Era valleys are cleared but unsettled, with a large aboriginal midden on the dune behind the beach. South Era has a thriving shack community and the Era SLSC formed in 1938. Bush camping is permitted at North and South Era, with no other accommodation available. North Era (NSW 346) is a curving 250 m long southeast-facing beach, located between Thelma Head and the central Mid Era Point, with rocks extending off both heads. It receives waves averaging 1.5 m, which maintain a strong permanent rip flowing out against the northern rocks. Collaery and Stockyards creeks converge to break out across the northern end of the beach. South Era (NSW 347) is a curving 330 m long sandy beach that faces due east, and is partly sheltered on its southern side by 30 m high Semi Detached Point, whose northern slope provides some of the best beachfront sites on the east coast. The southern beach receives waves averaging between 1-1.5 m with rips usually flowing out against the rocks at both ends, and at times a more transient central rip, usually toward the northern end of the beach. Cutty and Era creeks drain the backing valleys and combine to form a small lagoon behind the beach. read more

Beach Length: 0.3km