West of Point Ricardo, the beach can extend for anywhere between 2 and 7 km; the actual length at any time depending on the location of the Snowy River mouth. When the river flows straight out to sea at Marlo, the beach is 7 km long. However, as the south-westerly waves push the entrance eastward, the beach shortens; until a large flood occurs, that will usually take the entrance back to Marlo.
The Marlo - Cape Conran road parallels the beach, but access can only be obtained along the western few kilometres; east of the water-filled French Narrows. The road runs along the top of 40 m high bluffs, with dune ramps providing access to the beach below.
The beach faces due south and receives waves averaging 1.5 m; which combine with the medium sand to build a relatively steep beach face. This is fronted by a narrow continuous bar on which waves break heavily. A deep trough separates this bar from the outer bar. Towards the river mouth, tidal currents and shoals produce strong variable currents and very hazardous conditions for bathers and boaters.
Beach Length: 7km
Patrols
There are currently no services provided by Surf Life Saving Australia for this beach. Please take the time to browse the Surf Safety section of this website to learn more about staying safe when swimming at Australian beaches.
Click here to visit general surf education information.
SLSA provides this information as a guide only. Surf conditions are variable and therefore this information should not be relied upon as a substitute for observation of local conditions and an understanding of your abilities in the surf. SLSA reminds you to always swim between the red and yellow flags and never swim at unpatrolled beaches. SLSA takes all care and responsibility for any translation but it cannot guarantee that all translations will be accurate.