4–5 days: Yuraygir coastal walk

4–5 days, Angourie → Red Rock (or Wooli finish) · Best for: Fit walkers who will book boats and camps first

Guide updated 13 Sept 2026 · verify NSW National Parks the morning you go

Full flagship walk with a Wooli finish as the default safe plan if Corindi / Red Rock cannot be crossed. Day shape on the trail page — this itinerary is the booking and tide checklist.

Beach and rocky platforms on the Yuraygir coastal walk corridor — Coastal walk corridor
Maurice van Creij · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Do not leave home until camps and the Sandon + Wooli boats are actually booked (or you have written backups). Official walk: 65 km one-way, 4–5 days, Grade 4, Angourie Surfing Reserve to Red Rock, best north to south.

No commercial boat at Red Rock / Corindi. Extra food is official advice. Safest river crossings are on an incoming tide. Rock platforms at low tide only.

Vehicle entry still applies if a support car enters the park. Walkers on foot do not pay the vehicle day fee. Annual passes do not cover camping.

Boat numbers change. Official river-crossing alert (still posted 13 Aug 2026): Wooli 0439 409 909, Sandon 0429 520 255. The Brooms Head–Illaroo track page still lists Sandon as 0407 362 118. Confirm both with Grafton 02 6641 1500. This itinerary is not live status.

Track status, weather and closures change — verify on NSW National Parks before you leave, then use the timeline below as a planning skeleton only.

Timeline

Two weeks out
Book camps + boats + Trip Intention
NPWS camps along your chosen nights. Wooli River Boat Hire 0439 409 909. Sandon planning number 0429 520 255. [VERIFY] both via Grafton 02 6641 1500. Fill a Trip Intention Form. Install Emergency+ and the NSW Parks app. Decide finish car: Wooli vs Red Rock. Do not leave a sedan at a 4WD-only pin.
Night before Day 1
Alerts, tides, extra food
Recheck live alerts (13 Sep 2026 snapshot: McPhillips Rd closed 14–25 Sep — southern finish via Barcoongere Way; Sandon Beach spray through 18 Sep; Pigeon Gully spray through 30 Sep). Screenshot a Yamba tide chart. Pack extra food. Limited reception — 000 needs a signal.
Days 1–2
Angourie → Brooms Head / Sandon
Official Angourie–Brooms Head: 18 km, Grade 4, 6–7 hrs. Wide berth at Red Cliff. High tide: diversion track midway along Back Beach (tall post). Day 2 toward Sandon: book the boat, incoming tide. If the boat is cancelled, stay in Brooms Head.
Day 3
Sandon → Illaroo / Wilsons / Wooli
Brooms Head–Illaroo official 18 km Grade 3, 7–8 hrs including the boat — still a long day. Illaroo–Wooli is 14 km Grade 4, 4.5–5.5 hrs. Illaroo lists drinking water; pack a bottle anyway. Wooli is a legitimate reset or finish.
Days 4–5
Wooli boat, then honesty
Wooli boat on an incoming tide. Official Wooli–Red Rock: 15.5 km, Grade 5, 5.5–6.5 hours — hardest, most remote block. Station Creek wade. No commercial boat at Corindi / Red Rock. If the last river is unsafe, finish at Wooli. That is a completed trip.
Every morning
Alerts, tide, food, feet
Recheck alerts. Recheck tide. Eat. If swell closes beaches even at low tide, sit in a village (Brooms Head, Minnie Water, Wooli, Red Rock). Extra food is official advice, not paranoia.

Packing

Dry bags
2–3 L water capacity
PLB / sat messenger (optional, sensible)
Printed tide windows + boat numbers
Sturdy shoes, hat, SPF, extra food
First-aid / tick kit
Emergency+ already installed — not “later in the village”

Kit searches live on the gear hub — not as a merch wall on the itinerary.

Parking & access tips

Decide finish car at Wooli vs Red Rock before Day 1.
Do not leave a car at a 4WD-only pin if the driver is in a sedan.
Support drivers use the three road zones — there is no village shuttle.
Wooli backup pickup agreed before anyone starts Day 4.

Skip if short on time / energy

Inventing a same-day 65 km
Starting without boat bookings
South-to-north as a “shortcut” (it does not remove tides or boats)
Swimming the Corindi / Red Rock crossing

Extra tips

Who this plan is for

Fit walkers who will book boats and camps first
Parties with a Wooli finish as the default safe plan
People who will carry extra food and treat tides as mandatory
Not a first casual Yuraygir afternoon

Decision gates (say them out loud)

If a boat is not confirmed: do not leave town
If a crossing is unsafe: sit in the village — Wooli is a valid finish
If swell closes a beach at low tide: extra food, not a swim
If official pages disagree on the Sandon number: call Grafton 02 6641 1500

Official segment metrics (checked 13 Aug 2026)

Angourie–Brooms Head 18 km Grade 4, 6–7 hrs
Brooms Head–Illaroo 18 km Grade 3, 7–8 hrs + Sandon boat
Illaroo–Wooli 14 km Grade 4, 4.5–5.5 hrs
Wooli–Red Rock 15.5 km Grade 5, 5.5–6.5 hrs

Related trail guides

Yuraygir coastal walkThe park’s flagship: a signposted 65 km one-way track from Angourie Surfing Reserve to Red Rock, following coastal-emu footprint markers across beaches, rock platforms, heath and villages. Best walked north to south. Self-sufficiency required.
Wooli to Red Rock walking trackOfficial hardest coastal-walk block: 15.5 km one-way, Grade 5, 5 hrs 30 min–6 hrs 30 min. Wooli boat, Station Creek wade, Pebbly country, and no commercial boat at Corindi / Red Rock.

Official links to verify

Stays, tours & gear for this plan

Optional next steps once your timeline is set — park fees and official NPWS bookings are never affiliated.

Nearby stays

Yamba (primary) · Wooli · Coffs Harbour

Hotels & stays in YambaNorthern gateway — Angourie and Lake Arragan day trips
WooliCentral village on the coastal walk
Coffs HarbourSouthern services hub for Station Creek / Pebbly

All Booking.com links open in a new tab and may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Official NPWS camping and cottage bookings are never affiliated.

Guided tours

Optional — useful if you want a local operator instead of self-driving

A tour does not replace checking NSW National Parks alerts, weather, or cliff safety yourself.

What to bring

Practical kit for beaches, heath, boats and changeable coastal weather

2–3 L water capacityDrinking water is only listed at some official campgrounds — carry between sites
Sun hat + SPF50Open beaches and heath have little shade; summer has recorded 42.5°C
Grip trail shoesBeaches, rock platforms and sandy tracks are hard on ordinary sneakers
Dry bag for river crossingsBoat and wade crossings on the coastal walk soak packs if you are careless
Light rain / wind shellMarch can dump huge rain; headlands stay windy even on “fine” days
Day pack 20–30 LWater, extra food for tide delays, first-aid and a dry layer
First-aid + tick/snake awarenessCoastal heath and forest — pack for snake and tick awareness, not as an afterthought
Tide chart / offline mapsRock platforms only at low tide; reception is limited — screenshot Yamba tides
PLB or sat messenger (optional)Worth considering for the multi-day walk or Pebbly / Shelley Head — not a legal requirement
HeadlampShort winter days and village-to-camp finishes after dusk
Power bankPayphones exist in villages and at Sandon; do not rely on charging in camp
Spare socksBeach walking and creek wades — dry feet keep a long day civil

Some stay, tour and gear links may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Park fees, official NSW National Parks camping bookings and fishing licences are never affiliated. Affiliate disclosure · Privacy