Yuraygir Coastal Walk

[NickOz]

Hey guys,

So I'm planning on doing the Yuraygir coastal walk at the start of November. I've camped at places like Station Creek, Bookroom and Pebbly Beach before but I've never done the hike. I'm aware there is several tributaries to be crossed along the way, with Sandon and Wooli being the deepest and most dangerous.

My questions are:

a) How hard did you find it to get somebody to drop you to the other side by watercraft?

b) Is there any alternate route around these rivers?

c) Does anyone have any methods of crossing a river safely with a hefty hiking pack? E.g. Inflatable raft?


Thanks a lot,
Nick

[tom_brennan]

It's easy enough to waterproof your pack for a swim across a river - if it's still. Pack everything in a heavy duty dry bag, put the pack on, do the waist belt up and off you go. We do it all the time canyoning.

The issue in this instance is the flow, both river and tidal, and not getting swept out to sea. Can't help with that!

[awildland]

Hi Nick,

The rivers (Sandon and Wooli) are quite big and wide with a strong tidal flow that you would need to be careful of (check tide times and cross on an incoming tide). There is no alternate route to walk around them, you do have to cross them. I am sure I have seen somewhere online ?National Parks website? a couple of contact numbers for local boat operators but haven't been able to find them again for you when I did a quick search today. If time is not an issue you could just rock up in town and chat to someone and wave some cash around and hope for the best. This time of year the place is pretty busy. Even give the Parks office a ring and see if they have some advice.

But, I haven't actually done the full walk as yet so take my advice with a grain of salt.

I have thought that carrying a small inflatable boat (Clark Rubber style $29.99) would be an easy answer. We have used these sorts of boats in all kinds of off-track adventures and they don't weight much, just take a while to blow up and deflate and if there is a lot of you and only one boat it would take some ferrying. My Clark Rubber boat carries me and my pack. Good luck.

P>S. checkout http://www.wooli-minniewater.com.au/yur ... stal-walk/

[danthewanderer]

Hi Nick,

A friend & I completed the walk 2 years ago...one of my favourite coastal walks!

If walking from North to South, your first river crossing is Sandown. We were faced with a 50 mtr swim across a very fast flowing current - doable without any gear, but no chance (for me anyway) with a pack. If you arrived at the change of tide, the water flow may be slower? Soon after we arrived at the river crossing, I wandered off to use the campground toilet, during which my friend battered her eyelids at a local with a dinghy who happily took us over . You should have no trouble finding someone with a dinghy/canoe to take you across.

The 2nd crossing will certainly require a boat. We made contact & arranged someone the afternoon prior, don't recall his name, but I got his name & number off the internet before we started the walk. Caravan park or store owner in Wooli will have his number.

We arrived at Red Rock (3rd crossing) on low tide & had a very easy 20 mtr swim to the opposite bank (high tide might be more of a challenge).

Have a great walk! Story & photos below:

http://www.danthewanderer.com/yuraygir- ... /#more-475

Danny

[ofuros]

Plenty of kayaks & tinny's about at Sandon this weekend, I'm sure a they wouldn't mind ferrying/ towing you & your pack across...no harm in asking.
There's a couple of phone numbers here on day 2 & 4. Hope they're still current.
http://fnpw.org.au/parks-and-reserves/n ... astal-walk

Pdf page 3 also has the phone number for crossings...http://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/~/m ... k-pdf.ashx

Enjoy your walk, i'd love to find time to complete this walk in one go myself......