Yuraygir Coastal Walk

For anyone who’s looking for an active vacation, hiking the Yuraygir coastal walk is the perfect choice. If spending a few days out in nature exploring the NSW coast sounds like something you might enjoy, then this blog post is here to help you decide if this trail is right for you.

What it is

The Yuraygir coastal walk is a hiking trail located along the Clarence Coast in Yuraygir National Park in New South Wales. This is a fantastic place to experience the Australian wilderness, encountering wildlife and plants you’ve never seen before, all with a beautiful coastal view and access to many beaches along the way. The walk is 65 km long, which means it takes 4-5 days to walk if you want to take on the whole thing. There are many camping sites throughout the trail if that’s what you want to do, but many people tackle the trail in shorter instalments or only walk it partially. No matter how much of the trail you decide to walk, you’re sure to experience the Australian nature like never before.

Who can walk it

The walking tracks of NSW national parks are graded from 1 to 5 based on experience required, the terrain, signage and number of steps. This is extremely helping you determine if a certain track is suitable for you, and so that you know what to expect. The coastal walk is grade 4, due to the length of the trail and the fact that it’s also quite rough with many obstacles, including portions that become unpassable in high tide. Because of this, it’s recommended that you have some bushwalking experience before you take on this track. However, the track is signposted, and most of the walking is relatively easy.

What you can do

Aside from walking, the Yuraygir coastal walk offers many other opportunities. Due to the coastal location, there are many spots excellent for whale watching, and the many beaches allow for snorkelling and swimming when you want to take a break and cool down. If you visit in autumn, that’s the perfect season for beach fishing, and in spring you can check out an incredible display of wildflowers. There are many beachside campsites for overnight stays as well so that you can sleep comfortably.

Things to keep in mind

Hiking in the Australian wilderness requires preparation and precautions. It’s important to plan your hike and make sure you’re up for it. You should check a tide chart to make sure you only cross rock platforms at low tide, and always keep more water on you than you think you’ll be needing; these points are important for your own safety. Also, look up more general bushwalking advice beforehand so that you know how to take care of yourself. Pets, apart from certified assistant animals, are not allowed, and neither is smoking. Some important things to bring with you include sturdy shoes, water, hat, snacks/food and sunscreen, but that list becomes longer if you’re hiking over multiple days. Some of the campsites do require that you book in advance, while others don’t. If you trust that you’re able to complete the track and are willing to adhere to the national park guidelines, the coastal walk is an incredible experience that should not be missed, whether you have time to walk it for one day or five.