Looking across Nambucca Heads from the Rotary Lookout

Nambucca Heads (and Valla)
Charming and interesting coastal holiday town
Nambucca Heads is essentially a coastal holiday and retirement centre in a subtropical climate which is popular with those inclined to such activities as fishing, walking, boating, swimming, surfing and sunbathing on the lengthy local beaches. The town is located on a ridge which runs out to a headland at the mouth of the Nambucca River, 26 metres above sea-level and 512 km north-east of Sydney. Just inside the estuary is Stuart Island which contains an Aboriginal burial site. It is now home to an 18-hole golf course connected to the mainland by a causeway.

The current population of Nambucca Heads is around 6000. The major local industries include tourism, abattoirs, timber and primary industries such as beef cattle, dairying, bananas, forestry, fishing, oyster farming and the retail and service sectors. There is also a growing engineering and small manufacturing sector.

Before European settlement the Nambucca area was inhabited by the Gumbaynggir and/or the Dainggatti peoples. Although details are unavailable it seems clear that the incompatibility of cultures, aims and practices triggered conflict fatal to members of both groups although it is readily apparent which party came off worst in the long run.

The first Europeans to encounter the Nambucca River were probably a party who, in 1818, set off from Sydney in search of convicts who had stolen a boat from Sydney Harbour. Explorer John Oxley surveyed the estuary in 1820.

The word 'Nambucca' derives from a Gumbaynggir word said to mean 'entrance to the waters' or 'crooked river'. In 1886 Baillier's Gazette described the river as 'a fine mountain stream flowing through low swampy country, well timbered with cedar and other valuable woods. It falls into the ocean by a narrow rocky channel about fourteen miles north of Trial Bay and is navigable for small vessels that trade there for cedar, the only export'.

Cedar-getting was under way on the Nambucca River by 1842, although the dangerous sand bar at the river mouth caused major headaches until the end of the century for those seeking to transport their produce to markets. There were a number of shipwrecks, and vessels were sometimes left stranded at the harbour for months at a time. Consequently, in the early days, logs were floated down-river by raft then hauled along the beach by drays to the Macleay River where they were picked up by ocean-going craft.

The first settler on the townsite appears to have been a fisherman named Lane who, by 1867, had built a bark humpy on the northern headland. He established a ferry service across the river. At that time there were about 50 people on the river. Most were timbergetters although some maize was under cultivation.

Lane lived on the land that is now traversed by Wellington Drive which runs along the foreshore from the breakwater to the tennis courts at Gordon Park. It is along this riverside area, known as the 'Inner Harbour', that the original village developed. The town later moved to the top of the hill.

The first of several sawmills was built adjacent the 'Inner Harbour' in 1870. It supplied timber to a shipbuilder who went to work nearby a few years later.

A survey of the townsite was carried out in 1874 but no buyers could be found at the initial allotment sale of 1877. However, all four blocks were sold in 1879 - the year a wharf was established at what is now the Gordon Park Boatshed. In 1884 Robert Gordon opened the town's first hotel (the Commercial) and a shop on the land now occupied by the Golden Sands Hotel/Motel in Back St. A school was also established in 1884 where the Miramar Motel now stands (the Old Pacific Highway). A building called 'The Bethel', erected in the 1880s, doubled as a site for church services and fortnightly dances.

It is a comment on the changes which have occurred on the New South Wales coast that virtually all remnants of the old town have disappeared to be replaced by parks, apartment blocks and holiday homes. The only survivor appears to be a building called 'The Ranch' on Wellington Drive (overlooking Gordon Park) which was built in 1890 as the Victoria Hotel.

The rocks near the breakwater at Nambucca Heads

The village of Nambucca was proclaimed in 1885 and local government was established in 1915. To amend the on-going difficulties created by the sand bar, work commenced on a breakwater in 1895, enabling ships to travel upriver as far as Macksville. The Vee Wall was added in 1930.

With the clearing of the land, dairying emerged, although it was not until paspalum grass was introduced in the 1890s that the balance was tipped in the favour of success. Separators were introduced and the first butter factory in the valley opened at Macksville in 1902. However, the industry declined in the 1930s due to soil depletion, the economic depression and a shift to beef cattle.

Tomato, banana and carrot-growing developed in the Nambucca Valley during the 1920s, particularly with the arrival, in 1923, of the railway. The mining of arsenical pyrites, molybdenite and antimony was carried out in the interwar years.

The railway also encouraged the emergence of Nambucca as a holiday destination. Furnished cottages were let to holiday-makers from 1926 and this tendency was greatly accelerated by the development of highways in the postwar years. Thus the first private caravan park on the North Coast was opened at Nambucca Heads in 1952.

The September Fest (family fun and events) is held in mid-September.

Things to see:  

Tourist Information
The Nambucca Tourist Information Centre is located on the Pacific Highway (near the Bellwood Road intersection), tel: (02) 6568 6954. It can provide information concerning local beaches, tour operators, fishing localities and excursions, the nature walk through Gordon Park, whale-watching and other cruises, and the possibilities of exploring the local river system. There is also a booklet which accompanies a series of markers which denote historic sites around town.

The Beaches
Nambucca's Main Beach (access via Ocean St which heads off Liston St) is patrolled during the Christmas holidays and, until the end of the Easter school holidays, on weekends and public holidays. Although it is a good surf beach it is closed to surfers during patrolled periods. The main surf beach in the area is Scotts Head (see entry on Macksville).

Just to the south of Main Beach, on the other side of a rocky outcrop, is Beilbys Beach (access via Ulrick Drive which heads off Beilbys Creek Rd). Between Beilbys and Wellington Rocks (which fringe the south-eastern corner of the northern headland) is Shelley Beach (access via Shelley Beach Rd which runs off Parkes St).

Waterfront Walks
The information centre has a pamphlet outlining various walks around the town's beaches, foreshores and headlands. One of the most popular is the Lions Riverfront Walk which heads west from the Vee Wall, following the foreshore of the 'Inner Harbour' around to Gordon Park. This area around the 'Harbour' was the site of the original village of Nambucca where timber mills and a shipyard were once located.

The 'Graffiti Gallery'
Enterprising holiday-makers and locals have turned the Vee Wall into a graffiti gallery where they paint rocks and write poems. The amount of effort which has been put into the graffiti makes it a quite significant part of the town's character.

Gordon Park
Gordon Park, originally known as Log Hollow, is partially bordered by Wellington Drive. It was named after Robert Gordon and his wife who erected the town's first hotel nearby. The Gordon Park Boatshed was the site of the town's first wharf.

The park preserves a section of rainforest amidst a residential area of the town. A pamphlet available from the information centre outlines a walking trail which passes through an arboretum, past a swamp, though coastal forest and a section of rainforest. There are resting places along the way and views of the river, Warrell Creek and along South Beach, as far as Scotts Head and Trial Bay.

View from the Captain Cook Lookout at Nambucca Heads looking down on Shelley Beach

Lookouts
Another delightful way to see the area is to investigate the Rotary Lookout and Captain Cook Lookout. The former is located adjacent Parkes St and the latter at the eastern end of Parkes St. Both offer excellent views eastwards over the ocean and south over the mouth of the river and the breakwater to South Beach which stretches nearly to the horizon. Dolphins and whales can sometimes be seen in season off the coast.

On the hill above Rotary Lookout are two old graves. If you turn left off Parkes St into Shelley Beach Rd, you will soon come to another small pioneer cemetery on the left, suggesting that, in the nineteenth century, it was the done thing to bury people on the headland overlooking the sea.

Lions Lookout is located further north, along a little side road that heads off Newry St.

The Headland Historical Museum
The Headland Historical Museum has a collection of photographs, written works and memorabilia such as china, ceramics, items relating to the timber and shipping industries, Aboriginal artefacts, colonial household items, early garments and needleworks, agricultural machinery and booklets outlining historical walks of the town. It is open Wednesdays and weekends from 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. or by appointment, tel: (02) 6568 6380. To get there just follow Liston St out to the headland and you can't miss the signs.

Nambucca Valley Model Railway
Nambucca Valley Model Railway in Pelican Crescent has scale working models of NSW trains winding their way through city and countryside. Opening hours are from 2.00 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. on Saturdays and on public holidays. During school holidays, the business is open to the public on weekdays from 10.00 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. Other times can be arranged but by phone booking only, tel: (02) 6568 7395.

Mosaic Sculpture
The Nambucca Mosaic Sculpture is a large work which covers an entire wall at the corner of Bowra St and Ridge St. It features dolphins, fish and a giant octopus emerging from concrete waves.

Crafters' Cottage
Crafters' Cottage, at 34 Bowra St, is a co-operative of local artists and crafters with a range of items for sale, tel: (02) 6569 4433.

Swiss Toymakers
Swiss Toymakers is located 5 km north of Nambucca on the right-hand side of the Pacific Highway. Here you will find handcrafted childrens' toys made from natural wood. The business is closed on Sundays, tel: (02) 6569 5190.

Valla Beach
If you continue north along the highway, beyond Valla Rd, you will soon come to the turnoff on the right which leads out to Valla Headland and Valla Beach which is noted for its surfing, although there are safe areas for children. There is also a walking track, and visitors can enjoy deep-sea, beach and estuary fishing. All the usual amenities are provided.

You can, in fact, walk to Valla Beach from Nambucca Beach - a distance of about 3 km. A bus will bring you back if you wish, or you can undertake the excursion in reverse. Bus timetables are available from the information centre.

Valla Beach Resort is the venue for the Volkswagen Spectacular which is held in late July or early August of the odd-numbered years and for a Hot Rod Rally on the October long weekend.

The Waterways
Canoes, kayaks and run-abouts can be hired from the Nambucca Boatshed (tel: 02 6568 5550) in Wellington Drive, and Beachcomber Marine (tel: 02 6568 6432) in Riverside Drive hires out boats suitable for use in the estuary. Most riverside caravan parks also hire out various craft. There are boat ramps off Wellington Drive, at the southern end of Gordon Park, adjacent the RSL carpark (Nelson St), in the Foreshore Caravan Park (Riverside Drive), on Stuart Island (next to the golf club), and from Pelican Caravan Park on the Pacific Highway.

White-water rafting expeditions can be organised through the information centre which also has information regarding riverside picnic areas. The Jetty Dive Centre conducts a range of courses and dive charters, and hires out equipment, tel: (02) 6651 1611.

Gambaari Tours
Gambaari Tours offer half and full-day Aboriginal Cultural Tours of the area, tel: (02) 6655 4195 or (0412) 660 626.

	Tourist Information
	Nambucca Tourist Information Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6954 Facsimile: (02) 6568 5004
	Motels
	Bellwood Motel Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6604 Rating: *
	Blue Dolphin Motel Fraser St Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6700 Rating: **
	Coolawin Gardens Motel Bellwood Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6304 Facsimile: (02) 6568 6304 Rating: **1/2
	Jabiru Motel Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6204 Facsimile: (02) 6568 6204 Rating: **1/2
	Miramar Motel Old Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 7899 Facsimile: (02) 6568 6591 Rating: ***
	Nirvana Village Motel Riverside Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6620 Rating: **
	The Nambucca Resort Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6899 Facsimile: (02) 6568 8173 Rating: ***1/2
	Destiny Motor Inn Cnr Pacific Hwy & Riverside Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 8044 Facsimile: (02) 6568 6083 Rating: ****
	Hotels
	Golden Sands Hotel/Motel Back St Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6000
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Riverview Lodge 4 Wellington Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6386 Facsimile: (02) 6569 4169 Rating: ***1/2
	Valla Beach Bed & Breakfast 11 Kuta Ave Valla Beach Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6569 5888
	Apartments
	Marcel Towers 12-14 Wellington Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 7041 Email: terryboyle@ozemail.com.au Rating: ***
	Riverside Place 16 Wellington Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 7041 Email: terryboyle@ozemail.com.au Rating: ***
	Holiday Homes & Units
	Centenary Village Townhouse 3 Holiday Units 3/29 Liston St Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 9427 0046 Rating: ***
	Dolphin Tracks Holiday Units 16 Dolphin Place Valla Beach Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 9569 5913
	Dunolly Court Unit 6 78 Ridge St Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 9427 0046 Rating: ***
	Caravan Parks
	Aukaka Caravan Park Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6647 Facsimile: (02) 6568 8662 Rating: **1/2
	Foreshore Caravan Park Riverside Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6014 Facsimile: (02) 6568 8962 Rating: ***
	Headland Caravan Park Liston St Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6547
	Nambucca Headland Holiday Village Liston St Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6547
	Pacific Sands Caravan Park Swimming Creek Rd Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6120 Facsimile: (02) 6568 4703 Rating: ***1/2
	Pelican Park Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6505 Facsimile: (02) 6568 6505 Rating: **1/2
	Valla Beach Resort Ocean Dve Valla Beach Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6569 5555
	White Albatross Holiday Centre Wellington Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6468 Facsimile: (02) 6568 4698 Rating: ****1/2
	Restaurants
	Aukaka Motel Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6465
	Boatshed Seafood Brasserie 1 Wellington Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6569 4455
	Destiny Motor Inn Cnr Pacific Hwy & Riverside Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 8044
	Echoes Bistro Valla Beach Rd Valla Beach Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6569 5644
	Hacienda Restaurant Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6899
	Matilda's 6 Wellington Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6024
	Nambucca Leagues & Sports Club Short St Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 7210
	Nambucca Motor Inn Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6300
	Nambucca Sawadee Thai Restaurant 4 Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 9622
	Nirvana Village Motel Riverside Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6620
	On The Edge Restaurant 1 Headland Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 65689 4495
	Rainbow Restaurant 30 Bowra St Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6145
	The Nambucca Resort Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6899
	White Albatross Holiday Centre Wellington Dve Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 6468
	Cafés
	Nambucca Plaza Cafe Pacific Hwy Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 9620
	Red Cross Cafe 26 Bowra St Nambucca Heads NSW 2448
	Ridgey Didge Cafe 27 Bowra St Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 7533
	Roundabout Cafe Century Shopping Plaza Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 9511
	Spices Cafe 58 Ridge St Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6568 8877
	Star Fish Cafe 5 Mann St Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6569 4422
	Valla Beach Headland Cafe 4 Thompson St Valla Beach Nambucca Heads NSW 2448 Telephone: (02) 6569 5140