Corindi River to Woolgoolga

17 km (326 km) | 5 hr

Q. What’s big and red and eats rocks? A. A big, red rock-eater. ~ Kids’ riddle

Red Rock (made of red jasper) on the southern side of the Corindi River mouth marks the official southern terminus of the Yuraygir walk, so today I moved onto the northern section of the Solitary Islands Way. The walk from Red Rock to Woolgoolga includes crossing the technical border between the Coral Sea and the Tasman Sea, as well as Red Rock Little and Big beaches, Pipeclay Beach and Corindi Headland. After Corindi is wonderful Arrawarra Beach and its sensational headland, then Ocean View Beach, Mullaway Beach, Mullaway Headland, Cabins Beach, Darkum Beach, Safety Beach and finally Woolgoolga with its Sikh connections and amazing Indian restaurants - what a selection! Just a magnificent series of beaches, headlands and sensational coastal scenery.

Plenty of ICOLLS (intermittently closed and open lakes and lagoons) along the way. Most are closed at present, and the few open ones were a knee-deep wade. There are a variety of places for water and snacks in this section of the walk which makes planning and provisioning much easier.

I stay for the night at Woopi Backpackers – a delightful establishment primarily filled with young working holiday makers doing their visa-required time on farms in the hinterland. They provide great company, and the friendly relaxed atmosphere (and quirky front bar) make it highly recommended.