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Stage 16 - Bawley Point to Merry Beach

It rained on and off overnight and we awoke to a grey sky. We slept in, had a late but delicious breakfast of poached eggs, smoked salmon and avocado at the B & B, and finally set off on this shorter 12 km stage.
The sky gradually cleared as we crossed the beaches of Bawley Point, past the narrow channel between the mainland and Brush Island and around the Murramarang Aboriginal Area. This wind-swept, heath-covered, sandy headland contains a large complex of shell middens and aboriginal artefacts and is a culturally important site to the local aboriginal people.

Pigeon House looming behind Gannet Beach

Early morning surfers at Cormorant Beach

View along Murramarang Beach toward Brush Island
and the Aboriginal Heritage Area

Track through the windswept heathland

Dropping off the headland, we once again found ourselves heading down a long stretch of sandy beach. The southerly wind was picking up as we left Racecourse Beach to have a bite of lunch in the protection of the caravan park at this spot.

Looking south towards Kioloa with Durras Mountain in the background

By the time we emerged, the winds were starting to bring in a new band of dark clouds, and a storm out to sea provided a beautiful, but menacing backdrop to our trek down Kioloa Beach and through the casuarina and banksia forest on O'Hara Head.

Storm approaching from the sea on Kioloa Beach

Finally, we arrived at our destination at Merry Beach Tourist Park, not a moment too soon. Barely having checked into our cabin, and bought a few food supplies, the rain set in steadily. It looked like we might be holing up here for the next day or two.

Shades of Camelot, it rained all night and we were greeted by the sun the next morning. Merry Beach is a resort with a picturesque palm fringed swimming pool, a fine surf beach, interesting headlands, the obligatory resident flock of rainbow lorikeets plus a resident mob of kangaroos and flock of wood ducks.

Wiith prospects of some body surfing here and snorkelling in the shelter of nearby Kioloa Bay we decided to stay for the next two days regardless of the weather. This seemed a good spot to celebrate the autumn solstice.

Wood ducks

mmmmmmm
The pool at Merry Beach Resort

The next two days of gloriously sunny, still weather enabled us to explore and laze on several of the beaches in this region on the northern border of Murramarang National Park.

Kioloa Bay from O'Hara Head

I can't imagine why someone named this place Pretty Beach!

Merry Beach

Like most coastal villages in and near Murramarang National Park, Merry Beach has a big population of kangaroos. If you own a beach house here, you do not need a lawnmower; the 'roos do that for you. You won't need fertiliser either as they offer a full grass upkeep service. What you will need is a keen eye and the ability to side-step quickly when crossing any grassy area.

Merry Beach Lawncare Inc.

A couple of other mammalian encounters - by night and by day

The diversity of this area extends to fungi in the forests and multi-coloured lichens growing on the coastal rocks


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