Nine Mile Beach (NSW 195) is 11.7 km (8 mile) long, and extends in a gentle east-facing arc from Diamond Reef rocks to the north entrance wall of Cape Hawke harbour, better known as Tuncurry-Foster. The beach is backed by a Holocene foredune plain that formed when the shoreline prograded up to 1 km seaward between 6000 and 4000 years ago. However this in turn is backed by some of the oldest beach deposits in NSW, with evidence of beaches 90 000, 150 000, 220 000 and possibly 480 000 years old. Most of this system is in Crown Land and in a relatively natural state. Access is available in the north from the Diamond Reef car park, by a few tracks from the main road to the beach, and in the south from the car park besides the entrance wall, otherwise by 4 WD, which is permitted along the beach. Despite its length and exposure to waves averaging 1.6 m, the medium sized sand along Nine Mile, results in just one bar. Because of this the waves break first on this bar causing it to often detach from the beach and be cut by rips every 200-300 m. The rips flow in a rhythmic trough that can run the length of the beach. Towards the Tuncurry end wave height decreases slightly and the bar frequently attaches in between the rips. At the Tuncurry entrance tidal sand bars and deep channels are present. The entrance was initially trained in 1901, with a major extension completed in 1966. A surf club was formed at Tuncurry in 1938 and located a kilometre up the beach away from the then untrained tidal mouth. The club ceased to function in 1956. Tuncurry ‘rockpool’ (NSW 195S) is a 100 m long sandy beach located 300 m inside the entrance training walls. It is located at the western end of the northern wall, with the start of a second wall forming its southern boundary. The beach receives only low waves entering through the entrance and is usually calm and reflective. However it drops off into the deep inlet channel just offshore, with a net preventing swimmers from getting into trouble. It is a popular beach backed by a large car park, which provides access to the beach and the northern entrance wall, and the Tuncurry Beach caravan park. read more

Beach Length: 11.7km