29.01.2026
Community
Tide’s end
Yamba was the final stop on our Northern Rivers tour, and after several days visiting amenity partners and the region, the town marked a natural point for us to pause and look back on the trip.
Set at the mouth of the Clarence River, Yamba sits between river and ocean, shaped as much by water as by town life; a fitting place to close out the journey.
The Surf Yamba
We began at The Surf — a family-run boutique hotel set on a headland above Main Beach, with views stretching north and south along the coastline. Formerly a modest motel, the property has been reworked into an architecturally distinctive stay, with curved lines inspired by 1930s Art Deco ocean liners. The rooftop pool and light-filled rooms made it an easy place to work from.
The Pacific Hotel Yamba
Later, we spent time at The Pacific Hotel — perched prominently on a bluff above Main Beach, with an uninterrupted vista across the headland and out to sea. The iconic property is one of Yamba’s long-standing landmarks, with a sense of familiarity and scale that’s immediately grounding.
Angourie
Angourie followed; a small seaside pocket set at the northern edge of Yuraygir National Park, where the landscape feels both protected and expansive. Known for its long point break and status as a National Surfing Reserve, we moved between the headland and open water. It’s a place where the environment does most of the work — unforced and distinctly its own.
Between Takes
We couldn’t pass through Yamba without sampling the local produce — specifically the fresh, briney catches from Yamba Bay Oysters. Located behind the co-op (beside the boat ramp) on Yamba Road, we ate our fair share (and more) of the freshly shucked delicacies before continuing on our way.
The Sailor Shack
If life brings you to Yamba, be sure to stop by the photographer Ming Nomchong’s lovingly restored hideaway, The Sailor Shack. Nostalgic, nautical-leaning and filled with vintage finds, it feels like the beach shack you remember from childhood, reimagined with thoughtful detail.
