The Ultimate Guide to Angourie Surf
Angourie surf is all about one point break with serious moxie, but there are reliable beach breaks in Yamba just next door, all set on a stunning section of NSW shoreline.
An introduction to surfing in Angourie
Angourie – pronounced AN-GOW-REE – isn’t bit but it’s got a big break up its sleeve. Yup, Angourie Point regularly sneaks onto lists of the best point breaks on the planet and it’s certainly one of the East Coast’s finest.
Firing off a gnarled clump of rock that’s linked to the shoreline by a narrow isthmus of land, it works on pretty much any swell direction. Dominant SE pulses push through fatter sets when they’re on. Anything E-NE will be hollower, more barrelling, a bit faster.
It’s not an easy wave to hit. Local crews have it locked down and some here surf the point day in, day out. Jostling for that perfect ride is almost as hard as nailing the sections themselves, so it’s not really one for the roadtrippers out there.
But Angourie has other places to surf just to the north, in the lovely town of Yamba (expect nice, long beach breaks for all levels) and on the remoter – though sharky – beaches to the south.
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This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Australia and New South Wales
Angourie surf at a glance
The good…
The bad…
What’s in this guide to surfing in Angourie?
Where is Angourie?
Angourie is just south of the little surf town of Yamba, a part of the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales. The town itself is only two streets, hugging Spooky Beach with the big Wooloweyah Lagoon to its back.
More generally, Angourie is roughly 1.5 hours’ drive from Byron Bay on the M1 motorway that links up this run of East Oz. It’s a bit closer to the regional gateway airport at Ballina, which has flights coming in from most major Australian cities these days.
You will need a car. The drive to Angourie is a 20-minute detour off the main highway through swamps and eucalyptus thickets filled with roos. It’s nice one, but isn’t doable on public transport.
You can rent at Ballina or even Gold Coast airport and plan a road trip down this way. Use RentalCars for your hires – we think they are the cheapest overall.
Angourie surf spots
The point might steal the headlines but there’s a good mix of options around Angourie. Here’s a look at the whole lot…
Yamba
We have a bit of a love affair with Yamba, a town of buzzy cafes and beautiful beaches that’s got spots that face north, east, and south.
The upshot? You can usually find somewhere that’s offshore and working, plus there are waves that get decent protection on account of the high cliffs – so it’s often cleaner than the wide open beaches up and down the NSW coast.
Clarence Beach, Pippi and the town beach all combine to offer spots, with hotels within walking distance of the waves.
To be honest, the options here are so good for all levels, the vibe is livelier than Angourie, and there are better stays, plus it’s <7 minutes’ driving away, so there’s a good argument to bed down in Yamba even if Ang is your aim.
We have a complete guide to surfing in Yamba right here
Spookies (Spooky Beach)
Spookies has two faces. When it’s small, there’s a trickling little second swell that will work it’s way into the inside of the bay to offer knee-high sets for learners to practice on in the shallows. Bring the foam and have some fun.
When it’s big the cobblestone reef on the outside south side of the bay comes into play and things can get ferocious since the spot can hold serious size and power. Sets break as A-frame peaks with heavy, pitching rights about 50m off the rocks. It can be nuts here when it’s on. Biggest with direct E swells.
Angourie Point
Angourie Point is the wave that puts this bijou town on the map. In fact, we’d probably say that half the reason the property prices in Ang have soared in the last 30 years is the fact that there’s a cult-like following to the point and people want to be in its presence 365 days of the year.
Sadly, it doesn’t work the full 365, but it’s fairly consistent because it will fire on anything from the NE to the SE. Wave shape varies from fatish and rippable (usually on the wrap-around southeasterlies) to very hollow, almost vertical and sectiony.
Most people will sit somewhere in on the shoulder because the outside takeoff zone is as sketchy as they come. It works like a mini Teahupo’o in reverse, sucking heavily off the reef shelf to give a slabby barrel section that pushes you straight down the line.
It gets easier from there, with a middle section that’s more forgiving and inviting, and a final barrel as it nears the shore. Rips are bad. Lots of locals.
Angourie Lefts
NSW has right-hand points coming out of its proverbial, so it’s nice to see a section of coast that gives off lefts on the south side of the point.
These don’t work anywhere near as consistently as the famous rights on the north side, preferring heavy NE swells that usually come through with summer typhoons. With a decent offshore, they can be some of the longest rides in the Yamba area, linking from an initial cover-up section at the far end of the point all the way to the beach. It’s rippy and sharky.
Where to stay when surfing in Angourie?
We’ve already mentioned this but here it is: Stay in Yamba. Seriously, the town is way more fun, way more lively, and it’s literally five minutes’ drive from Angourie through the coastal flats.
What’s more, you’ll get access to Clarence Beach, Pippis, and some rivermouth waves that work on different swells, so it’s a case of adding options to your surf to boot.
Yamba also has some LOVELY hotels…
- The Surf, Yamba – The Surf is one of the coolest hotels we stayed at during our whole NSW roadie. Right on the cliffs beside Yamba’s main beach, it’s got waves on the doorstep and a very nice retro style to its rooms. Oh yea, and a rooftop pool!
- Coast Yamba – High-quality, self-contained apartments in Yamba town that have big lounges and kitchens, plus an on-site hot tub.
- Angourie Resort – If you love resort living and want some extra luxuries, there’s a good argument to be made for the Angourie Resort. It’s midway between Yamba and the point, has sprawling grounds, stylish bungalow stays, and a very nice pool. It’s just a bit too far from both places to really feel like you’re in a town is all.
When to surf in Angourie?
iStock.com / Candice O'NeillThe whole of the NSW coast gets surf pretty much all year round, but the best time to surf Angourie and Angourie Point is the Australian winter, which runs from March to October. That brings up the biggest SE swells of the calendar, and gets all the right-hand points this region is famous for firing at their biggest.
The summer is generally better for beginner surfers who don’t want so much size and power in their waves. Good E and NE storm swells can see the point firing here, and it can be really big and hollow then. Other days, you’ll be able to get mushy waves for learning at Spookies and the beaches of Yamba a bit further north.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
