Saltwater Creek Beach is a 6 km long, east facing beach, that remains untouched by development, other than a fishing camp at the southern end. The beach is bordered by the rock-impounded Saltwater Creek entrance at the northern end, and low rocks at the southern end. It is backed by densely vegetated, low sand ridges, then steep slopes rising several hundred metres to the crestline of the Malbon Thompson Range. The entire area is part of the Yarrabah Aboriginal Community, and there are no access roads to the beach. The beach itself is composed of coarse sand derived from the surrounding granite. This sand, coupled with waves averaging 0.5 m, have built a steep and narrow beach at high tide (Fig. 4.16), fronted by a 50 m wide bar at low tide. During high wave conditions, small rips, spaced every 100 m, cut across the bar, producing up to 60 rips along the beach. In places the beach has eroded back into the overhanging vegetation, causing it to fall on the beach. read more

Beach Length: 6.5km