With hundreds of hidden gems dotted around the Australian coastline, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to finding the perfect place to rest your head and calm your soul. So, what makes Yamba so different? Well, maybe its growing popularity is not because it’s different, but because it’s familiar.
Yamba doesn’t claim to be the new kid on the block. Yamba , proudly on Yaegl Country, is the place your grandparents used to take you. It’s one of those weirdly magical places that makes you feel nostalgic, even while you’re here. It’s home, even for the first time.
You’ll know the streets like the back of your hand, find a café that makes coffee your way, and chat with baristas who treat you like a friend. The local businesses are generational. They’re owned by families just like yours.
So why exactly has Yamba been named as a finalist in the NSW Top Tourism Town Awards 2025?
This is why…
Life’s easy here. The most difficult question on any given day will be “Which beach today kids?”
With 5 beautiful beaches to choose from, after a quick surf check, you’ll toss-up between Main, where you can enjoy the Yamba Ocean Pool or grab a bite to eat from the Kiosk. Or the calm waters of Whiting, which is perfect for paddle-boarding. Maybe Turner’s Beach is where you pitch your Cool Cabana and head out to the surf. It’s a tough old life.
You’ll find Yamba is best explored by foot or bike, so you won’t need to start the engine of your car again if you don’t want to. You can walk, cycle or scooter from A-B quite easily. Yamba Breakwall is popular with lovers of a morning or sunset walk and a favourite spot with all fishing enthusiasts. Watch the trail of dolphins as they tailgate the trawlers heading into port, in search of their morning feed.
In fact, there’s a number of excellent aquatic experiences available in Yamba: a multitude of places to fish, either solo or with the guys from Yamba Fishing and Charters. Hire a BBQ boat, hop on the Clarence River Ferry to Iluka, or take a kayaking tour with Yamba Kayaks. Not to mention the patrolled beaches and a number of great surf breaks for board riders and windsurfers.
Follow the footsteps of the coastal emu along the Yuraygir Coastal Walk in Yuraygir National Park, which traverses 65km of coastline from Yamba to Red Rock. Encounter wildlife and wildflowers as you walk past heathland plains, long sandy beaches, tranquil creeks, lagoons, rocky headlands, and even a marine park. This is a great place to watch the migrating whales, who sometimes even wave back at the kids as they pass. “Cooee kids.”
Looking for a bit of that yesteryear nostalgia we keep talking about? While learning more about the local history at Yamba Museum, pick up a copy of the Wonderful Historic Walk brochure and follow this gentle trail as you learn more about local icons such as Yamba Lighthouse on Pilot Hill. It’s not looking bad for someone who’s been lighting the way for over 140 years. Along the walk, you’ll also discover one of the oldest Life-Saving Clubs in the world – Yamba Surf Club, built in 1908 – now that’s nostalgic.
“Can somebody please think of the children”
Yes indeed, let’s think of all the wonderful ways the younger members of the family enjoy this part of the world. They sure enjoy the skate park where they earn kudos for every axel drop-in or double grab they achieve or learning how to catch waves with Surf Camp Down Under. And we have it on pretty good authority (the kids told us) that the ice cream from Yamba Icecreamery is the GOAT – Greatest Of All Time!
It has been said Yamba has the best climate in the world. Don’t take our word for it, though. There have been actual scientific experiments that prove it (thanks Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)). Even when it does rain, the kids can find shelter at Yamba Bowlo, with a climbing wall, ten-pin, mini golf and soft play to keep them happy and amused.
Head to the little boutique shops down the main street to test your spending willpower, or stroll down to the weekly Yamba Farmers Market, monthly River Markets or seasonal Artisan Markets for local fresh produce and handmade gifts.
Simply put – “Yamba Time” is real. It’s a phenomenon. Time quite simply doesn’t exist in Yamba. Legend has it that as you pass over Oyster Channel on the drive into town, time becomes just another thing you don’t have to worry about. You become just another local, enjoying local things like eating fish and chips with a side of famous Yamba prawns, on the beach as the tide rolls in.
