Stormy Bonville Beach

Description

Bonville Beach sweeps for 6.8 km south from Bonville Head and the mouth of Bonville Creek, to the low Bundagen Head, where Bundageree Creek enters the sea amongst the rocks. There is no regular vehicle access to this beach, so it remains one of the few isolated beaches in this region with the beach and backing barrier is part of Bongil Bongil National Park. At present it is little used by swimmers or surfers, though the latter do access it across Bonville Creek from the north. Most of this long beach faces the southeast and receives waves averaging 1.6 m, which combine with the fine beach sand to maintain a well developed double bar system. Up to 30 rips can cut across the inner bar, while a deep trough separate it from the more widely spaced outer bar rips. A strong permanent rip runs out beside the swimming pool on Bonville Head, and deep channels and strong tidal flows move through the Bonville Creek mouth. All these factors combined with its more isolated location make this a hazardous beach. Only in the far south amongst the Bundageree rocks are waves reduced slightly, but even here rips can form amongst the rocks.