Surf trips in Northern NSW
A 250km point-break corridor from Byron Bay to Yamba, peak season Feb to May, deep local scene at every marquee break.
Northern NSW concentrates more world-class right-hand point breaks per kilometer than anywhere else in mainland Australia.
The corridor from the Tweed at the QLD border south through Byron Bay, The Pass, Lennox Head, Ballina, Evans Head, Yamba, and Angourie strings together a series of headlands that bend SE-S swell into long, walling rights over rock and sand bottoms. Lennox Head is the iconic break: a long, walling right that handles up to 8ft cleanly with NW winds, breaking over a boulder reef on the south side of Lennox Point headland.
The Pass at Byron Bay runs further but smaller, a mellow longboard-and-shortboard wave that wraps the headland inside Cape Byron. Angourie at the southern end is shorter and tighter, the wave that pushed Australian shortboard design through the early 70s.
Peak season is February through May on cyclone-displaced SE groundswells with autumn NW winds. Water stays warm (21-25C) through the surf season.
Localism is real at every named point, particularly Angourie and Lennox. Show patience.
Where should I surf in Northern NSW?
0 spots and 0 camps in Northern NSW.
Northern NSW, the long version
Waves
Lennox Head is the marquee. The point runs as a long, walling right that handles up to 8ft cleanly with NW winds, breaking over a boulder reef on the south side of Lennox Point headland.
On the right swell direction (SE swell, 4-6ft, with light NW), the wave can connect from the boulder rocks at the top of the point all the way down to the inside section near the boat ramp. Take-offs are critical and the entry over the boulders requires timing.
The Pass at Byron Bay is the opposite character: a long, walling right that handles up to 8ft cleanly with NW winds, breaking over a boulder reef on the south side of Lennox Point headland. On a clean 2-4ft swell with offshore wind it offers some of the longest crumbling right walls in Australia and suits longboarders, mid-lengths, and improving shortboarders.
Angourie at the southern end has two distinct sections: the main point and a faster inside slab. It works on a similar SE-S swell as Lennox but is shorter and more localised.
Yamba's Pippi Beach and Convent Beach offer beachbreak alternatives on the same swells. Evans Head, between Lennox and Yamba, is a quieter sand-bottom right point that picks up extra swell when the marquee breaks are flat.
Brunswick Heads at the northern end of the corridor offers a fun rivermouth setup on smaller days.
When to go
February through May is the peak. Ex-tropical cyclones rotating south from the Coral Sea push consistent SE groundswells into the points. Autumn NW winds keep mornings glass.
March and April deliver the most overhead surf. June through August sees less swell but cleaner days. September through November is the quietest.
Summer (December through January) is generally flat with nor'easters dominant.
Where to stay
Byron Bay is the obvious base for first-time visitors: vibrant town, walkable to The Pass and Wategos. Surf-focused travelers prefer Lennox Head (20 minutes south of Byron) for closer access to the main point and a quieter scene.
Yamba (1.5 hours south of Byron) is the budget-friendly base for surfers focusing on Angourie. Ballina sits between Lennox and Yamba and offers cheaper accommodation than Byron with reasonable access to both ends of the corridor.
Logistics
Gold Coast Airport (OOL) is the most convenient airport: 45 minutes north of Byron Bay. Ballina-Byron Gateway Airport (BNK) sits within the corridor and serves direct flights from Sydney and Melbourne.
Rental car is essential to move along the coastline. The Pacific Motorway runs the full length of the corridor making 30-40 minute drives between marquee breaks straightforward.
The questions we get asked most
Lennox Head if you want the marquee wave and you can handle a critical take-off over boulders. The Pass at Byron Bay if you want a mellower, longer wave that suits intermediate to advanced surfers including longboarders. Yamba and Brunswick Heads offer beach break alternatives without the localism pressure.
Marquee breaks (Lennox, The Pass, Angourie) are crowded year-round and very crowded during peak season weekends. Localism is real, particularly at Angourie. Show patience in the lineup. Less famous alternatives like Evans Head and Brunswick Heads offer relief.
Byron Bay for the most accommodation and food options. Lennox Head for proximity to the iconic point with a quieter scene. Yamba for budget travel and Angourie focus. A rental car opens up the entire 250km corridor from a single base.