Some places just have that special aura about them and Merrica River is one of those places. On paper you could be describing many beautiful parts of NSW; a pristine waterway, golden sand beach and the wild rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean. But the Merrica River hits different, a sense of tranquility washes over you as soon as you reach its shores and you leave feeling more at peace than when you arrived.
You could spend the whole day here relaxing on the remote beach, swimming in the crystal clear waters of the creek and watching the waves crash against the rocks of Disaster Bay. As with all wild places it should be treated with respect and left exactly as you found it.
Here’s everything you need to know to plan your visit.
The walk to Merrica River
The stats
Distance: 4.9km each way
Elevation gain: 380m
Difficulty: Easy - moderate
Trailhead: Nadgee Wilderness Walk Trailhead
Summary: The walk to Merrica River is on a maintained path, but there are still some bits of debris (fallen trees etc) to negotiate, though none that are difficult to step over. There’s a fair amount of descending to do on route to the river so there’s a bit of a climb on the way back up.
Once you reach the river if you want to cross over to the beach on the ocean side you will need to wade and the water levels are tide dependent.
Starting the trail: along the fire trail
The closest car park to the trailhead has been permanently closed so you’ll need to walk a little further than the National Parks website suggests.
From the car park you now use, you will walk for 65m down the road and then cross over a ford.
For us this was barely ankle deep water and by walking on my heels I could almost keep my shoes dry, though you’d want to remove them to be really safe.
After crossing you will head uphill on the road for another 235m before you reach the old car park and this is where you’ll find the toilet and main information board for the walk.
You’re still not at the start of the Merrica River trail though, for that you’ll need to walk for another 200m along the fire trail and then you will see the signposted turn off on your left.
Before heading onto the fire trail you need to use the boot cleaning station to make sure you’re not bringing any contaminants down to the river with you.
Through the bush to the river
Once you turn off the fire trail you will head into the bush on a proper bushwalking track. It’s in fairly good shape though not as well maintained as you find in some national parks. Expect some debris at different points but nothing that is difficult to manoeuvre around.
The path is mainly flat at first and the bush is pleasant, though this walk is really about the destination and not the track itself.
At the 1.7km mark you’ll start heading downhill and there’s one little muddy section which has sticks you can walk over to stop your boots from flooding. It had been pretty dry for a long time when we visited so this patch may expand if it’s been very wet.
Just over 2km into the track you’ll come to a rock platform above a small cascade. It’s easy to cross with dry shoes here unless there has been a lot of rain.
Following this there is mix of uphill track, a short section of which is steep, and some flat terrain before you begin the main descent just over a kilometre later. The bush is prettier along this next stretch and there’s plenty of shade too. You will reach a clearing at the 3.1km mark and just beyond it the descent to the beach begins.
The descent lasts for around 1.5km, it’s not steep and the terrain is good. The final 100m to the river is on a narrower track which has a bit of loose soil and it’s a little steeper.
It’s not too slippery though and then the path flattens. There’s quite a large area of tree fall in the sandy wash just before you reach the beach, though it’s easy to duck under.
You’ll arrive at the beach 4.9km after leaving the car park.
Merrica River and Disaster Bay
You’ll arrive at a large sandy beach beside the river. If you bear left you will come to a small makeshift campsite sheltered amongst the trees. It’s an idyllic spot.
The river along this section is quite deep but due to the large tree covered cliff wall it was in full shadow on our visit - despite the fact it was only midday! I imagine in summer it would get the sun though and that would make it a lovely place to swim.
Heading back to the point at which you entered the beach and you will see the river as it joins the ocean. There’s a very impressive cliff wall to the right and the water in the creek is crystal clear.
If you wade across the shallow part of the creek you can reach deeper water which is great for swimming.
You can also enjoy the beach and check out the wild waves of Disaster Bay. It’s absolutely stunning and the coloured rocks along the cliffs on the right side of the beach are so striking.
Huge swathes of the cliff are burnt orange and purple and the effect is quite mesmerising. There’s even another teeny beach you can walk across to which is fun.
The main oceanside beach was covered in driftwood on our visit, which normally I might find less attractive, but in this setting it added to the wild atmosphere and seemed fitting for somewhere named Disaster Bay!
All in all, it’s a magical place with a remote vibe that shouldn’t feel possible after just a 5km walk. We stayed for hours and it still didn’t feel long enough!
The effect of the tide and swell
We ideally wanted to visit the river at high tide as this is usually the best time for swimming in tidal rivers and usually gives the best water colour. As it didn’t line up with the daylight hours we ended up coming two hours after low tide and staying until two hours before high tide.
The water colour in the creek was green at this time. I have seen from the National Parks website that it can be blue which I imagine is high tide. However, the green water was actually glorious so it didn’t bother me that it wasn’t blue.
At low tide it can be tea tree stained which would make it a brown colour, though this was not the case for us two hours after low tide so it may not always happen.
Whether you come at low or high tide there is always going to be a wet crossing to do if you want to go over to the ocean side.
For us this was never more than knee deep and it was like crossing a tropical lagoon, just gorgeous! I expect high tide would be significantly higher, though I can’t imagine it would be a more than a wade (though I can’t say for sure as I’ve not seen it).
In terms of the swell, it only really affects the oceanside, the creek was completely still despite the moderate swell in the ocean. I wouldn’t recommend swimming in the ocean here as the waves were pretty powerful and I imagine they likely always will be.
You can see the tide forecast here.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
Please remember to wear reef safe sunscreen to protect the marine life inside the creek.
Getting to the Merrica River trailhead
The Merrica River trail is located in the Nadgee Nature Reserve, you can see the parking location on Google maps here.
The last 9km of the road is gravel and there are some ruts, stones and minor patches of soft sand. At time of writing, in dry conditions, it’s suitable for any car, but after rain the road could get muddy.
If you’re concerned about the road it is worth giving the National Parks Service a call to check on the current condition before setting out.
It’s around a 35 minute drive from Eden and an hour from Merimbula.
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Some places just have that special aura about them and Merrica River is one of those places. With a gorgeous remote sandy beach, crystal clear river for swimming and stunning oceans views it’s a magical place to visit. We’re sharing what the walking trail is like and how the tide effects the river for swimming.