Beach number: nsw016
Includes beaches: Tallows/suffolk Park/broken Head Tallows Suffolk Park Broken Head
State/Region: NSW - Suffolk Park
Beach name: Tallows/Suffolk Park/Broken Head
General Beach Hazard Rating: 6
Least hazardous: 1-3
Moderately hazardous: 4-6
Highly hazardous: 7-8
Extremely hazardous: 9-10
Hazard rating refers to physical beach and surf conditions ONLY and does not include potentially dangerous marine life.
Beach

Tallows Beach stretching south of the Cape Byron look-out is one of the most photographed beaches on the East coast. The view south to Broken Head always shows the double bar system that runs the length of this 6.5 km long beach. The beach faces slightly south of east exposing it to all waves out of the south and east. As a result it is a higher energy beach renowned for it's persistent rips cutting across the inner attached bar, its continuous longshore trough and rhythmic rip prone outer bar.

North of Suffolk Park Tallow Creek flows behind the beach for 1 km then drains across the beach. The beach has good access and parking at Tallows, along Suffolk Park and at Broken Head. There are also caravan parks at Suffolk Park and Broken Head. If you are bathing stay in the patrolled area at Suffolk Park, or at the very southern end in lee of Broken Head. However even at Broken Head, the domain of board riders, strong northerly rip and trough currents are a feature. Also pulses of sand moving slowly around Broken Head produce a variable beach and surf zone that can at times result in a northerly skewed bar and trough.

Rips dominate this potentially hazardous beach so stay between the flags at Suffolk. If bathing elsewhere stay on the attached inner bar and avoid the rip holes, side currents and longshore trough.

Tallows down under Cape Byron is well protected from summer north easterlies and is a popular summer beach break, called Cosy Corner (Figure 44). Suffolk Park has variable beach breaks which work best in offshore winds. Broken Head in the south is a class barrelling right hander when the bars are right, and always worth a look when the swell is running. Also a top camping spot at the beach.

Cosy Corner at the north end is sheltered during north east winds, while the beach offers many large gutters.

A beautiful long beach, best seen from the Cape Byron lookout, which offers an undeveloped northern end, the facilities of Suffolk Park and a Nature Reserve at the southern end.