SALTWATER KIN

Tucked between the Tweed River and the Pacific Ocean, Fingal Head is a pocket of Northern NSW that feels both timeless and untamed. From ancient basalt columns and a lighthouse that has stood guard for 150 years, this quiet stretch of coast holds the weight of history and roots bound to its saltwater heart.

WRITTEN BY DONNA RISHTON-POTTER

HISTORY

It’s a small place — just a handful of streets shaded by paperbarks and the rumble of surf never far away — yet every part of Fingal Head is steeped in story.

The headland, known to the Bundjalung people as Booninybah, meaning ‘home of the echidna’, has been a place of deep cultural significance for thousands of years. According to Aboriginal lore, the striking basalt columns at the tip of the headland were formed when the giant echidna, Booniny, was chased into the ocean. Offshore, Cook Island holds ceremonial ties to the pelican ancestor Jungurra and connects through story to nearby Joongarrabah (Razorback).

European explorers first sighted the area in 1770 when Captain James Cook sailed past the coast, narrowly avoiding shipwreck on the reef that fringes Cook Island. In 1840, surveyor Robert Dixon named the headland after Scotland’s Fingal’s Cave. Like its namesake, the rock formations rise in dramatic hexagonal columns, frozen in time from volcanic lava flows some 23 million years ago.

The decades that followed brought upheaval. Cedar getters and settlers moved up the Tweed River, sparking conflict with the Minjungbal people. Logging gave way to fishing and farming, and in 1872 the Fingal Head Lighthouse was erected — a squat, whitewashed sentinel warning ships off Cook Island’s treacherous reef. Rainforest was stripped and dunes scarred by sandmining, but locals fought to restore what was lost. Today, much of the littoral rainforest has regenerated, sheltering endangered flora like the pungent ‘Stinking Cryptocarya’ and countless species of birdlife.

It’s a layered past — one of conflict, renewal and connection to Country — written into every tide, tree and basalt stone.

PLAY

Fingal Head’s pleasures are simple. The beach stretches along a narrow peninsula, a ribbon of white sand framed by the Pacific on one side and the Tweed River on the other. Less crowded than its northern neighbours, it’s patrolled in summer and blessed with sunrises that make early risers of everyone.

A short forest walk leads to the basalt columns and the lighthouse, perched on this easterly point. The columns themselves are otherworldly — giant stone pillars plunging into the sea, often dubbed the ‘Giant’s Causeway of Australia.’

Just offshore, Cook Island Marine Reserve is a snorkeller’s dream. Local operators run tours where green turtles glide through coral gardens teeming with parrotfish, trevally and groupers. Onshore, grassy headlands invite picnics or casting a line into the Tweed — fishing here is both tradition and pastime.

Within the Fingal Headland Reserve, trails reveal regenerating rainforest and abundant birdlife. Over the bridge, the Tweed River opens wide for boating, waterskiing and houseboat holidays. For golfers, Chinderah Golf Course is minutes away, while nearby Kingscliff offers surf breaks, boutique shops and a family-friendly buzz when you’re ready to rejoin the world.

EAT

Fingal keeps things delightfully low-key, and that’s part of its charm.

Start your day at Miimis, the beachside cafe that’s a local favourite. Run by a Fingal Head family, it serves your morning hit of Botero coffee, Wardell pies, açai bowls, and fresh smoothies. Grab a seat under the pandanus, chat with the locals, and watch surfers check the morning sets — there’s no better snapshot of Fingal life.

Just down the road, the Sheoak Shack Gallery Cafe is another Fingal Head institution that sits on the bank of the Tweed River beneath a canopy of sheoaks. For over two decades it’s been the beating heart of Fingal’s creative community, combining live music, art and a menu that feels both coastal and soulful. Come for coffee or lunch, stay for sunset cocktails on the riverbank, and don’t miss the weekend sessions featuring original local and touring musicians. Inside, the gallery space showcases work by high-quality local artists.

Across the bridge in Chinderah, Cubby Bakehouse draws pastry pilgrims with its flaky croissants and stuffed baguettes that sell out before noon. Tweed River Seafoods is famous along the Tweed Coast for the freshest catch — from sashimi-grade salmon to just-caught bugs and crabs. It’s a locals’ supplier for Christmas lunch, and a holiday makers’ go-to for a summer feast that’s best enjoyed while watching the sun set over Wollumbin. And for a cold beer, the Chinderah Tavern – ‘The Chindy’ – delivers with a riverfront deck, live weekend music and a laid-back crowd.

If you’re exploring further afield, regional highlights like Farm & Co and Earth Brewery in Cudgen, and Plantation House in Duranbah showcase the Tweed’s fertile farmland and paddock-to-plate ethos. But here in Fingal Head, it’s all about simple flavours, and meals paired with salt air and ocean views.

SHOP

Unlike most seaside towns, Fingal Head doesn’t hum with boutiques or markets — and that’s exactly why we love it. Shopping here means bait and tackle and fresh prawns from the trawlers. For a broader retail fix, nearby Kingscliff offers surf shops, homewares and weekend markets. Though we think the best souvenirs are time by the sea, and photographs that need no filters.

Tweed Holiday Parks, Fingal Head

STAY

Accommodation in Fingal Head ranges from old-school to ocean-view. The Tweed Holiday Parks Fingal Head, tucked between the river and surf, is a favourite for its relaxed vibe and unbeatable location. There are powered sites, cabins and direct beach access, with kids pedalling bikes and parents unwinding under shady trees.

For something a little more luxe, Kingscliff provides boutique stays and resorts, while Chinderah has affordable motels perfect for a fishing weekend. Wherever you stay, the soundtrack remains the same: waves, wind and the occasional call of a curlew at dusk.