BEACHES OF THE NORTHERN AUSTRALIAN COAST THE KIMBERLEY, NORTHERN TERRITORY & CAPE YORK A guide to their nature, characteristics, surf and safety ANDREW D SHORT Coastal Studies Unit School of Geosciences F09 University of Sydney Sydney NSW 2006 Australian Beach Safety and Management Program ii A D Short COPYRIGHT © AUSTRALIAN BEACH SAFETY AND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM Coastal Studies Unit and Surf Life Saving Australia Ltd School of Geosciences F09 1 Notts Ave University of Sydney Locked Bag. 2 Sydney NSW 2006 Bondi Beach NSW 2026 Short, Andrew D Beaches of the Northern Australian Coast: The Kimberley, Northern Territory & Cape York 1-920898-16-6 A guide to their nature, characteristics, surf and safety Published: December 2006 Other books in this series by A D Short: • Beaches of the New South Wales Coast, 1993 0-646-15055-3 • Beaches of the Victorian Coast and Port Phillip Bay, 1996 0-9586504-0 • Beaches of the Queensland Coast: Cooktown to Coolangatta, 2000 0-9586504-1-1 • Beaches of the South Australian Coast and Kangaroo Island, 2001 0-9586504-2-X • Beaches of the Western Australian Coast: Eucla to Roebuck Bay, 2005 0-9586504-3-8 • Beaches of the Tasmanian Coast and Islands, March 2006 1-920898-12-3 Forthcoming books: Beaches of the New South Wales Coast (2nd edition) 1-920898-15-8 Published by: Sydney University Press University of Sydney www.sup.usyd.edu.au Printed by: University of Sydney Publishing Service University of Sydney Copies of all books in this series may be purchased online from Sydney University Press at: http://www.sup.usyd.edu.au/marine Northern Australian beach database: Inquiries about the Northern Australian beach database should be directed to Surf Life Saving Australia at [email protected] Cover photographs: The University of Sydney research boat ‘CSU 3’ at the pure white Silica Beach (K 223) on Hidden Island in the western Kimberley; Furze Point (Q 250) on eastern Cape York has a series of crenulate intertidal sand ridges; and Angurubia Inlet (GE 116 & 117) with its extensive flood tide delta separates beaches and dunes on the east coast of Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria (A D Short). Australian Beach Safety and Management Program Beaches of the Northern Australian Coast Table of Contentss iii Table of Contents Preface iv Acknowledgements v Abstract vi 1. The Kimberley, Northern Territory & Cape York Coasts 1 Introduction 1 Geological Evolution of the Coast 3 Climate 7 Ocean Processes 10 Biological Processes 14 2. Beach Systems and Hazards 19 Beach Types 19 Beach Hazards 27 North Australian Beach Hazards 30 3. Northern Australian Beaches 37 4. The Kimberley Coast 39 5. Northern Territory Coast 178 6. Cape York Coast 343 Glossary 434 References 436 Indexes Beach Index 437 General Index 454 Surf Index 473 Australian Beach Safety and Management Program iv A D Short Preface This is the seventh and final book in a series on the beaches of the Australian coast. They have all been produced by the Australian Beach Safety and Management Program (ABSMP), a collaborative project of the Coastal Studies Unit (CSU) University of Sydney and Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA). The project has compiled a database on everyone of Australia 10 685 mainland beaches, together with 833 beaches on 30 inhabited islands. The books are a byproduct of this database. The coast of northern Australia is as vast as it is difficult to access. As a consequence time, patience and diligence is required to visit and inspect the 4114 km of coastline. The author’s first trip north was in 1976 when he made it as far as Normanton before tropical cyclone Ted prevented him reaching Karumba. In 1980 he co-lead a major CSU field experiment to Cable Beach, Broome, successfully investigating the impact of the 10 m tide range on beach morphodyanmics. The first field study for this program commenced in 1991 when with his family and a caravan he visited all the reasonably accessible beaches in the Broome region from Crab Creek to One Arm Point, the Darwin and Gove Peninsula beaches, and finally made it to Karumba. In 1994 he flew the entire Queensland coast obtaining low altitude oblique photographs of every beaches, then in 1997 flew from Western Australia right across the top to the Queensland border, photographing all the Kimberley and Northern Territory beaches. While he made it as far as Cooktown twice while investigating the Queensland coast, he did not get past Cooktown till 1998 when the first of three boat-based trips commenced. The first went from Cooktown to Karumba, the second in 1999 from Borrolooa to Darwin, and third in 2001 from Wyndham to Broome, with a ground-based trip to the greater Darwin region in 2000. In compiling a book of this magnitude there will be errors and omissions, particularly with regard to the names of beaches, many of which have no official name, and many local factors. If you notice any errors or wish to comments on any aspects of the book please communicate them to the author at the Coastal Studies Unit, University of Sydney, Sydney NSW 2006, phone (02) 9351 3625, fax (02) 9351 3644, email: [email protected] or via Surf Life Saving Australia (02) 9130 7370. In this way we an update the beach database and ensure that future editions are more up to date and correct. Andrew D Short Narrabeen Beach, March 2006 Australian Beach Safety and Management Program Beaches of the Northern Australian Coast Acknowledgments v Acknowledgements The northern Australian coast is vast and for the most part difficult to access. In order to undertake this study air, sea and land approaches were made to reach the coast. The entire Queensland coast was flown and photographed in 1994 in an Australian Aerial Patrol (AAP) Cessna piloted Harry Mitchell and Steve Conock. This was followed in 1997 by a flight in an AAP Par Navier, piloted by Harry Mitchell and Dean Franklin, which began in South Australia and flew and photographed the entire Western Australian and Northern Territory coasts. The AAP and Harry Mitchell in particular have assisted the project since the early 1990’s and their support is gratefully acknowledged. On the ground my wife Julia and children accompanied me during the first major field trip in 1991 from Broome across the top to Cairns. The Darwin region was inspected on the ground in 2000, with by wife acting as driver and field assistant. Most of the coast however is not accessible by vehicle so three boat trips were all undertaken in the university’s 8 m boat ‘CSU3’ driven by Graham Lloyd. Graham is an expert boatman and technician and successfully got the boat from Cairns to Broome in three trips spanning 1998, 1999 and 2001. The biggest problem with small boat travel in the north is obtaining fuel. For assistance with fuel I thank Cape Flattery mines, Point Smith ranger station and Faraway Bay Bush Camp, and the communities of Pormpuraaw, Numbulwar, Milakburra (Bickerton Island), Galiwinku (Elcho Island), Maningrida, Warruwi and One Arm Point. Boat fuel for the Kimberley leg was generously supplied by Paspaley Pearls and Broome Pearls. Malcolm Douglas provided advice and a home for our truck during the Kimberley leg, and his many films and crocodile park are a must for anyone contemplating travel on the north coast. The project was greatly assisted by the donation of a set of vertical aerial photographs of the entire coast by my former colleague Professor Jack Davies. These provide data on each and every beach and his generosity is much appreciated. The project has been supported by SLSA since its inception and during the northern Australia phase CEO Greg Nance has provided his full support and encouragement, while Katherine McLeod has expertly maintained the database. All figures were drafted by Peter Johnson. All photographs are by the author, apart from two on page vii. The project has received the financial support of the Australia Research Council through an ARC Grant (1990-92), ARC Collaborative Research Grant (1996-1998) and ARC SPIRT Grant (1999-2001), and through contract work for the Defence Science and Technology Organisation. At the University of Sydney thanks to Glen Harris who analyzed most of the beach sediment samples; at University Publishing Service to Josh Fry who expertly oversees production of each of the books, and to Jacqui Owen for the cover design; and at the Sydney University to Press Ross Coleman and Susan Murray-Smith for all their assistance in the production and marketing of this book. Finally, as the entire beach database was complied and the book was written at my home office, I thank my wife Julia, and children Ben, Pip and Bonnie for putting up with its intrusion into our home life, as well as accompanying me to many parts of the northern Australian coast. Australian Beach Safety and Management Program vi A D Short Abstract This book is about the beach systems of the entire northern Australian coast, from Broome in the west to Cooktown in the east, and includes the entire coast of the Kimberley region, Northern Territory and Cape York, in all 11 879 km of shoreline. This tropical coastline contains 3488 beaches exposed to generally low to at most moderate waves, and tides ranging from 2 to 11 m. It begins with three chapters that provide a background to the physical nature and evolution of the northern Australian coast and its mainland beach systems. Chapter 1 covers the geological evolution of the coast and the role climate, wave, tides and wind in shaping the present coast and beaches.