South Ballina – One For The Angler
Wayne Kampe

SOME of the holiday destinations I feature offer a fair mix of activities as alternatives to the main game – that of fishing. This one is a little different because, at South Ballina, there isn't much to do beside fish, laze on the beach, or just watch others doing these things.

A RETREAT FOR FISHOS

That said, if the travelling fisho was in need of a relaxed holiday away from life's pressures, this place will fill the bill. You see, while relaxed and laid back, it's by no means remote.

Getting There

As usual, the route to this holiday destination comes first. As the name suggests, South Ballina is part of the town of Ballina. The only thing separating this small locality from the much larger town, bearing the same basic name, is around two hundred metres of flowing water – the Richmond River.

South Ballina is located on the south bank of the river and a vehicular ferry, at Burns Point, provides access. The ferry turn-off is well signed on the Pacific Highway, just south of the Big Prawn tourist centre. Alternatively, the visitor can take the turn-off to the localities of Empire Vale and South Ballina from Highway One, just south of the Richmond River. On this route to South Ballina, the traveller will run parallel to the Richmond River's south bank, where numerous boat ramps allow access to the river. Two caravan parks, the river, a magnificent seawall and a golden beach, stretching as far south as one can see, are what South Ballina is all about.

Accommodation

As I mentioned, this is a very quiet locality, yet it offers a lot for the angler. Accommodation is available at either the South Ballina Holiday Park, set in a very pretty ocean-side locality surrounded by Banksia trees, or at the Seabreeze Caravan Park, where tall gums prevail.

The South Ballina Holiday Park, has a kiosk, takeaway food, bait plus tackle, as well as ice and bottled gas re-filling services. Powered and un-powered sites are available, as are a number of on-site vans and cabins. South Ballina Holiday Park can be contacted on Ph. (02) 6686 3347.

The Seabreeze Caravan Park, located a couple of kilometres closer to the Pacific Highway, also offers a good number of sites and can cater for pets by arrangement. Both caravan parks are spacious and clean with excellent facilities. Layouts can best be described as wide and uncluttered, with ample shade. They will appeal to people who like to stretch out a little when they set-up camp for a spell.

Nearby Ballina

Visiting anglers staying at South Ballina can certainly make the most of the huge number of facilities at Ballina, just twenty minutes away across the river. Supermarkets and every kind of store, including antique dealers, are on hand and the usual clubs and services are there as well. Ballina is serviced by rail, road, and air. The airport is large enough to accommodate jet aircraft. I noted several tackle stores, as well as boat servicing facilities to fulfil the needs of anglers with boats in tow.

I'm advised that the fishing on the north wall of the Richmond River is also quite good; but I liked the tranquillity of the little sister to this big town. This preference is, no doubt, a legacy of my trout-angling ways, which have become deeply entrenched over three decades of chasing these fish. Trout anglers tend to gravitate towards places where peace and solitude prevail. Often, to not see another angler for the day is the norm.

Fishing Choices

The foibles of your scribe aside, anglers visiting South Ballina will find choice of fishing venue hard to come to terms with, as there is just so much on hand. The Richmond River is right there within view. At the time of my visit, a local fishing comp was underway and fishos were never hard to find. Consequently, I had an easy day of seeing just what was available on a fairly large scale.
I noticed boaties with bending rods welcoming aboard the expected bream, flathead, whiting, blackfish and tailor from the Richmond River. A mate of mine, who fishes the locality regularly, advises that good catches are par for the course, as the river is very clean and well populated with fish. Best of all is the fact that, if the visitor does not have a boat, there are ample places to just sit a spell and fish off the bank, and I noted a lot of folk doing just that during my weekend visit. Luderick, bream, whiting and flathead were the main targets.

Beach Fishing A Treat

Beach fishing is a treat in this area. Really well-formed gutters and holes are a feature of the South Ballina beach and 4WD vehicles can enter the beach on the access road that passes the South Ballina Holiday Park. A permit was not required, at the time of writing.

I found the beach to be hard packed and easy to travel on. This beach is renowned for year-round tailor and for its large whiting, during spring and early summer. Beach worms and pipis are easy to come by as fresh bait alternatives.

Visiting Salmon

During the past couple of months, the schools of tailor have been well-spiced with visiting salmon that have made their way north for the winter. A lot of surprised fishos have pulled in an extra-strong 'tailor', only to find that it is a round barrel of a fish, entirely short of dental hardware, and with a pattern of green spots on its back. Having caught salmon myself this winter, I can attest to the fact that these blokes jump more than tailor and are a surprisingly fit and strong fish. What they are doing this far north is a great mystery, but they have been taken as far north as Bribie Island during the last couple of months.

Bag Limits

A word on fish bag limits might be in order. The State of New South Wales has taken definite steps to preserve dwindling fish stocks – instead of just talking about it, Queensland style. The local fishing inspector, who is quite active in the area, will expect, for example, that any whiting under 27cm are released; the bag limit is twenty fish. Tailor are legal-sized at 30cm, with a limit of twenty fish.

The Seawall

And now for the seawall. The wall on the south side of the Richmond River is one of the really great fishing venues this destination offers. Access is just a matter of parking and walking out. The surface is well maintained and not in the least hazardous, or difficult to traverse. Luderick, bream, whiting, dart, tailor and jew are the mainstays for the wall angler, and the place is deservedly popular.

During the couple of days I spent in the area, I fished the wall often enough to note quite good catches, including a very worthy jew that weighed in at almost twenty kilos. This fish was caught on a slab of tailor during the middle of the day.

Yes, South Ballina has a lot to offer the angler, or folk who just like to set a spell in quiet places next to the ocean. Lastly, surfers love this place too. When an easterly is blowing, some great waves form near the wall and the board riders come in droves to ride them.