Where to stay in Urunga
A quiet town where the Bellinger and Kalang rivers meet the sea, with a newly rebuilt boardwalk out over the lagoon to the beach, clear water full of fish and birds, and one of the loveliest stretches of sand on the coast. Here's where to stay in Urunga, and what to do when you arrive.
- Weather
- ·· Loading current conditions
- Best time to visit
- Spring to autumn for swimming and the lagoon, and calm, clear mornings on the boardwalk. The birdlife over the wetlands is good year round, and whales pass from May to November. Beaches are patrolled from September to April, and summer and the school holidays are the busy season, so book ahead.
- Getting there
- About a 5 and a half hour drive north of Sydney (around 500 km), just off the Pacific Highway (M1), so it is easy to reach. The nearest airport is Coffs Harbour, about 25 minutes north, and Urunga has its own stop on the North Coast train line. Bellingen is about 15 minutes west.
- Location
- Mid North Coast, NSW · View on map
Why go
- The Urunga Boardwalk, a long, flat walk out over the lagoon and wetlands to the beach, with fish and rays in the clear water below you
- Urunga Beach and the calm river-mouth lagoon, good for a swim, a paddle or a kayak
- Long, empty sand running south toward Hungry Head, some of the loveliest beach on the coast
- Birdwatching over the estuary and the rehabilitated Urunga Wetlands, with pelicans, egrets and more than 100 species
- The headland, lookout and surf beach at Hungry Head, a short drive south
- An easy, walkable riverfront town, anchored by the historic Ocean View Hotel
The top 6 places to stay in Urunga
Urunga is a quiet river town, so it is holiday parks and rentals rather than resorts. The Reflections holiday park sits right on the lagoon by the boardwalk, the award-winning Riverside Holiday Resort is on the Kalang riverfront a short walk from the shops, and the historic Ocean View Hotel has rooms in town, with motels and holiday houses as well. Here are our picks, and the search further down compares everything else with live prices.
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- Our pick
Riverside Holiday Resort Urunga
Best forfamilies, longer stays and accessible travel
Forty two-bedroom self-contained apartments on the Kalang riverfront, a five minute level walk from the shops and the boardwalk, with an accessible pool, trampolines and a playground. It is the best-reviewed place in town, a repeat tourism award winner, and the standout for accessible stays, with ground floor and wheelchair-ready units. It books out fast in school holidays, and pets stay home.
- Two-bedroom apartments
- Accessible pool
- Riverfront
Reflections Urunga Holiday Park
Best forcaravanners and campers who want the boardwalk at the gate
On the spit between the lagoon and the village, with the boardwalk starting at the park and the shops at the back gate. Sites and cabins from simple to superior, dogs welcome year-round on selected sites and cabins, plus kayak and pedal kart hire and fish cleaning benches. The position is the best in town; expect kids on karts rolling past on weekends.
- On the lagoon
- Boardwalk at the gate
- Kayak hire
Reflections Hungry Head
Best fordog owners and groups on a budget
Ten rustic log cabins in the bush a few minutes south of town, each sleeping six with a full kitchen, and all of them take dogs year-round. Hungry Head Beach is a short walk through the trees, with kangaroos and kookaburras for neighbours. The cabins are simple and the odd appliance shows its age, so come for the setting and the price rather than polish. Check in at Reflections Urunga.
- Sleeps 6
- Walk to Hungry Head
- Bush setting
The Glade
Best forcouples after riverside quiet
A single self-contained studio for a couple on the Kalang River just out of town, with a full kitchen, a private entrance and welcome treats from the hosts. It is the highest-rated stay in Urunga by a wide margin, and the riverside quiet near the wetlands is the whole point. There is one studio only, so book early.
- Riverside studio
- Full kitchen
- Near the wetlands
Ocean View Hotel
Best forthe cheapest character bed on this coast
The 1927 pub in the middle of town, looking over the river mouth two minutes from the boardwalk. Fourteen simple rooms upstairs share bathrooms, and three open onto the balcony with the water view. At about $90 a double with dinner downstairs, it is hard to beat for value, as long as a proper old pub room suits you. Book direct; the rooms are not on the booking sites.
- Balcony water views
- Bistro downstairs
- 1927 pub
Westella Motel
Best foran easy overnight stop with the trailer
A classic family-run motel on the old highway a couple of minutes from town, mid-renovation with new ensuites and carpet arriving room by room. Simple, clean and cheap, with easy parking for trailers, boats and caravans. The practical overnight stop rather than a holiday base. Book direct.
- Easy trailer parking
- Pool
- Budget
How we choose: guest ratings across booking sites, plus our own time in Urunga. We visit every town we cover, and no place on this list has paid to be here.
Urunga, whose name comes from a Gumbaynggirr word for long sand, sits where the Bellinger and Kalang rivers come together and run out to the sea, on the Mid North Coast between Nambucca Heads and Coffs Harbour. It is a quiet, old-fashioned river town built around water: a wide lagoon at the river mouth, a boardwalk out over the wetlands to the beach, and clear, calm water that draws birds, fish and families back year after year.
Why stay in Urunga
Urunga is the kind of town you slow right down in. The pace is gentle, the riverfront parks are made for a coffee and a look at the water, and the boardwalk and the beach are a short stroll apart. It is quieter and more low key than the bigger towns nearby, which is the appeal, and it makes an easy base for the coast and for Bellingen and the hinterland just behind.
The Urunga Boardwalk
The boardwalk is the town’s drawcard, and it is worth the trip on its own. From the riverfront in town, a wide, flat walkway runs out across the lagoon and along the estuary, past mangroves and sandflats, toward the beach and the breakwall at the river mouth. The water underneath and beside you is often crystal clear, so you can watch fish and rays slide past, and the estuary is alive with birds. It was rebuilt through 2025 and 2026, wider and fully step free, so it suits everyone from prams to wheelchairs, with platforms to stop and look along the way. The last section out to the breakwall was still being finished, so if you want to walk the whole length it is worth a quick check first. Go early or at low tide for the clearest water and the best light.
The beach and the lagoon
At the river mouth, the beach and the calm lagoon sit side by side. The lagoon, held behind the breakwall, is a sheltered, tidal spot for a swim, a paddle board or a kayak, and it is a favourite with families for exactly that reason. Out on the open coast, the beach runs south in a long, clean sweep toward Hungry Head, and it is as pretty and empty as any on the Mid North Coast. On a still morning you can have a kilometre of sand to yourself.
Hungry Head
A few minutes south, Hungry Head is a headland and surf beach with a reserve, a lookout and long stretches of empty sand. It picks up more swell than the lagoon, so it is Urunga’s surf beach, patrolled by the surf club in the warmer months (roughly September to April). The headland has a car park, toilets and a lookout, and the tracks there are a good short walk for the view up and down the coast. It is quiet, wild and worth the short drive.
Birds and the wetlands
Urunga is a birdwatcher’s town. The estuary and the lagoon draw pelicans, egrets, herons, cormorants and oystercatchers, and you will see plenty just walking the boardwalk. On the western edge of town there is also a separate wetland with a good story: once a badly polluted old ore-treatment site, it has been rehabilitated into a reserve of ponds, paperbarks and waterlilies that now counts more than a hundred bird species. A short loop and a low boardwalk make it an easy stroll with the binoculars.
Things to do
- Walk the boardwalk out over the lagoon toward the beach
- Swim or paddle the calm river-mouth lagoon
- Kayak or SUP the clear water of the inlet
- Watch the birds over the estuary and the wetlands
- Surf or walk the headland at Hungry Head
- Throw in a line off the breakwall or the beach for bream
- Call in at the Honey Place, the big bee-hive honey shop by the highway turnoff
- Duck inland to Bellingen for the markets, cafes and river
Food and coffee
Urunga is small, but there is enough for a good weekend: a cafe or two for coffee and breakfast, a bakery, a bowling club, and the historic Ocean View Hotel on the main street for a counter meal and a cold one. Anchors Wharf, out on the water, is the local pick for oysters and a feed with a view. For more choice, Bellingen and Coffs Harbour are both a short drive away.
Getting there
Urunga is about a five and a half hour drive north of Sydney (around 500 km), sitting just off the Pacific Highway (M1), so it is easy to reach. The nearest airport is Coffs Harbour, about 25 minutes north. Urunga also has its own station on the North Coast train line, and Bellingen is about 15 minutes west.
Good to know
Urunga has the basics, a supermarket, bakery, cafes, a pub and a bowling club, so you can stock up in town. The lagoon is the calm, family end of the water and the boardwalk suits everyone, while Hungry Head is the spot for surf. The boardwalk and riverfront were part of a big rebuild through 2025 and 2026, so you may still strike the odd bit of work near the Morgo Street end. For a bigger shop or more to do, Coffs Harbour and Bellingen are close by.
Local tip: walk the boardwalk early, at low tide. The water is at its clearest, the light is soft, and the birds are busiest before the day warms up.
Walks and hikes near Urunga
Coast, headland and rainforest tracks worth the boots, each with directions to the trailhead.
Urunga Boardwalk
The reason most people come. A wide, flat boardwalk runs from the river foreshore in town out across the lagoon and along the estuary toward the beach and the breakwall at the river mouth. The water below is clear enough to watch fish and rays glide past, and the estuary is full of birds. Rebuilt through 2025 and 2026, it is now wider and fully step free, so it suits everyone from prams to wheelchairs. The final stretch out to the breakwall was still being finished, so check the council page if you want to walk the whole length. Go early or at low tide for the clearest water.
Getting to the startStart from the foreshore car park at the end of Morgo Street in town. The boardwalk leads off toward the beach. View on map
Urunga Wetlands loop
A separate, quieter wetland with a story: once a badly polluted old ore works, it has been rehabilitated into a reserve of ponds, paperbarks and waterlilies that now draws more than 100 bird species. A short, flat loop and a recycled-plastic boardwalk make it an easy stroll and one of the best little birdwatching spots around. Bring binoculars.
Getting to the startOff Hillside Drive on the western edge of town, a couple of minutes from the centre. Park at the wetlands car park. View on map
Hungry Head
A headland and surf beach just south of Urunga, with a reserve, a lookout and long empty sand. Walk the short headland tracks for the view, or set off north along the beach toward the Urunga river mouth. It is the town's surf beach, patrolled in the warmer months, and a good spot for a fish or a quiet wander. Time the beach walk for a lower tide.
Getting to the startDrive about 5 minutes south to the Hungry Head Reserve car park (toilets and a kiosk), off Hungry Head Road. Tracks lead to the lookout and down to the beach. View on map
Bluff loop, Bongil Bongil National Park
A short bushwalk in Bongil Bongil National Park, a short drive north toward Sawtell, through forest and heath in a park known for one of the largest koala populations in the state. A good leg-stretch in the bush if you want a change from the water. Keen walkers can add the longer Bundageree rainforest walk (about 6 km) in the same park.
Getting to the startDrive about 25 minutes north to Bongil Bongil National Park (the Sawtell side). The Bluff loop starts from the car park by the gate. View on map
Surf, tides and wind in Urunga
Live wave, tide and wind conditions for the open coast, updated through the day.
Tap an arrow for the time, speed and direction.
- Swell
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- Period
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- Direction
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- Water
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Wave, tide and wind data from Open-Meteo. Tides are open-coast predictions and can differ inside creeks and river mouths.
The Urunga notice board
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