For a number of years now Jeremy and I have been sailing up to Port Stephens, but have never managed to make it to Broughton Island. This year, with consistent light NNE winds we sailed the 7nm to Esmerelda Cove, intending to stay overnight for NYE. With better anchoring in Coal Shaft Bay, we joined a number of other yachts, most of them cruisers from RPAYC in Pittwater. Absolutely beautiful, crystal clear waters, pristine beaches, and no crowds, we stayed for 4 nights.
Exploring the island from Coal Shaft Bay required climbing a knotted rope up a steep embankment from the beach. Once on top we managed to lose the official walking track and picked our way carefully across avoiding the hundreds of mutton bird holes and watching out for any tiger snakes. Before we knew it we had reached Providence Beach and with no one else in sight, it felt like we were on our own desert island.
A delightful way to spend the first few days of 2023. I can highly recommend Broughton Island to anyone who finds themselves up at Port Stephens with light winds coming from a consistent direction.
Only accessible by boat Broughton Island is located within the boundary of Myall Lakes National Park in the southern part of the Barrington Coast.
Kristin Kool-Clarke ( S/V Kai Rani )
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