Curl Curl Beach

Curl Curl Beach is about 18 km north-east of Sydney CBD, between Dee Why Beach to the north and Freshwater Beach to the south. The beach runs for 1.2 km and faces east-southeast. Sandstone headlands sit at both ends, Dee Why Head to the north and a headland towards Freshwater to the south. The stretch splits into two zones, North Curl Curl and Curl Curl (also called South Curl Curl), divided by the mouth of Curl Curl Lagoon at the northern part of the beach. A dune system and parkland strip back the sand, and rock platforms run along parts of the shore.

History

• The name Curl Curl probably comes from a Dharuk Aboriginal phrase, "curial curial", said to mean "river of life", though the NSW Geographical Names Board notes the exact meaning isn't settled.
• Originally, the name covered a wider stretch of land that took in Manly Vale, Freshwater and Queenscliff.
• Through the 19th century, land grants brought timber clearing, farming and market gardening to the area.
• Suburban development followed once roads and tram links reached the Northern Beaches, picking up through the 1920s.
• Surf culture and weekend beach use grew from the 1920s through to the 1960s.
• The first surf lifesaving club opened at South Curl Curl in 1918, with North Curl Curl SLSC following in 1922; the two clubs, along with other local groups, helped shape coastal facilities and protection measures over the decades.
• Through the 1950s and 60s, the low-lying swamp around the lagoon was used as a rubbish tip. Local community action in 1980 led to the formation of Curl Curl Lagoon Friends, who pushed for the rehabilitation of the lagoon and its catchment.
• The parks and sports fields that now sit on either side of the lagoon, including John Fisher Park, were built on land reclaimed from that old tip.

Beach Characteristics and Facilities

• Curl Curl has a rip-dominated surf zone with waves averaging 1.6 metres, producing both dumping and peeling waves depending on swell and tide. Rip currents form along the sandbank at both ends; the southern rip is known locally as the Garbage Bowl.
• Rock pools sit at each end. The south end has a 50-metre ocean pool built in the 1920s, with a dividing wall creating a separate shallow area for kids. The north end has a 25-metre pool built in 1937 by deepening the natural rock pool on the headland and adding a retaining wall; a storm wrecked it in 1947 and it was rebuilt a decade later.
• The north end pool is cut off by the tide at high water and it's reached by a coastal track over the headland, or by walking along the sand at low tide.
• Rock platforms along the headlands are used for fishing and tidal exploration.
• Curl Curl Lagoon drains to the ocean at the northern part of the beach and shapes sand movement and local currents.
• Each end has its own surf lifesaving club, along with a car park, showers, toilets and a kiosk.
• A timber boardwalk runs from the south end along the coast to Freshwater Beach.
• Walking paths, picnic areas and grassed reserves with native shrubs separate the beach from the residential streets behind.
• Sports fields and parkland line the inland side of the lagoon.

Facts and Curiosities

• The name "Curl Curl Lagoon" originally belonged to what's now Manly Lagoon, which empties into the sea at Queenscliff. The lagoon at Curl Curl was called Harbord Lagoon until a council renaming programme swapped the names in the 1980s, around the same time Manly Creek (once Curl Curl Creek) and Queenscliff Headland (once Curl Curl Headland) lost their original names too.
• The north pool was funded through Depression-era Unemployment Relief Funds. A timber walkway, added in 1938 for easier access, didn't last long: some say a storm took it, others say it was dismantled early in WWII to stop invading soldiers using the headland.
• The sports fields next to the lagoon sit on reclaimed land, built up from the rubbish dumped there through the 1950s and 60s.
• Restoration and stormwater management work on the lagoon and creek has improved water quality and habitat for birds and other wildlife.
• Storms and seasonal swings can shift the width of the beach noticeably, moving sand between the surf zone and the lagoon mouth.
• Consistent wave conditions make Curl Curl a regular training spot for regional and national surfing competitors.
• Walking routes link Curl Curl to Freshwater and Dee Why, part of the bigger Northern Beaches walkway network.