Fingal Head

Fingal Head is a beach break on the far northeast NSW coast south of the Queensland border, best surfed at mid to high tide on a rising swell. The southern side of the headland offers some shelter from northerly winds, though the break itself requires solid technique—it's considered a challenging, pro-level wave. The seafloor is formed from volcanic rock and sand, shaped by an extinct lava flow that also created the nearby Danger Reefs and Cook Island.

The headland structure creates powerful boundary rip currents on both flanks, presenting a consistent hazard for surfers and swimmers. These rips form predictably along the volcanic formations and demand respect and local knowledge to navigate safely.

Fingal Head gained cultural significance in 2016 when Joel and Mary Slabb established Juraki Surf and Culture, a community-driven organisation that revived the name of Churaki—a local Aboriginal surf lifesaver from the early 1900s whose rescues became legendary around the nearby Gold Coast breaks. The annual Juraki Surf Invitational is an Indigenous-only competition that functions as much as a cultural gathering as a contest, bringing together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander surfers from across Australia for a modern ceremony that combines competition with storytelling and connection to Country.