The Beaches

Trinity Park

Down the road from Smithfield are a series of little communities named things like Trinity Beach, Kuarra Beach, or Palm Cove. These communities all derive their names from the sandy shores they butt up against. And if one was determined they could walk from the pier at Palm Cove all the way to Trinity Park Beach with only one sojourn inland to scramble over a rocky outcrop.
But it is just as lovely to sit in the warm sand, swim in the equally warm water, and avoid being stung by stingers (jellyfish).
These are three of my favorites and are in order of south to north - or the one closest to vs. the one you would have to walk the farthest to get to from the student lodge.

Trinity Park: This one is closest to the lodge and my favorite. There are no structures though it butts up against the Trinity Park Marina at the far end. It has a mangrove swamp at its back. No stinger nets or life guards so you are swimming at your own risk but its worth it. Local families and students use the beach  and it is on the opposite side of the Trinity Beach's rocks so it is more isolated then the others. It is the beach I visited the most to celebrate with friends or find a peaceful place to study.

Trinity Beach: This beach officially starts the series of communities who all have the coveted word 'beach' in their name. Houses, apartment buildings, small eateries and a couple small hotel like establishments line the street. It has a very casual laid back feel. The area of sand it claims is a little smaller then those further up the coast but it has a rocky edge that is fun for climbing and investigating sea life. There is also a trail that leads up the rocky point to a huge boulder that presents a great view of the ocean. This beach doesn't receive as heavy tourist traffic as Palm Cove and lots of locals use it for running or walking their dogs.

Palm Cove

Melaleucas or Paper-Bark Trees

Palm Cove: Like Trinity Beach, this one is a blend of tourism and locals. There are hotels lining the street facing the beach as well as cafes and a fish and chips place. Memorably there are these huge beautiful trees that are a species of Melaleuca or Paper-bark trees. They have the girth of some of the oldest cottonwoods in the states, shready sandy color bark, and are three to four stories tall. Absolutely beautiful. From this beach you can look back and see the great sweeping crescent of sand which stretches from the rocks at Trinity Beach all the way to Palm Cove's Pier.
The pier is used by locals to catch all sorts of sea fair- from cod to small sharks. Once we even saw an osprey try to make off with a shark-fisher's bait fish. Both survived the incident none the worse for wear. If you are lucky, and look up from shell collecting or crab spotting you may even see dolphins!