Cliff Jumping

Heading North from Coffs Harbour, we got into Yamba in the mid-afternoon, which was recommended to us as a good place to surf. We didn't hit the surf and instead backtracked a bit to Angourie, a little town just south along the coast. We had heard at a hostel that there was place for cliff jumping at two freshwater pools at Angourie, and freshwater sounded more inviting than some more saltwater. There were two pools, the Blue Pool and the Green Pool, named for the level of algae in the water presumably. The Blue pool was the first one we got to, and the cliffs at that one topped out at around 20 feet. This wasn't much of a thrill, especially as a four-year old was jumping off around the 15 foot mark. His dad told us the Green Pool was the one to check out, so we headed over there. No one was there, and after trying to see how we could walk around onto the cliffs, we decided that the only way to get up the cliff face was to swim across and then scale the wall from the water.

Kyle decided he would go for it, and jumped into the water and swam across and climbed up to the lowest jump. The lowest was around 50 ft, and Kyle stood at that height for a while, wondering why it looked so much higher looking down than looking up. While we were waiting for Kyle, a group of four guys showed up, and the two who were the least drunk jumped into the water and began the climb. One of them got the to highest point, about 75 ft, and jumped off. Kyle decided that 50 ft wasn't that bad after all and quickly followed the first jumper from his own perch.

The next day, after camping in the parking lot, we headed back down to the Green Pool and each of us made the swim across the pool to make the climb. I stopped at the first opportunity and made the jump at the lowest point while Jordache climbed to the top. Getting there, he quickly realized that he would need a running start to clear the jump area approximately ten feet below him. Not allowing himself time to rethink his position, he took a few quick steps and launched himself into the air. The effort to clear the cliff face caused him begin a slow turn, and he hit the water at a bit of an awkward angle. He later told us he saw stars, and his rubber wrist band was forced up over his elbow onto his bicep from the force of hitting the water. Kyle and I made jumps from the middle area, and decided that we couldn't follow Jordache's jump from what the locals called "The Chalk Line."

Jordache's shoulders moved in concert with his neck for the next couple of days as he was pretty sore, and he was glad he had decided to strap on his knee brace before making the jump. Sleeping on the ground doesn't help that much either I guess.