Storms River Suspension Bridge

The main suspension bridge at Storms River Mouth spans about seventy-seven metres across the river where it meets the sea, hung on cables with a timber deck a few metres above the water. It moves - the deck sways with people walking and with wind, and below it the swell pushes upriver and surges back, dark with forest tannins against white foam. The walk out is a boardwalk of roughly a kilometre from the rest camp along the shore through milkwood and over rock, which is a fine walk on its own. Beyond the first bridge two smaller ones cross the far bank, and a steep climb leads up to a viewpoint over the gorge. In heavy seas the boardwalk is closed and waves wash across it. The bridge was rebuilt after storm damage, and it is the single most photographed structure on this coast.

What you actually see

• The seventy-seven metre span - a swaying timber deck on cables above the river mouth.
• The surge below - dark tannin water meeting ocean swell under the bridge.
• The shore boardwalk - about a kilometre through milkwood and over rock to reach it.
• The gorge viewpoint - a steep climb beyond the far bank.

When to go

All year. Two hours including the walk both ways. Midday brings tour groups.

Honest expectations

The boardwalk closes in heavy seas and waves can wash over it. The deck sways and some people find it unnerving. Rocks are slippery. Park entry is required and the walk is longer than the bridge photographs suggest.

Nearby

The Otter Trail starts here; Nature's Valley is west along the coast.