Iluka is a small village at the mouth of the Clarence River

Clarence River (New South Wales)

The Clarence River is situated in northeastern New South Wales, Australia. The river originates on the watershed that marks the Queensland border. After flowing south and northeast for 394 km it then empties into the Pacific Ocean at Iluka/Yamba. On its journey it passes through the towns of...

 in New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. It is situated directly across the river from the resort town of Yamba

Yamba, New South Wales

Yamba is a town in northern New South Wales, Australia at the mouth of the Clarence River. The first European to visit the area was Matthew Flinders, who stopped by in Yamba Bay for six days in July 1799....

. At the 2006 census

Census in Australia

The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...

, Iluka had a population of 1,739 people. The town's name is derived from an aboriginal word meaning 'near the sea'.

It has long beaches on the ocean side of the river. It is reached by turning off the Pacific Highway approximately 20 kilometres north of Maclean

Maclean, New South Wales

Maclean is a town in Clarence Valley Local Government Area in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia. It is on the Clarence River and near the Pacific Highway. At the 2006 census, Maclean had a population of 3,245 people...

. As Iluka is a popular tourist destination its population increases slightly in the holiday season with many Gold Coasters in the summer and Victorians in the winter.

Iluka Nature Reserve

Iluka also has a world heritage listed littoral rainforest. It is one of the last remaining littoral rainforests in the Southern Hemisphere

Southern Hemisphere

The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...

. It contains many different plant species ranging from coastal dune species to tropical rainforest species. The Iluka rainforest has a vast range of native animal species ranging from wallabies and kangaroos to wombats and echidnas. Iluka is famous for the extremely rare coastal emu.

Fishing

Iluka is a fishing community with many commercial fishing industries, ranging from the ocean going prawn and whiting trawlers to the river netters and trawlers. The river and beach netters can be seen hauling in mullet during the end of autumn. Iluka is also a very popular recreational fishing destination. Iluka boasts many fishing opportunities ranging from the estuary to the headlands and beaches to deep sea fishing.

Sport

Iluka has a strong sporting history. It contains many strong cricket teams competing in local competitions, a rugby union side "The Cossacks" competing with teams from up and down the coast and many soccer sides which achieve greatly throughout the Clarence Competition. Iluka FC has previously been a junior soccer club, but as of 2010, Iluka is playing their inaugural senior season. Iluka also has a netball team. Iluka Boardriders Club holds monthly competitions

Recreational Areas

The Iluka Oval is positioned in the centre of town. It was originally used primarily as a cticket ground, and after Ken Leeson's large help to construct another field, the oval was rightly named in his honour, as the Ken Leeson Oval. It contains two cricket pitches, synthetic and turf, two tennis courts, a netball/ basketball court and a soccer/ rugby union field.

Pubs and clubs

Iluka contains two clubs and a pub: Iluka Bowling Club, Iluka Golf Club and Sedgers Reef Hotel. The bowling club has three bowling greens and a Chinese restaurant, Master Wok. The golf club http://www.ilukagolf.com has a ten-hole course and a small restaurant. Sedgers Reef Hotel is located on the water at Iluka Bay. It contains a bar and a bistro. Raffles are done at each of these venues during the week and weekends for various charities and local sporting bodies.

Clarence River Fishermen's Co-operative Ltd.

Inside Iluka Bay is the Clarence River Fishermen's Co-op which provides a service to the commercial fishermen. The CRFC sells and transports the fresh seafood locally, regionally, nationally and globally. It provides jobs for the local community and is recognised throughout the Clarence Valley. The Clarence River Fishermen's Co-operative Iluka Depot consists of a factory, retail shop and a chandlery shop for the fishermen and other consumers.

Flying foxes

Iluka also has a birthing colony featuring the Grey-headed Flying Fox

Grey-headed Flying Fox

The Grey-headed Flying-Fox, Pteropus poliocephalus, is a megabat native to Australia.Members of the genus Pteropus include the largest bats in the world. The Pteropus genus has currently about 57 recognised species....

 (Pteropus poliocephalus) and the Black Flying-fox (Pteropus alecto); both are listed as being vulnerable to extinction. At night in October through January mothers can be seen flying out to feed at night with their babies.