Minnamurra River facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Minnamurra River
Aerial view showing the mouth of Minnamurra River.
Lua error in Module:Location_map at line 420: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). Location of river mouth in New South Wales
Country	Australia
State	New South Wales
Region	Sydney Basin (IBRA), Illawarra
LGAs	Shellharbour, Kiama
Physical characteristics
Main source	Illawarra escarpment west of Jamberoo
River mouth	Tasman Sea, South Pacific Ocean Minnamurra Point, Minnamurra
Length	23 km (14 mi)
Basin features
Basin size	117 km2 (45 sq mi)
National park	Budderoo

The Minnamurra River is a beautiful river in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It is a type of estuary where river water mixes with ocean water, and its mouth is shaped by ocean waves.

Where is the Minnamurra River Located?

The Minnamurra River begins in the Budderoo National Park. This park is on the eastern side of the Illawarra escarpment, which is a steep slope of mountains. The river starts west of a village called Jamberoo and flows towards the east.

How Does the River Flow?

As the river flows, it drops 100 metres (330 ft) at a spot called Minamurra Falls. The river then goes into the Jamberoo Valley. This valley is surrounded by mountains like Stockyard Mountain, Jamberoo Mountain, Noorinan, and Saddleback Mountain.

The end of the river, called its mouth, is just north of the town of Minnamurra. There is a small island right off the coast near the river's mouth. The river travels 23 kilometres (14 mi) in total and drops 306 metres (1,004 ft) from its start to the ocean.

Crossing the River

The main road, Princes Highway, crosses over the Minnamurra River. This crossing is north of the Minnamurra suburb.

What Does the Name Minnamurra Mean?

The name Minnamurra comes from the Aboriginal language. The Aboriginal word is Meme Mora, which means "river of many fish". This tells us that the river was likely full of fish a long time ago!