Birdie Beach

Birdie Beach is located within Munmorah State Conservation Area between Sydney and Newcastle. For much of its length it is nothing more than a pristine stretch of sand backed by low dunes and grasses before giving way to Elizabeth Bay Drive.

The exact length of Birdie Beach is difficult to determine since it runs without break into Mackenzie Reserve Budgewoi Beach on its southern side and Red Ochre Beach on its northern side. Together they stretch for several km of untouched South Pacific Coast.

Swimming is possible, although rip currents are common, particularly at Red Ochre Beach, where they are pretty much permanent. Sharks and jellyfish known locally as ‘bluebottles’ – but better known internationally as Portuguese man o’war are also present during the summer months. They can impart a painful sting from tentacles stretching up to 50 metres. There are also no lifeguards, and few other facilities.

Numerous breaks make Birdie Beach a popular surf spot. Conditions are best when its swell comes from the east or southeast and the winds are offshore.

Nude bathers often frequent the northern end of the beach, which is the central coast of New South Wales’s only official naturist beach area.