The Best New South Wales Beaches
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16. Tamarama Beach
© eyeintim / CC BY Next door neighbour to Sydney's most famous beach, Bondi, is the dimunitve Tamarama beach. This little beach is possibly deeper than it is wide, although at only about 80 metres that isn't too dificult.
Often referred to as 'Glamarama' the beach here is where the beautiful people come to top up their tans. The nickname however dates back to the 1980s when Tamarama was known as the gayest beach in Sydney.… read more »
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17. Wattamolla Beach
© Greg070189 / CC BY Great for:- Fishing
- Swimming
Located in Royal National Park, Wattamolla Beach is a popular sandy beach in Sydney South. The beach has soft white sand with ocean waves on one side and calm lagoon waters on the other. The name "Wattamolla" comes from the Aboriginal "place near running water". Although apparently the beach was first discovered by English cartographer Matthew Flinders in 1796. There is a waterfall next to the parking area and jumping… read more »
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18. Obelisk Beach
© Ernest McGray, Jr. / CC BY Situated within the greenery of Sydney Harbour National Park is a secluded, pretty little sandy cove. Obelisk Beach is tucked away behind Middle Head, only a stone's throw from Mosman and neighbouring Balmoral Beach. However, this hidden beach feels a world apart being sufficiently off the beaten track to rarely attract a crowd.
Getting to Obelisk beach involves at least some walking including a long set of steps. It is probably… read more »
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19. Currawong Beach
Great for:- Swimming
Ideal for swimming, sunbathing and relaxing, Currawong Beach is a sweeping bay with calm sheltered water. This is thanks to its sheltered position, facing southeast into Pittwater. This pretty beach hideaway is located just south of Mackerel Beach and separated from it by Sinclair Point.
This area of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is popular for hiking and bushwalking and has some significant aboriginal rock art to look out for.
The… read more »
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20. Jimmys Beach
Great for:- Swimming
- Surfing
- Kitesurfing
Located on the north shore facing Port Stephens, Jimmys Beach is one of three sandy beaches along this 7 kilometre stretch of coastline where the Karuah River meets the ocean.
The dune-fringed beach is protected from the ocean swell and there is a line of smooth pebbles and stones in places along the water's edge. The sloping seabed is covered in sea grass in the deeper water. The clean white sand… read more »
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21. Avalon Beach
Martin7d2 Great for:- Swimming
- Surfing
Away from the more popular surfing meccas in Sydney, Avalon Beach is a secluded surfer surburb just north of Newport Beach on the Northern Beaches peninsula. Once inhabited by native Garigal people, and more recently a hippy haven, Avalon Beach has gone full circle. It now attracts celebrities and stars including Nicole Kidman, Elle Macpherson and 11 times ex-world surf champ, Kelly Slater.
The beach is a swathe of golden sand… read more »
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22. Lighthouse Beach
Martin7d2 Great for:- Fishing
- Surfing
Located in the popular seaside resort of Ballina, Lighthouse Beach is a gorgeous expanse of clean golden sand stretching northeast from North Creek to Ballina Head. The beach takes its name from the Richmond River Lighthouse which overlooks the north end of the beach.
Lighthouse Beach only came into existence in the early 1900s after the entrance walls to the Richmond River were built. It caused the bay to fill with… read more »
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23. Bilgola Beach
Martin7d2 Great for:- Fishing
- Swimming
- Surfing
Sandwiched between imposing Bilgola Head and Newport Head, Bilgola Beach is a 500-metre surfing beach in Sydney's Northern Beaches area. The soft sands here have a distinct reddish colour which contrasts the verdant cliffs at either end.
Facing southeast, Bilgola has an offshore sand bar cut through by two shifting rips along with permanent rips that batter the rocks at either end of the sand. The beach has good conditions for… read more »
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24. Shelly Beach
Hardlinerr Great for:- Family
- Snorkeling
- Swimming
- Surfing
Shelly Beach is a real gem, just a short ferry ride from Sydney or a 20-minute walk south along Marine Parade from well-known Manly Beach. Tucked beneath the Shelly Head Lookout, it faces west and is very sheltered.
The 100m long beach got its name as the sand is made up of broken seashells so it's rather coarse and not terribly good for building sandcastles. However, it's within the no-take… read more »
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25. Seven Mile Beach
© Peter Jones / CC BY Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
- Surfing
- Kitesurfing
There's no real need to guess the length of Seven Mile Beach, although there may have been some rounding error! Situated between Nowra and Kiama, the beach comes in at 12 kilometres (7.8 miles) long. Backed almost exclusively by uninterrupted littoral forest with eucalyptus (gum) trees, it is encompassed into Seven Mile Beach National Park.
Its long ribbon of pale sand gets wider and narrow due to the prevailing ocean currents,… read more »
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26. Balmoral Beach
© Anton Leddin / CC BY Great for:- Family
- Swimming
Balmoral beach isn't just a posh name, this is one of the most upmarket neighbourhoods on the northern side of Sydney Harbour. Beautiful homes nestle in the the leafy streets clinging to the hillside, overlooking any number of fancy yachts moored out in the bay. Located only 8km from sowntown Sydney most can only imagine what the real estate prices are like here.
Tucked in behind Middle Head this pair of… read more »
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27. Newport Beach
© Maurice van Creij / CC BY Great for:- Swimming
- Surfing
- Kitesurfing
North of Bungan Head, Newport Beach has long red-golden sands that extend north from Newport Rockpool for about 1.3 kilometres.
At the north end of the beach the sand stops at a tumble of rocks beneath the headland known as The Peak. Newport Beach is a top spot for surfing as it is home to three-times world surf champion Tom Carroll. The best surfing spot is around The Peak where there… read more »
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28. Nielsen Park
Don't let the name scare you off, but Shark beach in Nielsen Park is one of Sydney's very finest beaches. Not only do you not have to worry about sharks (the beach is netted) it is also tucked away on the sheltered side of South Head meaning there are no Pacific waves to knock you off your feet. Combine this with great views over the harbour towards the city and… read more »
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29. Washaway Beach
© Doug Beckers / CC BY Great for:- Swimming
Washaway Beach faces east into Sydney Harbour with superb views across to Balmoral and the Manley Ferry coming and going. After a storm, the sand really does get washed away, exposing the rocky slab beneath! At other times it boasts a 200m stretch of sand and waves usually 0.5m or more, depending on the outside swell.
At high tide you may have to sunbathe on the rocks. Not surprisingly, this remote… read more »
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30. Gordon's Bay
Martin7d2 Something of a secret beach, if they exist in Sydney, the tiny Gordon's Bay is situated about halfway between Clovelly and Coogee beaches. The small patch of sand here is flanked by sandstone cliffs with an offshore reef providing shelter from the waves. This makes it something of a favourite spot for fishing, diving and launching small boats. This is fairly evident when you visit the beach with the racks… read more »
