The 25+ Best New South Wales Beaches
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1. Hyams Beach
Great for:- Family
- Swimming
Situated on the northern shores of Jervis Bay, Hyams beach is one of a number of stunning beaches. To put things in perspective, Jervis Bay is around 4 times the size of Sydney harbour and much of it is lined with unspoilt beach.
Here you will find lush forests spilling onto white sand beaches which are gently lapped by the crystal clear azure waters of the Pacific Ocean. And when… read more »
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2. Bondi Beach
Bondi is possibly Australia's most famous beach and to many sums up the Australian way of life. This iconic Sydney beach is every bit as cosmopolitan as the city with a beach scene encompassing everything from surfing to cafe society to lively nightlife. As long as you know what to expect Bondi will not disappoint - it's busy, it's bold and it's brash, but most importantly Bondi is what you… read more »
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3. Camp Cove Beach
© Diliff / CC BY Great for:- Family
- Swimming
Camp Cove sits on the inner coast of South Head, the headland guarding the entrance to Sydney Harbour. As such the beach is not only sheltered but commands spectacular views back over the harbour and towards the city.
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4. Byron Bay Main Beach
© Karl Lundholm Great for:- Surfing
Byron Bay is situated in the far north of New South Wales and on the very eastern tip of Australia - Cape Byron is the easternmost point of mainland Australia. This small beach town was put on the tourism map back in the 1970s when it was on the hippy trail later becoming a popular backpacker destination. It is to a large extent the legacy of Byron's early days that… read more »
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5. Dee Why Beach
© Merbabu / CC BY Great for:- Swimming
- Surfing
Located in the heart of the Northern Beaches, Dee Why Beach is about 22 km from Sydney's CBD, just north of Curl Curl and south of Long Reef Point. The sandy 1.2km spit of beach backs onto the Dee Why Lagoon and Wildlife Refuge.
Dee Why Beach has excellent facilities for families including an ocean swimming pool for safe swimming on the point, picnic areas and a special toddler play… read more »
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6. Garie Beach
© Maurice van Creij / CC BY The Royal National Park, just south of Sydney is home to more than ten beautiful, pristine beaches of which Garie beach is widely recognised as the finest. A one km stretch of golden sand backed by the steeply rising forested vallies of the park this beach has changed little over the centuries.
Despite its stunning natural beauty Garie Beach is not without its dangers and strong rip currents can make swimming unsafe.… read more »
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7. Samurai Beach
Saladking23 Great for:- Surfing
A subsection of One Mile Beach where nude bathing is officially permitted, the clean sands of Samurai Beach lies in Tomaree National Park north of Newcastle. It is mainly used by older naturists.
Situated close to the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, it can be reached via an unsurfaced track, necessitating the use of a four-wheel drive vehicle.
A beautiful stretch of secluded coastline backed by dunes, Samurai Beach has… read more »
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8. Little Wategos Beach
Kpravin2 Great for:- Fishing
- Surfing
Sitting in the shadow of the 100 metre high Cape Byron headland, Little Wategos is the most easterly beach in Australia. The beach can be accessed by a set of steps and a track which lead away from the main Byron Bay Lighthouse walk.
Being one of the less accessible beaches in Byron Bay means Little Wategos is a great get-away spot. It's only about 150 metres in length but it… read more »
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9. Hungry Beach
Hungry Beach gets its memorable name from a fisherman who took shelter in the cove for three days while waiting for a large shark to leave the area. I guess his overwhelming thought was hunger, hence the name. The area was historically known as a prolific fishing area for shark, turtle and mulloway.
Hungry Beach is on the north side of Sydney in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. The densely vegetated… read more »
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10. Malabar Beach
© Adam.J.W.C. / CC BY Great for:- Fishing
- Swimming
- Surfing
Malabar Beach is one of the less well-known beaches in the south of Sydney, not far from the airport. The name comes from one of two shipwrecks that lie in the bay: the MV Malabar, with the other being the the Goolwa.
Facing southeast, Malabar Beach is enclosed by rocky headlands at either end with cliffs providing shelter from offshore winds. Generally it's ideal for all types of watersports as the… read more »
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11. Dreamtime Beach
© Daniel Pink / CC BY Sitting to the south of the little headland of Fingal Head, near the NSW/Queensland border, is the beautiful 5km stretch of golden sand known as Dreamtime Beach. The beach here is a different world to the busier, more developed Fingal beach on the other side of the scrubby headland with Tweed Heads and the Gold Coast beyond.
The beach's name harks back to a time when the indigenous Minjungbal people laid… read more »
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12. Palm Beach
© Alex Proimos / CC BY Palm beach sits on a narrow spit of land at the far end of Sydney's North Shore, roughly 40km from the city centre. The beach is overlooked by the imposing bulk of Barrenjoey Head to the north. It's well worth a climb to check out the lighthouse and take in the fantasic views back over the sands and beyond.
"Palmy", as the beach is known locally, is really two beaches in one.… read more »
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13. Bronte Beach
© eyeintim / CC BY Bronte beach is situated in Sydney's eastern suburbs between Bondi and Coogee beaches. From either of beach it is an easy walk of about 2km along the paved clifftop path. However, if you fancy a swim there is an anual swim held every December between Bondi and Bronte.
For those who feel they aren't quite ready to take on the open ocean Bronte offers a couple of other swimming options. For… read more »
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14. Coogee Beach
© Sardaka / CC BY Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
- Surfing
Coogee Beach is one of the oldest beachside suburbs south of Sydney. Well developed, it has all the trademarks of a beach lifestyle with good amenities. These include the last remaining women's and children's ocean baths in Australia known as Wylie's Baths and McIvers Baths!
The inviting white sands and generally calm surf are popular with families. It is perfect in all seasons for walking, swimming, surfing and snorkelling and the… read more »
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15. Manly Beach
© Enochlau / CC BY With a regular ferry running between downtown Sydney to the North Shore suburb of Manly it is no surprise that this long stretch of fine sand is as popular as ever. The town here is very much centred around the beach and this in turn attracts travellers from all over the globe who come here to soak up the sun, party and ride the world-famous waves.
Perhaps Manly beach's most iconic… read more »
