| Destinations: Beaches of New South Wales |
See also: beaches of Sydney, New South Wales
See also: surf beaches of New South Wales
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Byron Bay (north coast, NSW)
Once a whaling station, the town of Byron Bay is now home to people from all social levels and is a world class holiday resort. Known as much for its alternative lifestyle as its idyllic geographic location, Byron is equally famous for its trademark lighthouse on Cape Byron, which is Australia's most easterly point. Surrounding the town are lush rainforests and kilometre after kilometre of pristine beaches. Stretching between headlands, many of these beaches are sheltered from the southerlies and offer great surf breaks. Clean and undeveloped, they are not overcrowded with high-rises, or in fact with buildings of any sort, though those close to town can become crowded with beautiful people enjoying the good life. Byron Bay beach guide
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The Tanks, Forster (Great Lakes, NSW)
The Tanks is a popular swimming spot just south of Main Beach, Forster. It gets its name from an unusual rock formation out from the beach where the waves spray water into a protected, safe swimming area. The Tanks is just one of a number of excellent beaches in and around the twin towns of Forster and Tuncurry. Others include Forster Beach, adjacent the southern breakwater in Forster is patrolled in season. The ocean baths are at its eastern edge. Burgess Beach is a small and quiet beach accessed by a steep path off Burgess St. It has plenty of small rock cave formations. Bulls Paddock, which is part of Seven Mile Beach, south of Cape Hawke, also features excellent surfing.
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Box Beach, Fingal (Port Stephens, NSW)
As with many coastal communities in Australia, beaches are a major feature of Port Stephens. The beaches in Port Stephens have panoramic views and powerful surf, but generally without the crowds. Surrounded by Tomaree National Park, Box Beach offers wonderful opportunities for surfing, swimming, fishing and whale watching (June to October). Walking tracks follow the coastline to Fingal Bay, Samurai and One Mile Beaches, where there are more paths to explore. Nearby Zenith Beach, located at the foot of Tomaree Headland, is one of the best land based game fishing locations on the coast.
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Pebbly Beach, Batemans Bay (south coast, NSW)
If you are passing through the Batemans Bay area and want a swim, it is diffucult to know which one to stop at because they are all excellent in their own way. The beaches south of Batemans Bay are typically small and sheltered, cupped between headlands where the waves crash over splintered fingers of dark rocks. Pebbly is the best known of all these beaches, as it is here that kangaroos not only graze on the grass above the beach and around the cabins, they often jump into the surf and splash around. Pebbly Beach is in Murramarang National Park. |
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Murray Beach, Jervis Bay (south coast, NSW)
Jervis Bay is famed for its white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. The protected beaches inside the bay provide a safe environment for all types of fun on the water and are especially ideal for families. Murrays Beach is one of the jewels in the crown of Booderee National Park, being located in a very protected bay sheltered by Bowen Island. Snorkeling is a must in the crystal clear waters of this sanctuary. As spearfishing is not allowed in Booderee National Park, fish are unafraid of snorkelers and the sheer amount and variety of fish is astounding. Other Jervis Bay beaches |
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Stockton Beach (Central Coast, NSW)
Situated to the north of the industrial city of Newcastle, Stockton Beach is backed by a 32-kilometre stretch of massive dunes, forest and ocean and contains the last great sand dune system in New South Wales. The dunes along the bight are wind swept and devoid of vegetation and create a sand mass that is in constant movement. The dunes are currently moving inland at a rate of 10m/year, encroaching the forest area behind the dunes. Whereas once it was a traditional source of food for the Maaiangal Clan of the Worimi Aboriginal people, Stockton Beach is today considered a lucrative source of sand, mining and extraction of sand having occurred on the Bight for decades. Part of the Stockton Bight was a military testing range during World War II and there are still unexploded ordinance littered across the area. |
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Moama Beach (Riverina, NSW)
When one thinks of beaches, a long ribbon of sand with waves of the sea breaking on it is usually what comes to mind. What is generally forgotten is that beaches can also occur on the banks of rivers, particularly on river bends when silt and other sediments that have been picked up by a fast flowing river are deposited. Such a beach occurs at Moama, on the opposite bank of the Murray River to the historic river port of Echuca. The beach is alongside the old Murray Bridge, an old iron bridge that was built in 1878 and until recently carried both rail and road traffic. Markers at the beach direct walkers through the tree canopy to the road to the Moama Slipway. The Slipway, which is still in use, has been refurbished and has proved a necessary service to river craft for over 100 years. |
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