FRAZER, BONGON AND TIMBER BEACHES
Frazer and the two beaches that branch off it – Bongon Beach and Timber Beach – with their spectacularly beautiful and rugged coastline are amazing and as good as any exotic locations far from home. They lie within the Munmorah State Conservation Area. Frazer has a picnic area and campground, and usually boasts a reasonable beach break protected from summer north-easterlies. Unpatrolled.

BONGON BEACH
Bongon is a short walk around the rocks from Frazer or down the slope from the Frazer Blowhole carpark, and shares the same bay between northern Snapper Point and southern Little Bumpy.
It’s a 50-metre wide, south-facing beach wedged between rock platforms and is sheltered, usually with low waves at the shore. Unpatrolled.

TIMBER BEACH
Timber is a bit of a local hot spot and my favourite beach on the Coast. It’s only 30 metres long at the back of a deep, narrow rocky valley, and can be seen and reached along a well-used track from the lookout off the Bongon Head track. The beach faces east and, out of the three local beaches, receives the most waves. During high seas it’s completely covered and, when its calmer, hidden cave entries expose themselves for those willing to explore. Unpatrolled.

BIRDIE BEACH
Birdie, north of Budgewoi, is absolutely beautiful, but some people can be deterred because it is the Coast’s only nudist beach. That said, it’s an unclad beach only in its far northern corner. The other 5 km stretch of the beach is pristine, very isolated, and with beautiful blue waters. It looks across to Bird Island and you reach it from Birdie Beach Drive through the Munmorah State Conservation Reserve. Unpatrolled.

GRAVELLY BEACH (aka PEBBLY BEACH)
My next secluded spot is Gravelly Beach, the patch of sand between Norah Head and Soldiers Beach. It’s an awesome place for a walk and a good place to find a spot to yourself away from the crowds on neighbouring beaches. It’s a 600-metre long beach facing southeast and waves are slightly reduced by the outcrop of Soldiers Point.

PELICAN BEACH
Pelican Beach known locally as ‘Pelos’, in Wyrrabalong National Park is at the northern end of Magenta and north of The Entrance. It’s a stunning long stretch of beach and is similar to Birdie Beach in its isolation – you can easily be the only one there. It has a great surfing break protected from the summer northerly winds. Unpatrolled.

SPOON BAY
Spoon Bay lies wholly within the Wamberal Lagoon Nature Reserve and backs onto densely vegetated sand dunes. It can only be reached on foot from Spoon Bay Road car park
or along the beach from Wamberal. It’s a bit more popular than the previous beaches but
still a very local spot where you’ll find fewer people. Its coral and marine life are fun for all
ages to explore. It’s also home to some worldclass reef breaks, but I’ll get into trouble if I say
too much more about that! Unpatrolled.

BOUDDI NATIONAL PARK
Next is pretty much most of Bouddi National Park: Littles, Maitland Bay, Bullimah, Tallows and Little Tallows are some of the most beautiful and relaxed spots on the coast. Each has its own loveable characteristics.

LITTLE BEACH
Littles is an awesome surf spot. It has good camping (you need to book through National
Parks) and great bushwalks, a picnic area, and rockpools to explore. Not surprisingly, it’s a
small beach and is tucked into a deep, narrow valley that can only be reached on foot along
a 600-metre forested track. Unpatrolled.

MAITLAND BAY
This is one of the most idyllic spots on the coast and comes with a lot of history. You can
reach it along the Coastal Walk through Bouddi National Park from Putty Beach, or the shortest track begins at the Maitland Bay Information Centre. The bay was named after SS Maitland which sank there in 1898 and you can still see bits of its rusted remnants at the eastern end of the bay at low tide. There’s an abundance of wildlife, both on land and in the marine park.
It has beautiful calm waters that are usually protected from the larger swells.

BULLIMAH BEACH
I’m always surprised to find another person here, so it certainly qualifies as ‘secluded’.
It’s a west-facing beach at the western tip of Gerrin Point, so try to get there for an
amazing sunset over the water. It can only be reached on foot from Maitland Bay or Putty
Beach, or by boat. Unpatrolled.

TALLOW BEACH AND LITTLE TALLOW BEACH
Tallows is a 400-metre-long ocean beach and has bush camping facilities. Neighbouring
Little Tallows is a 50-metre stretch of sand wedged between rocky headwalls. Both are
reached through Bouddi National Park. Great surfing and camping spot. Great bushwalks.

LOBSTER BEACH
This is a west-facing beach on the bay side of Bouddi, accessed from Wagstaffe. This
320-metre-long beach is peaceful and quiet with views across Broken Bay to Pearl Beach
and Ocean Beach. It can only be reached on foot over a 50-metre-high ridge. However,
that said, it is mostly accessed by boat from Broken Bay. Great spot for a picnic and to
watch the ferry and all the nice boats go by. And, yes, it was named ‘Lobster’ Beach for a
good reason!

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