Gordons Bay. Image credit: Destination NSW
Summer’s starting to poke its nose around the corner, and you know what that means! It’s time to fish out the gym membership and tan-in-a-can, and get beach body ready.
Sydney’s blessed with some pretty amazing beaches – all that sand, sparkling blue ocean and a water temperature that never dips below mild. It’s entirely understandable why spending the day at the beach is a favourite pastime of Sydneysiders – right up there with wearing athleisure, drinking during the daytime and paying off mortgage debt.
But sometimes Sydney’s most popular beaches – Bondi, Manly, Bronte, Coogee and Cronulla – just get a little too hectic. I mean you’re there to relax, not tussle for towel space, have to put up with some bloke’s bad DJing skills and inadvertently hear all about Sally’s terrible Tinder date.
If you’re with me, here are five of my favourite secluded Sydney beaches that are off the grid and come without the crowds:
1. Gordons Bay
This little hidden chicken nugget tucked between Clovelly Beach and Coogee Beach is great for snorkelling, diving and general underwater exploration. With racks of little fishing boats dominating the beach, there’s not a lot of sand at Gordons Bay. But, that’s ok because you’ll be spending most of your time in the water, following the 600-metre underwater nature trail. With info displayed on steel plaques that are attached to concrete drums, and linked together by chain, you can get a free lesson in the local sea life.
You just feel like you’re guaranteed to bump into Nemo here
2. Shark Beach
Shark Beach sounds much more ominous than it is. With its shark net and lagoon-like waters, this Vaucluse beach is about as non-threatening as Sydney beaches come. Backing onto Nielsen Park, it’s also awfully pretty and has all my beach essentials covered: a good takeaway cafe, plenty of shady grassed areas and public toilets. Tick, tick, tick.
If you’re of the energetic sort, the best way to experience this harbour beach is when you’re utterly sweaty having completed the Hermitage Foreshore Walk.
Image credit: Destination NSW/Andrew Gregory
3. Collins Flat Beach
Forget the bright lights and big crowds of Manly. This secluded spot tucked in between the main thoroughfare of Manly and North Head National Park is a world away from the hustle of The Corso. Another beach with a waterfall, Collins Flat Beach also has ripper views of Sydney Harbour, a penguin habitat and relatively relaxing waters.
4. Parsley Bay Beach
This harbour beach is so cute you just want to pinch its cheeks. I think it’s the white suspension footbridge, that provides a crossing over the long finger of calm, shark-netted water, that does it. You can laze about on the rocks or sand, or set up camp on the grass. This beach offering is rounded out with a kids playground, picnic tables and public toilets.
5. Wattamolla Beach
Ok, this one might be a hike, but its waterfall, lookout and lagoon make the 50-kilometre drive to Wattamolla Beach worth it. Tucked away in the Royal National Park, this secret-ish beach is the complete package with swimming, surfing and snorkelling options. Plus, it has one of Australia’s best coastal tracks, aptly named The Coast Track, on its doorstep – no biggie.
Image credit: Destination NSW
Disagree? Share your favourite secret beach in Sydney below.
