Best Swimming Spots on the NSW South Coast: Wollongong to Eden
South of Sydney, the coast gets quieter with every hour you drive. The Illawarra has ocean pools under a green escarpment, Kiama has volcanic rock and pebble coves, Jervis Bay has some of the clearest water in the state, and the Sapphire Coast finishes with estuaries, kangaroos on the grass and whales offshore. You can do a weekend of it from Sydney or take a week and work your way down to the Victorian border.
Find this and dozens more in Swim New South Wales: directions, access notes and safety tips. Printed guides include 12 months of the Explorer app free. Get the guide →
These are our favourite South Coast swims, from the northern Illawarra to Eden: ocean pools, sheltered bays, a snorkelling reserve, tidal estuaries and a couple of wild surf beaches best treated with respect. All of them are in Swim New South Wales, our guide to the state's best swims, with the extra detail you need on the day.
1. Austinmer Ocean Pool
Austinmer has two ocean pools side by side at the southern end of the beach: a big rectangular lap pool and a shallow kids' pool, with the Illawarra escarpment rising behind. Early mornings bring still water and a steady line of regulars. It's one of the easiest ocean swims to reach from Sydney without a car, about a seven-minute walk downhill from Austinmer Station. Wollongong City Council says its rock pools are best at low tide, there are no lifeguards at the pools, and they can close for cleaning or poor conditions. Stay out when waves are breaking over the walls.
2. Patties Rock Pool, Port Kembla
Port Kembla Beach is best known for its eight-lane, 50-metre saltwater pool, first built in 1937, which the council opens from late September to the end of May. A short scramble along the rocks from there, Patties Rock Pool is a small, sandy-bottomed tidal pool for a quiet soak rather than laps. Go at low to mid tide in small swell, check the depth every time because the sand moves, and don't jump in. It's unpatrolled and the rock is slippery. Toilets, showers, a kiosk and a Changing Places facility are at the main pool. This is Wadi Wadi Country.
3. Bushrangers Bay, Bass Point
There's no beach at Bushrangers Bay, just dark basalt rock dropping into clear, kelp-lined water at the tip of Bass Point near Shellharbour. It has been a no-take aquatic reserve since 1982, and it's one of the best snorkelling spots on the NSW coast, with blue groper, wrasse and morwong on a good day. Access is down a steep timber staircase from the car park, then over barnacled rock or the divers' steps. Pick a day with little or no easterly swell, snorkel with a buddy and wear reef shoes. No fishing or collecting, not even empty shells. Check the council's site for current road access.
4. The Boneyard, Kiama
The Boneyard is a small horseshoe cove against Bombo Headland, just north of Kiama, with a shore of smooth basalt cobbles and bleached driftwood instead of sand. It faces north-west, so it's sheltered from the southerlies that blow out the surf beaches nearby, and on those days the water is glassy and clear for snorkelling and paddleboarding. Surfers use the point at the mouth of the bay, so keep inside the cove. There are no facilities, just a small unsealed car park near the Bombo Headland dog park and short dirt tracks down. Leave the stones and driftwood where they are.
5. Bombo Beach, Kiama
Bombo is a long, wild beach between Kiama and Cathedral Rocks, with the columns of the old Bombo Quarry at its northern end. The rock is Late Permian volcanic latite, often described as basalt, and the site is on the NSW State Heritage Register. It faces straight into the swell, with no lifeguards and strong rips, so swimming is for confident swimmers on calm days only. Otherwise, walk the beach and the quarry instead. Bombo has its own station on the South Coast Line, a few minutes from the sand. This is Dharawal Country: stick to paths and keep back from cliff edges.
6. Werri Beach Rock Pool, Gerringong
At the southern end of Werri Beach, the council's South Werri rock pool (also known as Ourie) sits in the rock shelf on the edge of the Pacific, with a smooth, sloping concrete floor and a small round wading pool for kids beside it. It's an easy, all-ages swim with free street parking, toilets and change rooms nearby. Save it for a calm day: in big southerly swell, waves break over the walls. Afterwards, walk up the grassy slope to the bench on Tasman Drive for one of the best views on the coast. It's a quiet residential street, so keep voices down.
7. Currarong Rockpool
Currarong is a small village on the Beecroft Peninsula, at the northern edge of the Jervis Bay region, and its rock pool is part natural swimming hole, part ocean pool. It has a soft sandy floor, stone steps with a handrail and a low wall holding in calm, clear water. It's wide rather than long, so think floating and wading, not laps. Mid to high tide is best; at dead low tide it can drain right down. The sand shifts, so check the depth each visit and never jump. There are no lifeguards. Parking is free in the village, including along Beecroft Parade.
8. Honeymoon Bay, Beecroft Peninsula
Honeymoon Bay is an almost perfect horseshoe cove on Jervis Bay's northern shore, with calm, clear water and small natural tidal pools on the rock shelf along its eastern side. The catch is access. The Beecroft Peninsula is Department of Defence land and an active weapons range, generally open to the public on weekends (from Friday afternoon), NSW school holidays and most public holidays, and only when the range isn't in use. Times can change at short notice, so check Defence's Beecroft Weapons Range page before you leave and stay out of closed areas. Camping must be booked in advance.
9. Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay
Hyams is the postcard beach: ultra-fine white sand, pale turquoise shallows and water so clear it looks tropical. It's often called the whitest beach in the world, and whatever the truth of that, it really does glow at midday. It sits inside the Jervis Bay Marine Park, so the swell is usually gentle and dolphins are often seen offshore. Don't take shells or marine life. Parking is extremely limited and fills fast in peak periods, and the council has been looking at paid parking, so check the signs. Come early or outside school holidays, and check Beachsafe for patrol times.
10. Depot Beach, Murramarang National Park
About 20 minutes north of Batemans Bay, Depot Beach is a forest-backed bay where coastal rainforest grows almost to the sand and kangaroos graze behind the dunes. The middle of the beach has calm, shallow entry on low-swell days, with reef and rock pools at both ends. It's unpatrolled, so stick to the centre if you're unsure of conditions and never swim alone. It's in a national park, so NPWS vehicle entry fees apply, and there's no public transport. Keep your distance from the kangaroos, don't feed wildlife and take your rubbish out. The Depot Beach Rainforest Walk loops just behind the sand.
11. Pambula River Mouth, Pambula Beach
At the southern end of Pambula Beach, south of Merimbula, the Pambula River meets the sea in a sheltered estuary of turquoise channels and white sandbanks, with Beowa National Park across the water. Swim on the incoming tide, when the water is clearest and the current gentle. On a strong outgoing tide it pulls hard towards the sea, so stay out. Shuffle your feet for stingrays in the shallows. Eastern grey kangaroos often laze on the grass here: never feed, touch or approach them. The free reserve at Lions Park has toilets, outdoor showers, barbecues and a playground.
12. Eden Rock Pool
Our southernmost ocean swim sits under reddish cliffs at the southern end of Aslings Beach in Eden. The Eden community built it in the 1960s with help from the local RSL sub-branch, and since 2024 a community group has been working with the council to de-sand and restore it, because swell pushes sand in and the depth changes between visits. Treat it as a plunge and a float rather than guaranteed laps. Go at low to mid tide on a calm day, watch the slippery deck and don't jump. During the whale migration you can sometimes spot humpbacks offshore. Free parking, toilets and showers are at the end of Aslings Beach Road.
Planning Your Visit
- Surf beaches: rips are common. At patrolled beaches, swim between the red and yellow flags, and check Beachsafe for patrol days before you go. Bombo Beach and Depot Beach have no lifeguards, and none of the rock pools here are patrolled.
- Ocean and rock pools: go at low to mid tide in small swell. In big seas, waves wash over the walls and rock shelves, the rock is slippery and weedy, and councils may close pools. Never turn your back on the ocean.
- No jumping or diving: sand moves in and out of the natural pools at Patties, Currarong and Eden, and depths change from visit to visit. Lower yourself in.
- Tides: Pambula River Mouth is an incoming-tide swim. Check a tide chart before you plan your day.
- After rain: water quality drops after heavy rain, especially in ocean pools and estuaries. Wait a day or two after a big downpour and check Beachwatch where your beach is covered.
- Access rules: Honeymoon Bay is on Defence land with limited opening times, Depot Beach has NPWS vehicle entry fees, and Bushrangers Bay and Jervis Bay are protected marine areas with strict no-take rules.
- Kids and alcohol: keep young kids within reach, even in shallow pools, and keep alcohol out of the swim.
- Making a trip of it: between Depot Beach and Pambula, the Bermagui Blue Pool is well worth the stop.
South Coast Swimming FAQs
What is the best ocean pool on the NSW South Coast?
For laps, Austinmer's lap pool and the Port Kembla Pool are the pick. For a family swim, Werri Beach Rock Pool at Gerringong has a kids' wading pool beside the main pool. Always check conditions first, as rock pools can close in big swell.
Can you swim at Hyams Beach?
Yes. Jervis Bay shelters it, so waves are usually small and the entry gentle. It's very popular, so arrive early, and check Beachsafe or the council for lifeguard patrol times.
When is Honeymoon Bay open?
Generally on weekends from Friday afternoon, NSW school holidays and most public holidays, when the Beecroft Weapons Range isn't in use. Times change at short notice, so check Defence's website before you go.
Where can you snorkel on the South Coast?
Bushrangers Bay at Bass Point is a no-take aquatic reserve with excellent marine life on calm days. The Boneyard near Kiama and the calm water at Honeymoon Bay are also good on the right day.
