Honeymoon Bay Rock Pools, Jervis Bay: Opening Times & Swim Guide

Honeymoon Bay is a near-perfect horseshoe of a cove on the Beecroft Peninsula, at the northern edge of Jervis Bay. The water inside is sheltered and famously clear, and on the rock platforms along the left-hand side of the bay there's a row of small natural tidal pools that most people walk straight past on their way to the sand.

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The catch is access. The peninsula is Department of Defence land and an active weapons range, so the public can only get in on set days. Plan for that and you'll be rewarded with one of the quietest saltwater soaks on the South Coast. It's one of the rock pool swims we cover in Swim New South Wales.

Swimming at Honeymoon Bay

You've got two options. The main cove is calm and protected, good for a long float or a snorkel, and you'll often share it with kayakers. For something more secluded, walk across the beach and pick your way along the rock shelf on the left-hand (eastern) side of the bay to find the tidal pools.

These pools are completely natural, carved into the stone and topped up by the incoming tide. They're shallow, and in the afternoon sun they warm up nicely, which makes them a lovely spot to sit and soak while you watch snorkellers out in the deeper water. Timing matters: they're best from mid to high tide, and at a dead low tide some can drain right out.

The rock edges are a nursery for juvenile fish, crabs and other small marine life, so move slowly, don't turn over rocks and put sunscreen on well before you get in.

How to Get to Honeymoon Bay

Honeymoon Bay is roughly 2.5 hours' drive south of Sydney. Take the Princes Highway, then Forest Road and Currarong Road. Before you reach Currarong village, turn right onto Lighthouse Road. It becomes an unsealed gravel road through the bush to the Honeymoon Bay campground. A standard 2WD can manage it, but it's often corrugated, so take it slowly.

Parking is near the campground and fills quickly on warm weekends. From there it's a flat walk to the beach and a short, uneven rock scramble to the pools. Allow three to four hours for the gravel road, parking, the pools and a swim in the main cove.

Know Before You Go

• Access is limited. The Beecroft Peninsula is generally open to the public on weekends (from Friday afternoon), most public holidays and NSW school holidays, and only when the weapons range isn't in use. Hours can change at short notice, so check Defence's Beecroft Weapons Range page or Range Control before you leave.
• Stay out of any closed or signposted Defence areas.
• Camping at Honeymoon Bay must be booked in advance through Defence's booking system.
• Wood and solid fuel fires are prohibited without a permit.
• There's no drinking water, so bring your own. Pack out all rubbish.
• No lifeguards. The rock shelf is slippery when wet and the pools have sharp, uneven bottoms, so reef shoes help. Watch for waves washing over the rocks when there's a swell running.

Honeymoon Bay FAQs

When is Honeymoon Bay open?

Generally on weekends, most public holidays and NSW school holidays when the Beecroft Weapons Range isn't active. Always confirm on Defence's Beecroft page or by calling Range Control before you go.

Can you drive to Honeymoon Bay in a 2WD?

Yes. The last stretch is unsealed gravel and can be corrugated, but it's manageable in a standard car if you drive slowly.

When is the best tide for the rock pools?

Mid to high tide. At a very low tide some of the pools can empty out.

Can you camp at Honeymoon Bay?

Yes, but sites must be booked ahead through Defence, and bookings open a set number of days in advance.

More South Coast Swims Nearby

• NSW South Coast Swims: Kiama to Eden
• Currarong Rockpool
• Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay
• Hell Hole Falls, Nowra