Patties Rock Pool, Port Kembla: A Quiet Soak Beside the Big Pool
Port Kembla Beach, just south of Wollongong, is best known for its big 50-metre pool at the northern end, packed with lap swimmers and families all summer. Walk a short way along the rocks from there and you'll find Patties Rock Pool, a small, semi-natural tidal pool on the coastal shelf that many locals prefer for a quiet saltwater soak.
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It's the best of both: the facilities of a major surf beach a few minutes away, and a calm little pool with the Pacific breaking just beyond the rocks. It's one of the Illawarra swims in Swim New South Wales, and an easy add-on to a day at Port Kembla.
Swimming at Patties Rock Pool
Patties is shallower and much smaller than the main pool, with a sandy floor and natural rock walls that the waves top up and flush. It's a place to sit, soak and float away from the lap lanes, not to swim laps.
The tide decides everything here. Low to mid tide gives the calmest water; at high tide or in bigger swell, waves can wash straight over the rock walls and across the shelf. The sand moves around, too, and can hide rocks, so check the depth every time.
Next door, the Port Kembla Pool is a different beast: an eight-lane, 50-metre saltwater pool first built in 1937, with toddler and children's pools, filtered seawater and set opening hours. Wollongong City Council opens it from late September to the end of May.
The beaches and headlands here are Wadi Wadi Country, part of the Dharawal Nation. The rock platform around Patties is full of small life in the crevices, so step carefully and leave it as you found it.
How to Get to Patties Rock Pool
- By car: Port Kembla is about 15 minutes' drive south of Wollongong CBD. Head down Cowper Street and onto Olympic Boulevard, which runs along the beach.
- Parking: plenty of free parking near Port Kembla Surf Life Saving Club and the main pool.
- The walk in: from the main pool, walk a short distance south off the paved concourse, onto the sand and across uneven natural rock. You'll need decent balance, and it's not suitable for prams or wheelchairs.
Toilets, change rooms, showers, a kiosk and a 24/7 accessible Changing Places facility are at the main pool.
Know Before You Go
- Free to swim. Patties is unpatrolled: swim at your own risk. The beach is patrolled in the warmer months; swim between the red and yellow flags.
- Go at low to mid tide in small swell, and stay off the shelf in big seas.
- The rocks are very slippery when wet; reef shoes help.
- Don't jump or dive, as moving sand can hide rocks.
- The main Port Kembla Pool closes over winter and on some days for cleaning or bad weather; check the council website.
- Wadi Wadi Country: don't crush marine life in the rock crevices, take all your rubbish and leave the shelf as you found it.
Patties Rock Pool FAQs
Where is Patties Rock Pool?
On the rock shelf a short walk south of the Port Kembla Pool at the northern end of Port Kembla Beach.
Is Patties Rock Pool patrolled?
No. Lifeguards patrol the beach and the main pool in season, but the rock pool is swim at your own risk.
Is Port Kembla Pool open all year?
No. Council opens it from late September to the end of May and closes it over winter.
Is Patties Rock Pool good for kids?
On a calm day at low tide it can suit confident kids with close supervision, but for little ones the main pool's toddler and children's pools are the safer choice.
More Swims and Gems Near Port Kembla
- NSW South Coast Swims: Kiama to Eden: our round-up of the best swims down the coast.
- Austinmer Ocean Pool: twin rock pools under the escarpment, north of Wollongong.
- Hill 60, Port Kembla: WWII tunnels and big ocean views just up the road.
- Bombo Beach: a wide surf beach near Kiama.
