Angourie Point Beach, AngourieCredit: Destination NSW
Angourie Point is one of the most famous right-handers on Australia’s east coast.
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Luckily for surfers, the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea deliver some of the most consistent waves in the country. It’s no surprise then that New South Wales has produced most of Australia’s surfing world champions and continues to lead the way with learn-to-surf schools, surf camps and surfing events.
Learning to surf in NSW is easy with accredited surf schools all along the coast. As NSW has more accessible surf beaches than any other state, it’s the perfect place to give it a go. Wherever you paddle out, remember the key rules of the surfers’ code: don’t surf in conditions beyond your ability; always wear a leg rope; and don’t ‘drop in’. Which means the surfer on the ‘inside’, closest to the breaking part of the wave, has right of way. Whether you’re a seasoned surfer or just a beginner, here are the top spots to catch a wave around the state.
Sydney
Manly Beach is an enjoyable 30-minute ferry ride north of Circular Quay. The southernmost surf beach on the Northern Beaches is great for learning, with several surf schools to choose from including Manly Surf School and Manly Surf Guide.
In 1915, Hawaiian surfer Duke Kahanamoku gave an exhibition of wave riding at Freshwater Beach, making it the birthplace of Australian surfing. This small, protected beach just north of Manly remains popular with beginner to intermediate surfers.
Further north, North Narrabeen is popular among more experienced surfers, with a powerful left-hand point break that produces nice barrels in larger swells.
On Sydney’s eastern beaches, Bondi — Australia’s most famous beach — is popular for its beach breaks. Try a lesson with with Lets Go Surfing.
Further south, the beaches of Maroubra and Cronulla have a variety of breaks for all experience levels, including the experts-only Shark Island off Cronulla point, which produces one of the best tubes in the world in the right conditions.
Garie is the most popular beach in the Royal National Park, south of Cronulla, with the most consistent surf arriving in the autumn months.
North of Sydney
Super-protected Umina Beach on the Central Coast, 80 minutes north of Sydney, is one of the best beaches in the region for learning the ropes.
The reef breaks at Forresters Beach, 40 minutes’ drive north of Umina, are best suited to experienced surfers.
Newcastle’s surf schools generally operate between the reliable beach breaks of Blacksmiths, Caves, and Stockton beaches.
On the mid-North Coast, Crescent Head is a favourite among longboarders for its peeling right-hand point break, but there are plenty of other waves in the area to choose from.
Diggers Beach at Coffs Harbour is a popular beach break, with lessons available from East Coast Surf School.
Further north, the right-hand point break in Angourie, Australia’s first dedicated surfing reserve, has been luring surfers since the 1950s.
The Pass at Byron Bay is one of the world’s longest right-handers. With multiple breaks working in different winds, there’s always a wave to be found in the popular surf town, with plenty of surf schools to choose from, including Byron Bay Surf School and Soul Surf School.
At the northern tip of coastal NSW, D-bah in Tweed Heads is a peaky, wedgy beach break better suited to experienced surfers.
Lets Go Surfing, Bondi Beach Credit: Destination NSW
Woman enjoying a surf lesson with Lets Go Surfing, Bondi Beach.
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Lets Go Surfing, Bondi Beach Credit: Destination NSW
Woman enjoying a surf lesson with Lets Go Surfing, Bondi Beach.
Racecourse Head, Crescent Head Credit: Destination NSW
A lone surfer enjoys perfect waves at Crescent Head on the northern side of Racecourse Head.
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Racecourse Head, Crescent Head Credit: Destination NSW
A lone surfer enjoys perfect waves at Crescent Head on the northern side of Racecourse Head.
South of Sydney
Port Kembla near Wollongong, 90 minutes south of Sydney, has a consistent beach break. Just around Boilers Point, more beach breaks can be found at Fishermans Beach.
Further south, Killalea Reserve beaches ‘The Farm’ and Minnamurra or ‘Mystics’, are two of the best surf beaches on the South Coast.
South of Jervis Bay lies Wreck Bay, home of the South Coast’s infamous ‘Aussie Pipe’, for experienced surfers only. Just south of here, the beach breaks of Sussex Inlet are a good place to learn - try JB Surf School, with most lessons held at Cave Beach in Booderee National Park.
In nearby Mollymook, 1990 ASP World Champion Pam Burridge runs her surf school, offering group, private lessons and surf retreats.
The safe waves of Broulee Beach near Batemans Bay are also ideal for learners — take lessons with Broulee Surf School.
For experts only, Pambula Rivermouth, south of Merimbula, has been known to hold 10-second tubes.
Surfing, Wreck Bay Credit: Dee Kramer
Surfer catches a wave at Wreck Bay, Jervis Bay Territory off Booderee National Park.
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Surfing, Wreck Bay Credit: Dee Kramer
Surfer catches a wave at Wreck Bay, Jervis Bay Territory off Booderee National Park.
Broulee Beach Credit: Jonathan Poyner; Eurobodalla Coast Tourism
Surfer on Broulee Beach, Eurobodalla, South Coast
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Broulee Beach Credit: Jonathan Poyner; Eurobodalla Coast Tourism
Surfer on Broulee Beach, Eurobodalla, South Coast
Blue Pool, BermaguiCredit: Destination NSW
The scenic Blue Pool on the Bermagui coastline.
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You’ll find spectacular ocean pools dotted along the southern coastline of New South Wales. These handmade pools, fed by the ocean’s waves, are often built into the rocks near beautiful sandy beaches, can be hidden away along the coastline and are enjoyed mostly by locals. Ocean pools are great for kids learning how to swim, lap swimming and for a dip on the days when the waves are a little too big for your liking. Here’s where to find an ocean pool on the coast south of Sydney.
In the Illawarra
You’ll find many spectacular ocean pools in the Illawarra area, from south of the Royal National Park all the way through to the popular seaside town of Kiama. These include lovely pools at Coledale, Bulli, Towradgi, Port Kembla and North Wollongong.
Take the road through the Royal National Park to Stanwell Park and onto Coalcliff Beach, where the ocean pool is set against a dramatic backdrop of the escarpment.
Nuns Pool, at Flagstaff Point in Wollongong, is one of the oldest in the state, dating back to the 1830s. (The title of oldest ocean pool goes to the Bogey Hole in Newcastle, north of Sydney. It was built by convicts in 1819.) Located below the lighthouse, the Nuns Pool (formerly known as Chain Baths and used by the nuns of St Mary’s convent) sits in a small, sheltered cove and is accessed via a narrow path chiselled into the sandstone.
Further south at Kiama, the Blowhole Point Ocean Pool offers a safe swimming spot near the area’s famous blowhole, the largest in the world, on a headland near the town centre. This beautiful, hand-cut pool is an irregular shape and has a varied depth and rock bottom – it was also once a men-only bath. You can also take the 15-minute walk around Kiama Harbour from the blowhole to Black Beach Reserve. Here you can do 50-metre laps in the Olympic-size Continental Ocean Pool.
A 15-minute drive south of Kiama is the tiny coastal town of Gerringong. Head down to Gerringong’s Werri Beach for a swim at Ourie Ocean Pool, at the southern end of the beach. This rectangular pool, carved into a flat rock shelf, has a smooth concrete bottom and is perfect for a summer’s day dip.
Bulli Rockpool, Bulli Credit: Destination NSW
Sun setting over Bulli Rockpool, Bulli.
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Bulli Rockpool, Bulli Credit: Destination NSW
Sun setting over Bulli Rockpool, Bulli.
Ourie Pool, Gerringong Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic aerial over Ourie Pool off Werri Beach, Gerringong.
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Ourie Pool, Gerringong Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic aerial over Ourie Pool off Werri Beach, Gerringong.
From the Illawarra to the Shoalhaven
Drive an hour further south into the Shoalhaven region and seek out Huskisson Sea Pool at Huskisson. This coastal town has a rich shipbuilding heritage, which you can explore at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum after your swim.
A 45-minute drive south of Huskisson brings you to Mollymook, where you’ll find the South Coast’s famous Bogey Hole, a natural rock pool on the headland south of the beach. There’s also a lovely ocean pool at Ulladulla, a five-minute drive further down the coast.
On the Sapphire Coast
One of the state’s most famous ocean pools is found at Bermagui, a little over five hours by car from Sydney, on the Sapphire Coast. Bermagui’s Blue Pool is revered as one of the prettiest, filled with azure-hued water fading to turquoise and green. At 50 metres long it makes for a great lap-swimming pool and there’s also a shallow wading pool, ideal for kids, just next to the pool.
One of the southernmost ocean pools on the NSW coastline is the Aslings Beach Rock Pool, a hidden gem carved into the pink-and-white cliffs at Aslings Beach in Eden, a six-hour drive from Sydney. It’s only a short walk from town, but its low profile makes it hard to spot from further down the beach. Make your way over the rocks from the beach and take a dip at low tide before the waves have a chance to deposit any seaweed.
Blue Pool, Bermagui Credit: Destination NSW
The picturesque Blue Pool situated along the Bermagui coastline.
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Blue Pool, Bermagui Credit: Destination NSW
The picturesque Blue Pool situated along the Bermagui coastline.
Aslings Beach Rock Pool, Eden Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial overlooking Aslings Beach Rock Pool in Eden.
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Aslings Beach Rock Pool, Eden Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial overlooking Aslings Beach Rock Pool in Eden.