Swimming spots worth diving into

Caves Beach 20 December 2024 25

While Caves Beach makes the Top Ten Beaches of Australia list for 2025, there is more than one top place to swim in Lake Macquarie. We’ve compiled a list of the best swim spot around the lake, East and West, we’ve got you covered.

Many of these incredible spots are secluded and so come with a disclaimer. While they will set your Instagram alight and help you soak up the absolute most out of your visit, they are unpatrolled. Your safety is in your hands, make sure you practice swim safety, look out for each other and avoid swimming in dangerous conditions. 

sand islands

Sand Islands Naru Beach 
Naru St, Marks Point

White sand and glass like water, you'd think you were in the tropics. This is Naru. Popular for its pristine water and proximity to sand islands, Naru is great for paddle boarding, boating and ultimate relaxation. 

 belmont baths 1

Belmont Baths
Brooks Parade, Belmont

Home to an aquatic wheelchair Belmont Baths offers the goods. The all-accessible facility is a fantastic spot to relax by the lake. Having undergone an extensive revamp, the lake bath features a netted swimming area, a 70m-long jetty with an attached accessible ramp as well as sheltered picnic areas and a new amenities block. It's a great place for a family day out for people of all abilities. 

dudley

Dudley Beach
Glenrock State Conservation Area

2022 best beaches contender, Dudley Beach is ideal to visit at low tide when the shallow rock pools, perfect to dip into, and discover a fossilised forest in the rock platform. 

Toronto Baths

Toronto Baths
Bath Street, Toronto

Historic Toronto Bath, which have undergone a recent million dollar upgrade, are the ideal place to leap in for swim on the western side of Lake Macquarie. Retining the historic charm, the new upgrades include an accessibility ramp, jetty and netted swimming enclosure 

Redhead LMCC 11
Redhead Beach

Known for its stunning cliffs, rocky outcrops and iconic shark tower, Redhead Beach is patrolled by lifeguards throughout summer and the perfect place to relax on the sand, surf the waves or cool off with a dip amongst the waves.  

pelican foreshore kids

Pelican Foreshore
South of Pelican Boat Ramp Lakeview Parade, Pelican

A great spot to spend time with the kids. You can set up a beach picnic and settle in on the sandy shore where your kids can build sandcastles in between intermittent dips. If you can get them out of the refreshing water Pelican Foreshore also features a fully fenced playground equipped with a barbecue, covered rotunda, picnic tables and amenities. The current can get quite strong coming from the edge of Swansea channel and the beach can drop off suddenly in parts so its best the kids are supervised at all times. 

Grannies Pool

Grannies Pool
Blacksmiths Breakwall, Blacksmiths

Grannies tidal pool is a very popular spot in summer, particularly after access to the natural swimming pool was improved back in 2017. Improvement works included installation of a shared pathway complete with an accessible concrete viewing area and a 50 metre access path leading down to the pool for prams and wheelchairs. Works to increase the depth of the tidal pool were also recently completed, making it a great swimming hole to set up a beach tent and splash around for the day. 

Blacksmiths 3

Blacksmiths Beach
Blacksmiths Beach is at the southern end of a nine mile stretch of coastline, which runs from Redhead down to the Swansea Channel. A popular family beach, which is patrolled in the warmer months, Blacksmiths Beach has an active surf lifesaving club, with surfing and swimming being popular activities.

 Spoon rocks

Spoon Rocks
Caves Beach Coastal Walk

Starting from Caves Beach carpark if you follow the path above the cliff line it will lead you south along a gorgeous coastal walk where you can drop down onto a small isolated beach with a rather remarkable breakwater. Originally designed for offloading coal the spoon shaped breakwater stretches 500m out to clear blue water, this small stretch of beach is Spoon Rocks. 

Pinny beach

Pinny Beach
Yondeo Trail, Wallarah National Park

There are two ways onto Pinny Beach and for the most part they're both by foot but the beach is sure worth the walk. If you're coming from Spoon Rock Bay you can take Pinny Lagoon North Firetrail off Spoon Rocks Road. The scenic coastal trail will take you past Spoon Rocks Lookout until you meet up with the Yondeo Trail. For a different experience you can take the Yondeo Trail through Wallarah National Park. The grade 4 hike is 2.5km return and is an experience in itself. Once you navigate your way through the cool climate bush dotted with beautiful flowers you'll find yourself stumbling onto a beautiful secluded beach with some great rock pools to explore marine life and cool off in at high tide. 

 catherine hill bay rock pool

Catherine Hill Bay Rock Pool
Baldy Cliff, Catherine Hill Bay

The Catherine Hill Bay rock pool is one of Lake Mac's best kept secrets. The pristine aqua pools are almost unplottable on the map and those who have been fortunate enough to stumble upon the enchanting aqua are desperate to keep it to themselves. The relatively untouched natural pools offer a unique experience for any explorer who is well versed and confident in navigating their way around headlands and coastline trails. 
 

Make sure you keep up to date on your swim safety, check the conditions, plan ahead and stay safe in our waters. If you're keen to swim between the red and yellow flags, check out our stunning patrolled beaches

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