Coves and bays usually provide calmer conditions, generally with more protection from ocean swells and winds making them an ideal beach environment for families, swimming and snorkelling.

Bays and Coves

Maloneys Beach is approximately 14 kilometres north of Batemans Bay township. Situated on the northern shore of Batemans Bay and adjacent to Murramarang National Park, the beach is enclosed by headlands and chain-like rock formations. Featuring protected coves, rockpools, visiting pods of dolphins, an expansive grass reserve which attracts lots of kangaroos, toilets and picnic area, it is an ideal family beach. Maloneys Beach is a recommended location for snorkelling, swimming and walking.

Maloneys Beach

Observation Point - Batehaven

Batemans Bay is beautiful, but it also has a hidden trump card up its sleeve; Cullendulla Creek Nature Reserve. Sugar gliders slip between the trees, echidnas forage in the undergrowth, oystercatchers and soldier crabs stalk across the sand, and black swans frolic in the bay.

Visitors will find the activities just as rich as the wildlife, with plenty to keep you returning. Pack a picnic, grab a towel, and head to the secluded beach, or pull on your walking shoes for a short hike to a scenic lookout, with Snapper Island and the Tollgates in clear sight. There's canoeing and kayaking too, and even fishing in certain areas.

Pack some binoculars for some stellar birdwatching: the southern emu wren is here all year round, but it's joined by local and migratory birds from everywhere. And budding geologists will be fascinated by the two chenier' dune formations the only examples south of North Queensland.

Cullendulla Creek Nature Reserve

Caseys Beach is located at Batehaven, around 6kms south Batemans Bay township. Caseys is an excellent beach for children with a small playground overlooking the beach. All the amenities are close together so you can easily keep an eye on everyone while cooking a BBQ or enjoying a picnic.

**Swimming and Surfing:** There are currently no services provided by Surf Life Saving Australia for this beach and it has a hazard rating of 3/10 (least hazardous). Batehaven is a residential settlement on the slopes south of Observation Point. Running south east from the point is the 1km long beach. The main road, Beach Road, runs along the back of the beach and is protected from erosion by a seawall. Parking and picnic facilities are available at either end of the beach, with a caravan park opposite the south end. The beach receives waves averaging less then 0.5m and usually has a shallow continuous bar along the length of the beach. Caseys Beach is a relatively safe, low wave beach with usually no rips. The centre of the beach may disappear at high tide with the water reaching the seawall. There is usually a very low shorebreak, a little higher during big seas.

**Facilities:** • Parking • Toilets • Playground • Park benches • Drinking water • BBQ facilities • No dogs • Child friendly

Caseys Beach

Surfside Beach is broken by a small headland that leads to Cullendulla Reserve and enjoys a very protected position behind Square Head. Calm shallow water for many metres and gentle, lapping waves also make this beach an ideal place for children.

**Swimming and Surfing**: There are currently no services provided by Surf Life Saving Australia for this beach and it has a hazard rating of 3/10 (least hazardous). Surfside beach has no surf on any side. It is a very low wave beach with houses backing onto the beach with access down the side streets and from a car park at the eastern end. The beach is 80m long, faces the south east, but receives low waves as it is located deep in the bay. Relatively safe for swimming, but no surf.

**Facilities** • Parking • Park benches • Fishing • Telephone • Cafe/Restaurant nearby • Dogs not allowed • Child friendly

Surfside Beach

Sunshine Cove is a semi circular cove, locked between two 20m high round headlands joined by the 300m long sand and cobble beach. The main road runs just behind the beach with a small parking area toward the south end, opposite a caravan park. There is a launching ramp and a few boat sheds in the southern corner.

**Swimming and Surfing:** There are currently no services provided by Surf Life Saving Australia for this beach and it has a hazard rating of 3/10 (least hazardous). The beach receives low waves which combine with the coarse beach material to produce a steep and narrow beach, with no bar. Rocks however occur in the water. This is a relatively safe beach for swimming apart from the deep water close inshore and the rocks. Rips only occur during big sea.

**Facilities:** • Parking • Fishing • Dogs allowed (on-leash)

Sunshine Cove

Right beside Cullendulla Beach, the Mangrove walk is the only one of its kind in the entire area. Raised boardwalks thread through the marine park sanctuary zone of Cullendulla Creek.

At low tide, Australian white ibises forage in the sand here, while large groups of solider crabs march back and forth. The track also passes swamp oak forest, an endangered ecological community. Bring some binoculars and take advantage of the bench seats along the way for a round of birdwatching.

Signs along the walk help you get the most out of any visit, highlighting features like the unusual dune formations called ‘cheniers.’ These scenic ridges contain a staggering 7,000 years of shoreline changes stored in their sand.

Mangrove Walk

Long beach is far enough into the bay to be partially protected from the full force of the Pacific Ocean. There are several walkways that come off the road running parallel to the beach. The walkways traverse a wider than usual foreshore bush reserve. The pleasing result is that once on the beach you will likely be in total isolation, apart from the occasional dog or horse that are allowed on a time share basis.

**Swimming and Surfing:** There are currently no services provided by Surf Life Saving Australia for this beach and it has a hazard rating of 3/10 (least hazardous). Long beach is 2.3km long and faces the south east into Batemans Bay. Long beach itself lies at the end of the Long Beach Road, about 6km from the Princes Highway. Houses dot the eastern end, with a track running the length of the beach and parking and a picnic area behind the eastern end. Waves are usually less than 0.5m and a shallow attached bar runs the length of this relatively safe beach. Surf is rare on this beach. Best fishing is off the rocks at each end.

**Facilities** • Parking • Park benches • Drinking water • Walking track • Fishing • Boat ramp • Dogs allowed (time share off-leash) • Child friendly

Long Beach

Just an easy walk along a beautiful boardwalk, Cullendulla Beach has pride of place in the nature reserve, right at the mouth of the creek where it enters the bay. Superb views to Snapper Island and the Tollgate Islands are paired with plenty of things to do, including picnicking.

In low tide, this is a great spot for birding, with local and migratory species such as curlews and oystercatchers feeding on the sandy flats near the beach. Sometimes large flocks of swans collect nearby, offering dramatic displays when they take off or land on the bay. Though unpatrolled, the water’s relative calmness means Cullendulla Beach also offers an opportunity to swim. Or for something a little more adventurous, drag out the canoe and drift up the creek for a leisurely afternoon.

Cullendulla Beach Track

Corrigans Beach Reserve Park and Accessible Playground

With plenty of space on and off the beach, relatively calm safe waters, excellent family amenities and shops nearby, Corrigan's beach is definitely a family destination. The northern headland is home to the Coastal Patrol Rescue building and two concrete boat ramps, located safely behind the Hanging Rock break wall - making it a great spot for fishing, best off the entrance wall into the Clyde River.

**Swimming and Surfing:** A popular spot because of its safety and close proximity to Batemans Bay and the many recreational facilities and holiday accommodations behind the beach. There are currently no services provided by Surf Life Saving Australia for this beach and has a hazard rating of 3/10 (least hazardous). Corrigans lies at the end of the main southern entrance wall of the river mouth. It swings for 2km to the south east, curving round in the lee of Observation Head to face north. It is backed by a large flat area with 2 caravan parks, sports fields, accessible playground, park and a launching ramp. The beach receives low waves, less then 0.5m in the north, with the bar disappearing and the beach face steepening to the south. A seawall also backs the southern corner. Corrigans beach has a relatively low wave swimming area with no surf.

**Facilities:** • Parking • Toilets • Disabled toilet • Park benches • Drinking water • Playground • BBQ facilities • Fishing • Bike path • Boat ramp • Camping and caravan sites nearby • Telephone • Cafe/Restaurant • Dog time share • Child friendly

Surfside Beach

Surfside Beach, Batemans Bay

Cullendulla Creek Nature Reserve

Mangrove Walk

Cullendulla Beach Track