Austinmer Rock Pool

Austinmer Rock Pool is a pair of side-by-side rock pools at the south end of Austinmer Beach, watched over by an old pavilion in one of the prettiest beach villages north of Wollongong. They're free and swum in all year, a ten-minute walk from the station.

Key facts

Type

Rock pool

Good to know

Toilets, Showers, Change rooms

Facilities and access

Toilets, change rooms, showers; on Lawrence Hargrave Drive

Managed by

City of Wollongong

Cost

Free

Lifeguards

Not at the pool

Public transport

Austinmer station, about 10 minutes' walk

Best time to go

Calm mornings

Water quality

GoodAustinmer Beach, 0.1 km away. Sampled 24 Oct. Data: NSW Beachwatch, CC BY 4.0.

Cleaning

Not stated

Town

Austinmer, NSW

What it's like

The twin pools sit on the rock shelf below the pavilion, the southern one narrower and a little longer than its neighbour, both topped up by the waves at high tide. Behind you the escarpment rises green and steep, and in front the beach curves away to the north. Austinmer grew as a guesthouse resort for Sydneysiders arriving by train, and the pools have served locals and visitors for close to a century, reopening after repairs in 2014.

When to go

Calm mornings are best, and summer weekends are busy. Cleaning dates are estimates that shift with the weather and sea, so check before you go.

Getting there and facilities

The pools are on Lawrence Hargrave Drive at the southern end of Austinmer Beach, with toilets, change rooms and showers. The village cafes are a short walk, and Austinmer station is about ten minutes on foot.

Good to know

No lifeguard watches the pools, though Austinmer Beach is patrolled in season. The rocks are slippery when wet.