The Bronte Bogey Hole is where Bronte families go when the surf is too big: a pocket of calm water on the rock shelf at the south end of the beach, sheltered by a line of boulders. It's free, shallow in parts and good for kids and anyone after a gentle dip.
Key facts
- Type
- Natural pool
- Good to know
- Kids area
- Facilities and access
- Beside Bronte Beach; the other, older bogey hole sits beside the baths
- Cost
- Free
- Lifeguards
- Not at the pool; Bronte Beach patrolled in season
- Public transport
- Buses from Bondi Junction
- Best time to go
- Low to mid tide, small swell
- Water quality
- BadBronte Beach, 0.2 km away. Sampled 28 Oct. Data: NSW Beachwatch, CC BY 4.0.
- Town
- Bronte, NSW
What it's like
Water slides in and out between the rocks with the tide, so this feels like a large natural rock pool rather than a built one, with the beach and park right behind you. Bronte actually has two bogey holes. This one dates from 1916, when the local progress association asked for a safe place for women and children to bathe and rocks were cleared from a natural shelf. The older men's bogey hole sits beside Bronte Baths.
When to go
Low to mid tide on a small swell gives the calmest water. On big days the surge pushes through the gaps and it gets rough quickly. Weekday mornings are quiet, while summer weekends bring Bronte's picnic crowds and every barbecue in the park running.
Getting there and facilities
The bogey hole sits at the southern end of Bronte Beach, below Bronte Park, with toilets, showers, barbecues, a playground and cafes all a short walk away. Parking along Bronte Road and in the park fills early in summer, so the bus from Bondi Junction is often easier. The Bondi to Coogee coastal walk passes right by.
Good to know
No lifeguards watch the bogey hole, though Bronte Beach is patrolled in season. The rocks are sharp and slippery underfoot.