Austinmer Beach is one of the Illawarra’s most visited and most accessible beaches. Here’s what you need to know about this very popular stretch of sand, thanks to Austinmer SLSC’s Michael Morris.

Austinmer has a large grassy picnic area, a kid’s playground, two rock pools at the southern end of the beach and a strip of shops and eateries just across the road, so it’s easy to plan a full day of fun at this beach.

Austinmer Surf Life Saving Club’s Michael Morris says: “One of the reasons we are so popular with tourists is we have something for everyone.

“Two rock pools, great waves, great fishing, good spearfishing, two rock platforms, a recently renovated pavilion, kids playground, large grassed and sandy areas and a fish and chip shop across the road. What more could you want?”

Visitors to Austinmer do have to be wary of some challenges in and out of the water.

“Out of the water, [as] Austinmer Beach is on Lawrence Hargrave Drive, [it’s] a very popular beach on public holidays and can get quite busy with tourists, so you have to be careful of the traffic,” Michael says.

“In the water, we are slap-bang in the middle of two rock platforms that can get a little dicey in big conditions, [and] we have a near-permanent rip, usually on the north end of the beach. 

“Ours is a popular surf beach, so can get quite crowded when conditions are right and our two ocean pools can get very busy during the hotter months.”

Wollongong City Council lifeguards patrol Austi Beach from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday, and Austinmer SLSC lifesavers patrol it on Sundays and public holidays.

During the patrol season, more than 200 nippers take part in Austinmer SLSC’s weekend beach-sport activities every fortnight – remarkably, more than a third of those participants travel from inland regions, such as Camden, Campbelltown and Mittagong … and that’s something the club is very proud of.

Remember to always swim between the red and yellow flags at patrolled beaches. Visit Council's Beach Safety page for top tips.

Accessibility

Last week, Austinmer Beach made Disabled Surfers Association South Coast president Ian Picton’s list of top accessible beaches in the Illawarra. Click here to find out why.

Picnics

With picnic tables and bench seats shaded by trees, a kid’s playground and 24-hour bathroom facilities, Austinmer Beach is the perfect spot for a picnic. Pick up takeaway goodies from one of the nearby eateries and settle in for the day.