{"id":6052,"date":"2018-05-24T13:15:52","date_gmt":"2018-05-24T02:15:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stillaslife.com\/?p=6052"},"modified":"2020-01-25T01:15:26","modified_gmt":"2020-01-24T14:15:26","slug":"caves-beach-lake-macquarie-nsw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stillaslife.com\/caves-beach-lake-macquarie-nsw\/","title":{"rendered":"Caves Beach – Lake Macquarie NSW"},"content":{"rendered":"

Caves Beach is a beautiful sandy beach near Swansea in the coastal city of Lake Macquarie, our backyard. We\u2019ve never actually been before because when we visited in summer, the carparks and street parking were always full. We decided to go recently though, even though it is cold and rainy Autumn. We\u2019re so glad we did!<\/p>\n

\"Beach<\/a> Beach Access<\/figure>\n

Read more: Top 6 Must-Do Things in Lake Macquarie<\/a><\/p>\n

A question<\/h3>\n

Just before I jump into it, I\u2019d love to hear from you about a place in your backyard that you\u2019ve discovered recently. Let me know in the comments at the end of the article!<\/p>\n

Disclaimer:<\/h3>\n

This article is all our own experience. Everything we did was paid for by us, and no part of it was free or subsidised. That said, some of the links in this article are affiliate links, which means that I get a small commission if you click it and make a booking or purchase. I hope that you\u2019ll use these links anytime you need to book a place to stay or activity! These small commissions help me to keep travelling so I can write and film more travel guides for you. I would never recommend anything I don\u2019t or would not personally use!<\/p>\n

About Caves Beach<\/h2>\n

Caves Beach is unique because, at the Southern end, you can find a network of caves worn out of the sandstone cliffs. These very same caves are the reason for the name of the beach. At low tide, you can access these caves and explore this scenic part of the NSW coastline. We didn\u2019t think to check the tide times before we left, but we were lucky that the tide had been out and was on the way back in when we got there.<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/a> The view south down Caves Beach towards the caves.<\/figure>\n

Parking during summer can be a challenge, but in Autumn, we were able to get a park close to the Surf Life Saving Club at the southern end of the beach next to Stuart Chalmers Park. This carpark is both the closest to the beach and the caves. The beach itself is a gorgeous white sandy beach with enough of a swell to surf if that’s your thing and more than enough to have fun on a bodyboard.<\/p>\n

\"There<\/a> There are plenty of swells, but stay north of the rocks.<\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"The<\/a> The swells north of the rocks are safer with plenty of sand to have fun.<\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

At the southern end, the sand gives way to sandstone cliffs and rocky outcrops that jut into the ocean. If you look closely at the rocks, there are some fascinating patterns and textures.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a> The rocky outcrops before the caves have some unusual patterns in them.<\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Look<\/a> Look carefully at the rocks at the southern end of Caves Beach, and you can spot some unusual patterns.<\/figure>\n

Make your way around these cliffs, and you will see the first and largest cave.<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/a> The main cave is easily tall enough for most people to stand in.<\/figure>\n

Heading into the cave, you\u2019ll find lots of fissures and cracks.<\/p>\n

\"Looking<\/a> There are so many spots to explore in the depths of the caves!<\/figure>\n

Towards the back is one of the most prominent fissures. It takes you out the other side of the cave. From here, you can access more of the cave network. Unfortunately for us, the tide had started to come back in and was flowing freely through here, so we decided not to head through it this time.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a> The fissure leading from the first cave to more caves<\/figure>\n

You can also head up the stairs to the top of the cliffs where you will find another car park and a lookout where you can take in the beach looking both directions.<\/p>\n

\"Matt<\/a> Matt at the stairs to Caves Beach Lookout<\/figure>\n

There are picnic facilities, including barbecues and seating, but these are hard to come by during the summer months.<\/p>\n

\"One<\/a> One of just a few picnic tables outside the SLSC at Caves Beach.<\/figure>\n

We found a great little fish and chip shop in town called Caves Beach Takeaway. It’s a little bit more expensive than some, and they only take cash, but they did great fish and chips. You can find them here:<\/p>\n