On the south side of Shellharbour a rock platform extends 300 m seaward, and forms the northern boundary of the southern Shellharbour Beach (NSW 383), a curving 1 km south-southeast-facing beach that extends to the base of Bass Point, where the sand merges with the basalt cobbles eroded from the point. A caravan park lies behind the northern rocks, with a beach car park on the southern side. The road to Bass Point runs between the low dune and Shellharbour Swamp, with the usually dammed mouth breaking out across the southern end of the beach during rain. Proposals have been put forward to build a marina in the swamp with access to the sea, but in 2006 the beach remains in a relatively natural state. Waves from the east and southeast are reduced by Bass Point resulting in waves averaging 1 m in the north dropping to 0.5 m in the south. These usually maintain a continuous attached bar, cut by up to six rips during higher southeast swell when a strong rip can develop against the northern rocks, and during summer northeast wave conditions (Fig. 4.312).
Beach Length: 0.9km
General Hazard Rating:
5/10
Patrols
There are currently no services provided by Surf Life Saving Australia for this beach. Please take the time to browse the Surf Safety section of this website to learn more about staying safe when swimming at Australian beaches.
Click here to visit general surf education information.
SLSA provides this information as a guide only. Surf conditions are variable and therefore this information should not be relied upon as a substitute for observation of local conditions and an understanding of your abilities in the surf. SLSA reminds you to always swim between the red and yellow flags and never swim at unpatrolled beaches. SLSA takes all care and responsibility for any translation but it cannot guarantee that all translations will be accurate.