Forgive me if I start getting all emotional and frothing gently at the mouth.
I just adore North Narrabeen Rock Pool, and the famous beach to its south.
These places aren’t just some of the most beautiful on the Northern Beaches, they’re a state of mind for me. They’re the places I visualise to calm me when stressed. They mean health, fitness, adventure, family and love…
Here follows all sorts of practical information about the beach and rock pool. Click here to see some photos I took early one morning at the rock pool, a project for my design and photography course. I call the series ‘Swimmers at Sunrise.’
This part of the rock pool is 70m long, that’s what I call a lap.
North Narrabeen Beach
North Narrabeen Beach has the most spectacular views south along the 3km sweep of sand all the way down to Long Reef. It’s a famous surf beach and also has one of the most beautiful rock pools of the Northern Beaches.
You can see the entrance to Narrabeen Lagoon in the photo at the top of this post. The rock pool is to the north of the estuary, the main surfing beach to the south.
Surfing: North Narrabeen is a National Surfing Reserve, with some world-famous breaks. Read all about it here on the National Surfing reserves website.
North Narrabeen SLSC is at the end of Malcolm Street, off Ocean Street. Birdwood Park is alongside, lots of grassy space to play in and a small playground, in need of an upgrade.
Parking: For North Narrabeen beach, park in the car park off Malcolm Street which is off Ocean Street.
Cafes: My family’s fave, Lifesavers Cafe is opposite the SLSC car park on Ocean Street
One day we enjoyed watching this horse and rider crossing the lagoon estuary.
A panoramic shots of the pool on a cloudy day.
North Narrabeen Rockpool
Like the famous surf beach, this rock pool is one of the most renowned along Sydney’s 16 Northern Beaches. It is a particularly beautiful pool, with a wooden boardwalk which divides the lap pool area from the larger area of pool. The rock pool has a shallow area on it’s northernmost point which is great for kids to splash in. Just over the wall of the pool is a large flat area of rock which the kids enjoy exploring, there’s often a large natural pool of water there too.
North Narrabeen Rock Pool was built in the 1930s under the Unemployment Relief Scheme, the boardwalk and timber decking are original features though they have been replaced over the years.
From the 1940s local swimming clubs met at the pool, including the winter club, the North Narrabeen Shivering Sharks. Swimming clubs still meet at the pool at weekends.
All seven of Pittwater Council’s rock pools and its three swimming enclosures can be hired out. Contact the council for more information.
Swimming Clubs: Two clubs meet at this pool, Narrabeen Lakes Amateur Swimming Club and Narrabeen Amateur Swimming Club.
Parking: For North Narrabeen Rock Pool, travelling from the south along Ocean Street, pass over the bridge over Narrabeen Lagoon’s entrance, the road is here renamed Narrabeen Park Parade. Take the first right into the car park. Don’t forget to pay for a ticket in your haste to get to the rock pool.
Cafe: There is a cafe at the car park
Picnics and BBQ: There is grassy reserve by the car park, with a BBQ and picnic tables.
Photography: A very scenic pool and popular with photographers. Check out the info on Photography Hot Spots here. Check out a 360° view of the pool on Panedia here.
This is the carpark, just off Narrabeen Park Parade, you can see the holiday park just across the road, and the bridge to the left.
What are you doing right now?
Shall we drop everything and dash down for a few laps and a coffee?
Let’s get splashing
