Avalon Beach + Rock Pool : An Excellent Sydney Family Day Out

Ah, another lovely day on Sydney’s Northern Beaches! Avalon is always a bit of an escapist fantasy for me. As well as the magnificent beach and rock pool, there’s such a lovely little shopping village, full of cute shops and groovy cafes.

avalon beach rock pool
A splashy day at Avalon’s rock pool, you can see the kids pool here and the larger pool behind

There’s a bit of Byron Bay about Avalon, must be a splendiferous place to live.

Avalon beach headland rock pool
View from the pool across the rocks to the northern headland

Avalon Beach + Rock Pool

Barrenjoey Road, Avalon

Avalon Surf Lifesaving Club website.

Avalon is a well known surf beach, beloved by locals and visited by surfers from far and wide. The surf lifesaving club is in a lovely old building on the beach. The swim-between-the-flags flags are generally set out in front of the SLSC.

At the southern end of the beach is the best spot for younger children. There are lots of rocks to explore and play amongst and there’s heaps of space on the sand to play.

avalon beach rock pool kids playing
The kids played for hours on the rocks and amongst the rock pools… I did finally get rashies and hats on them, I promise

The rock pools for swimming are here too, there is a large rock pool and a smaller, shallow children’s rock pool.  Both are showing the years of wear and tear but they do the job very nicely indeed.

Avalon beach kids rock pool
Kiddies rock pool
avalon beach rock pool swimmers
The 50 m swimming rock pool

Don’t be put off by the high wire fencing, it doesn’t look pretty but it is stopping rocks and stones from tumbling from the cliffs into the pools.

My children love splashing in the pools and even doing laps in the big pools. But their favourite place to play is amongst the nooks and crannies of the rocks.  There are crabs to chase and stones to shift from one place to another. Often they have made friends with other kids and all worked together to build some magnificent structure. With added seaweed!

avalon beach kids playing
Creative artworks amongst the rocks!

Cafe: Yes, the Beach House Avalon cafe is at the surf club, with FAB views and usual beach cafe fare

Toilets: Yes, change rooms at SLSC

Shade: On reserve there is shade from trees, but little by rockpool or on sand until the afternoon.

Rock pool: Yes

Playground: Yes, small play structure on the reserve

playground at Avalon beach
The small playground on the reserve

Mum’s Report: The combination of playing amongst the rocks and the rockpools and swimming and splashing in the rock pool swimming pool itself make a visit here just lovely.  We rarely used to go to the beach itself to swim in the waves when the kids were little. Now they are older they do go to the flags to boogie board. It won’t be long before they are joining their dad out in the surf.

Parking: Car park in front of SLSC.

Bus Stop: Yes

Avalon surf club cafe beach
Burger with a view, from the tip-top cafe Avalon Beach House at the surf club
avalon cafe beach house
Coffee with a view!
avalon beach NSW rock pool
I love this photo so much that I’m putting it in again!

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1 Comment

  1. says: Brenda Davie

    I have lived in Newport for 20 years and was totally unaware of the kids pool at Avalon Beach. I am now on regular grandmother duty so follow your posts with interest.
    Thank you so much.

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