Not unexpected to locals, Lake Macquarie’s Caves Beach has been named one of the 10 best in Australia.
In fact, it was just one of two from NSW to make the 2025 list.
While the Bay of Fires in Tasmania cracked the No. 1 spot, Woolgoolga – near Coffs Harbour – placed second and Norfolk Island’s Emily Bay Lagoon ranked third, with Caves Beach beating much more famous stretches of sand to take out ninth.
Tourism Australia’s official “beach ambassador” Brad Farmer admitted it “wasn’t an easy job” selecting the standouts from almost 12,000 candidates.
“At times, it created plenty of debate, which I welcome, and I look forward to the feedback on this year’s top 10,” he said.
In his rundown, Farmer, who compiles the annual Best Australian Beaches list, described Caves Beach as “a truly wondrous to explore on a low tide”.
“About 90 minutes north of Sydney, the area is rich in brilliant beaches, from historic Catherine Hill Bay and Ghosties north towards a continuous swell of surfing beaches,” he said.
Dudley Beach came in at 11th in 2022, making Lake Macquarie the only LGA in Australia to recently appear more than once.
Mayor Adam Shultz said it was an honour to be included in the list twice in four years.
“It’s definitely exciting and a massive accolade, but for anyone like me who has grown up in Lake Macquarie it’s not all that surprising,” he stated.
“While other beaches north and south might get more attention, locals have known for generations how amazing ours are.
“Caves is such a standout because it’s unlike any other patrolled beach on the NSW coast.
“It’s such a family-friendly spot and there are so many other activities right on its doorstep.”
Farmer’s citation makes mention of some of those, including the coastal walk from Caves Beach through Wallarah National Park, learn-to-surf lessons on the beach and CoastXP’s tours off the Lake Macquarie coast.
It also describes Caves as “a local’s secret”, but latest visitor numbers suggest that’s fast changing.
More than 112,000 people visited Caves Beach over December and January – the first time on record its numbers eclipsed those at Redhead Beach.
Lake Macquarie City Council manager leisure services Brad Sutton said almost 400,000 guests dropped into the city’s five patrolled beaches in that two-month peak period.
“We’ve seen a steady increase in visitor numbers at Caves Beach over the years, particularly with Sydneysiders coming up for weekends away and longer holidays,” he added.
“It is such a quick trip for anyone living north of the Harbour Bridge and I think a lot of people would rather make that trip north than tackle the crowds and hassles of beaches in Sydney.”
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