Great Mackerel Beach

Great Mackerel Beach offers many fun activities, including swimming, sunbathing, kayaking, canoeing, beachcombing, picnicking, boating, sailing, bushwalking, snorkeling, and watching wildlife.  If you are planning to go into the water, the waves are usually calm, making it a safe swimming area.  The water near the beach is shallow, which is ideal for canoes, kayaks, and small boats.   If you enjoy fishing, you may catch a variety of fish.   Hikers can enjoy the nearby hiking trails, which offer unique insights into the local biodiversity.   The beach is ideal for visitors looking for a quieter beach experience.  Dogs are allowed if they are on a leash, and it is open from sunrise until sunset.

Great Mackerel Beach does not offer an access path for people with disabilities.

Getting to Great Mackerel Beach is easy - the beach is only accessible by boat, ferry, or by walking from nearby Palm Beach.  Visitors can conveniently take a ferry from the Palm Beach Wharf located at 1151/1153 Barrenjoey Road to access the beach.

There are many attractions near Great Mackerel Beach.  Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is spread over 15,000 hectares and is home to a wide variety of landscapes, including forests, woodlands, heaths, rainforests, mangroves, rivers, waterfalls, cliffs, beaches, rocky formations, and Aboriginal sites.  Visitors can enjoy many fun activities, including bushwalking, hiking, camping, mountain biking, boating, kayaking, canoeing, horseback riding, picnicking, fishing, and bird watching.  Governor Phillip Park is a beachfront dog-friendly park that offers many amenities, including a gazebo, picnic areas, picnic tables, benches, barbecue grill facilities, restrooms, and a large playground with swing sets. Upper Gledhill Falls features a small waterfall that cascades into a deep emerald pool surrounded by many rocky cliffs, where visitors can enjoy a refreshing dip.   Barrenjoey Lighthouse is a 36-foot-tall lighthouse positioned on the northernmost tip of the Palm Beach Peninsula.  It was built in 1888 to monitor the smugglers activities in bringing contraband into Broken Bay, and it has also served as an observation point to watch Japanese ships during World War II.  Visitors can climb up the lighthouse and enjoy incredible views of the vast Pacific Ocean.  If you are looking for another nearby attraction, Garigal National Park preserves fragile ecosystems, including bushland, wetlands, forests, and estuaries, that offer unique insight into the local biodiversity.  The park offers many interesting activities, including fishing, cycling, horseback riding, kayaking, canoeing, picnicking, sailing, boating, bushwalking, birdwatching, and picnicking.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants within a thirty-minute drive of Great Mackerel Beach. Sunset Diner serves burgers, salads, sandwiches, and shakes. Charbel'sserves amazing eggs, omelets, burgers, sandwiches, crepes, salads, meat, and poultry dishes.  Fernando’s Peruvian Rotisserie serves delicious salads, burgers, sandwiches, burritos, wraps, nachos, and pre-designed meals. Wasabi Japanese Sushi Bar serves soups, salads, sashimi, sushi, rolls, and bento boxes.   If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby restaurant, Han Court Chinese Restaurant serves amazing soups, noodles, fried rice, and Chinese dishes.

If you are looking for a hotel near Great Mackerel Beach, there are many great options nearby.  If you are looking for an upscale hotel, the 5-Star Park Hyatt Sydney is one hour away by car and offers many amenities including a rooftop pool, a deck with harbor views, a spa, a fitness center, and two restaurants.  A more affordable hotel is the 4-StarJonah’s Restaurant & Boutique Hotel, which has many amenities, including an outdoor pool, a fitness center, whirlpool tubs, a restaurant, and complimentary breakfast.  Another moderately priced option is the 4-Star Metro Mirage Hotel Newport, which has many amenities including an outdoor pool, a fitness room, a hot tub, a restaurant, and a private jetty.  A more reasonably priced option is the 3-Star The Hornsby Inn, which offers a few amenities including pool tables, a Thai restaurant, and complimentary breakfast.  If you are looking for another good and affordable nearby hotel, the 3-Star Blues Point Hotel offers a few amenities including a restaurant, a sports bar, and a terrace.