While everyone flocks to the rockpools of Bushrangers Bay, those looking for serenity should head to the secret rockpools of Maloneys Bay. The pools have the same turquoise colour and clarity of the ones at Bushrangers Bay and though they are smaller, you won’t have to share them with anyone else.
The bay itself is also very picturesque with azure water and great snorkelling, so you can easily enjoy a whole afternoon in the area.
Here’s how to find the hidden rockpools of Maloneys Bay.
Visiting Maloneys Bay
Safety information
As with all rockpools, visiting safely requires certain conditions. For Maloneys Bay you want to visit a couple of hours either side of low tide and when the swell is slight.
Though this is not generally an area subject to large waves like you might find at Kiama’s Cathedral Rocks, some of the pools are less sheltered than others.
Whilst large rogue waves are always a possibility, you want to mitigate the risk of waves which could knock you around inside the pool as much as possible. You really do need a slight swell for some of the loveliest pools and I would not visit on a moderate swell, even at low tide.
The walk to the Maloneys Bay Rockpools
The stats
Distance: 1km return
Elevation gain: 10m
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead: Maloney’s Beach Car Park
The walk
From the Maloneys Bay car park, take the trail on the right side of the car park which heads down to the bay (the trail on the left goes to a lookout).
It’s a gravel path that leads gently downhill to the stony beach, which you will arrive at 120m after leaving the car park.
Though it’s a pebbly beach, the water colour in the bay is stunning, it’s turquoise close to shore and then becomes azure a little further out.
It’s nice and protected for swimming and also good for snorkelling, though the best snorkelling is out of the bay itself, which is therefore less protected.
For the rockpools you want to head left at the beach, onto the rocks. Happily this is easy rock shelf walking, with none of the awkward small rocks or large boulders you often find on rockpool adventures.
The rock is grippy when it’s dry, but always be mindful of damp rock or mossy bits, which can be slippery.
The walk from the car park to the furthest pool is 500m, so that’s 380m of rock shelf walking.
The rockpools
There are rockpools of all shapes and sizes scattered along this stretch of the rockshelf. Most have brilliant clarity, though a few were less clear on our visit (the ones set further back from the ocean) so you can have a real Goldilocks experience and choose your own perfect plunge pool.
Some are tiny little ones better for looking at marine life, some are deep and perfect for a dip/float and a few are very shallow for having a laze around. There are too many to mention in detail, so I’ll just share our favourites!
Pool number one: Flying V
The first notable pool you’ll come to is the Flying V (coordinates: -34.5980825, 150.8880815), which is small, but a brilliant turquoise in colour. The rocks surrounding the pool hide it from view until you’re very close to it.
The clarity in this pool is amazing, but it’s only around chest deep and there isn’t room to swim. You can have a little float though.
It’s located right beside the ocean and waves do enter the pool, even during low tide and slight swell, so you have to be mindful.
Getting into this pool is not the easiest because both obvious entry points have very slippery rocks and are exposed to any incoming waves. For this reason you want to lower yourself down carefully inbetween any waves, which are clearly visible.
It’s a lovely pool, but there’s an even better one a little further along if you don’t like the look of the access to this one.
Pool two: the Blue Hole
The Blue Hole is my favourite of the rockpools at Maloneys Bay (coordinates: -34.5980613, 150.8882842). The pool has the same sensational water colour as Flying V, but it’s a touch bigger, much deeper and therefore better for a little swim.
The turquoise water and views out to the ocean are incredible and it’s an idyllic spot to relax.
Entering the pool is easy, but for one notable factor: the urchins. The little banks around the pool (not inside the pool itself) harbour a number of urchins and many are where you might ordinarily step to enter and exit the pool.
This means you have to be a little more creative and work around them to get in and out without a mishap.
The clarity of the water means you can see them very well, so just make sure you watch out for them and you can step down the gently tiered rock shelf into the crystal clear water.
Pool three: the kids splash pool
The kiddies pool is absolutely beautiful and it’s huge! It’s set back from the ocean, so during low tide and low swell there is almost zero chance any waves will enter.
It’s also easy to get into and out of and the shallow depth make it perfect for sitting in or having a splash around. It’s much prettier in real life than it looks in photos, so if you’re visiting with kids, or you simply want to sit and relax, this is the pool for you.
Pool four: the swimming hole
This is the best pool for swimming and as it’s set fractionally further back than the turquoise pools, you don’t get many waves entering the pool (coordinates: -34.5985988, 150.8907057).
The water is a gorgeous blue colour, but not quite turquoise like the first two pools. It’s big enough to have a little swim and float around in the calm water. It also has a great view back over to the beach and headland.
Entering the water is easy as you can step off the edge of the rock platform, where it’s tiered and not steep. The pool was about shoulder height on me.
As with all the pools apart from the splash pool, they are shielded from view until you’re almost on top of them.
We went a little further than the swimming hole, but the pools got smaller, so unless you want to explore further, this is the point you would turn around.
Keep them wild
Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.
Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the reserve, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.
When swimming in rockpools, if you need to use suncream, it’s better to use reef safe suncream to protect the marine life and coral.
Getting to Maloneys Bay
Maloneys Bay is located in Shellharbour and there’s a dedicated car park for the bay, which you can see here on Google Maps. It’s around a 4km drive from Shellharbour and 24km (30 mins) from Wollongong.
There are no facilities at the car park.
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