2025 April ... day-hike
Central Coast seashores
(near Lake Macquarie)
NSW, Australia
To Pink Caves
Deep Cave Bay
Hales Bluff
Catherine Hill Bay Jetty
Middle Camp Beach
Middle Camp Inlet
Baldy Cliff
Bogey Hole aka Catho Rockpool
Drummer Hole
Shark Hole
Nudie Cave
Pinny Beach
Quarries Head
Split Rock
This trip report:
Spoon Rocks
Finally Caves Beach - to a sea cave there
Part 3 of trip report - this one
Spoon Rocks to Caves Beach only
(
Part 1 of the trip report is to Pink Caves.
Refer to this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/pink-caves-to-caves-beach-part-1.html
Part 2 of the trip report is to Shark Hole.
Refer to this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/shark-hole-pink-caves-to-caves-beach.html
Full coast walk report ...
Pink Caves to Caves Beach ...
This link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/pink-caves-to-caves-beach-full-report.html
)
Preview
Spoon Rocks
Photo by John Graham
A sea cave in Caves Beach
Our group
7 of us:
- Paul, taking ...
- Ai Ling Lim
- Amy Chi
- John Graham
- Karen Lee
- Lyndal Tegel
- May Yang
Map
LPI 1:25,000 scaled 9231-4S Catherine Hill Bay
LPI 1:25,000 scaled 9231-4N Swansea
Map 1) The relevant part of the 1:25,000
topographic map
Where our cars are parked
First:
Park Lyndal's car at end of hike.
At a carpark near
junction of Caves Beach Road & Bligh Avenue,
Caves Beach
Grid Ref: 7364 3556
Google Maps link:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/6bshBLewJWLAdGQU6
Then:
Park Paul's car at start of hike.
Junction of Breakers Blvd & Hooey St,
Catherine Hill Bay
Grid Ref: 7215 2950
Google Maps link:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/TVjHVwd8gt1Bx9aN9
I could have parked my car closer to the stairs
which descends down to the north side
of Moonee Beach.
Refer to photo #1 in this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/pink-caves-to-caves-beach-part-1.html
But Hooey St is closed today ... roadwork.
GPS tracklog file & route
GPX tracklog file can be downloaded from:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K0F2q9GwvNckjWYD-oVcSHYR2FhVfwZe/view?usp=sharing
Map 2) GPS route, in red,
recorded on the topographic map:
- Split Rock:
Grid Ref: 7373 3382
Just north of Quarries Head
- Nudie Cave:
Grid Ref: 7350 3314
Small inlet between Pinny Beach & Shark Hole
- 6 blue arrows, top to bottom:
1 GR 7364 3556 End of our hike
https://maps.app.goo.gl/6bshBLewJWLAdGQU6
2 GR 7373 3552
Here, we watch Amy wading across
mouth of a cave.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/kKnQWUwSzbdWV2YG8
3 GR 7335 3287
Ladder to get down to Shark Hole
https://maps.app.goo.gl/EjebKFd1YhQDLxsj9
4 GR 7334 3227
Bogey Hole ... Amy has a swim at this spot.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1twRfQuFPFYknQw3A
5 GR 7272 2974 Pink Caves
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HJaBatkBZqw6eLAV7
6 GR 7215 2950 Start of our hike
https://maps.app.goo.gl/TVjHVwd8gt1Bx9aN9
Map 3) Satellite image of the above map.
- Yellow arrows:
Same as the blue arrows in the previous map
In summary:
First, park Lyndal's car at end of hike.
At a carpark near
junction of Caves Beach Road & Bligh Avenue,
Caves Beach.
Then, park Paul's car at start of hike.
Junction of Breakers Blvd & Hooey St,
Catherine Hill Bay.
To Pink Caves
Deep Cave Bay
Hales Bluff
Catherine Hill Bay Jetty
Middle Camp Beach
Middle Camp Inlet
Baldy Cliff
Bogey Hole, aka Catho Rockpool
Drummer Hole
Shark Hole
Nudie Cave
Pinny Beach
Quarries Head
Split Rock
This trip report:
Spoon Rocks
Caves Beach - to a sea cave there
End at Lyndal's car at Caves Beach.
Timeline and Distance
08:01 0.0 km Start walking along Hooey St
Timeline to Split Rock ... This link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/pink-caves-to-caves-beach-full-report.html
15:16 10.56km At Split Rock
15:37 11.62km At where Spoon Rocks
joins the coast
We walk to the tip of Spoon Rocks.
16:03 12.49km Leave Spoon Rocks
16.30 13.88km At Caves Beach (bottom of stairs)
16:33 13.97km At north side of a large-ish
sea cave
Watch Amy wade through sea water
to south side of the cave.
16:40 13.97km Leave north end of the cave
16:45 14.05km Leave Caves Beach;
same spot as 16:30
16:48 14.15km At Lyndal's car
at a Caves Beach carpark
================================
Total: 8 hrs 47 mins
14.15 km Distance is from Google Earth
Pictures - Spoon Rocks to Caves Beach
Pictures #1 - #123 (prior to Spoon Rocks) ...
Refer to this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/pink-caves-to-caves-beach-full-report.html
To Spoon Rocks
124a, b) Spoon rocks is now closer and closer.
125a, b) Stairs down the cliffs.
- 125a: Paul, May
• Red oval: Spoon Rocks
- 125b: Amy
• Red arrow: Spoon Rocks
125a: Photo by Karen
126) A foot track down to the coast.
- Ai Ling is immediately in front.
127) The foot track leads to here.
(Spoon Rocks is right here too.)
- Yellow arrow: Direction of walk
- 2 red arrows, left to right:
1 Quarries Head
2 Photo #124a was taken from there.
Also, we came from behind the ridge there.
Spoon Rocks
128a, b) Spoon Rocks.
- 128a: 2 red arrows, left to right:
1 Named as Quarry Beach in Google Maps
2 Named as Coastal Beach in Google Maps
Photos by John
129) Spoon Rocks ... We are going to its tip.
130a, b) Going to Spoon Rocks now.
- 130a: John, Lyndal, Amy
- 130b: Lyndal, Amy
131a, b) Going to the tip of Spoon Rocks.
- 131a: Amy
- 131b: Amy, Karen
132) Spoon Rocks.
- 2 yellow circles, left to right:
1 Photos #135, #136
2 Photo #138
Photo by John
133a, b) Looking back at the coast.
- 133a: Left to right: John, May, Ai Ling, Lyndal
- 133b: Ai Ling
134a, b) Facing the tip of Spoon Rocks.
- 2 red arrows in both pics:
1 Amy will climb this rock soon.
2 Amy
135) At the left yellow circle of photo #132.
- Amy ...
She is on top of the rock mentioned in
photo #134 (left red arrow there).
136a, b) Amy ...
On top of the same rock as in prev pic.
137a, b) Going to the right yellow circle of
photo #132.
- White arrow: Ai Ling
138a, b) The right yellow circle of photo #132.
- 138a: May, Karen
- 138b: Karen, May
139a, b) Carpobrotus glaucescens (Pigface).
140a, b, c) Whale or dolphin or porpoise ...
I never learnt which is which 😭
Photos by John
Leaving Spoon Rocks
141) Spoon Rocks is in the background.
- John ... Walking on Coastal Beach
We saw plenty of Sand Bubbler Crabs.
They are tiny round-bodied crabs ...
Known for creating intricate spherical patterns in
the sand as they feed on microscopic organisms.
They leave behind
balls of processed sand during low tide,
and hiding in burrows during high tide,
using special leg membranes for breathing.
These small, sand-colored crustaceans
are vital for beach ecosystems,
aerating sand and cycling nutrients,
but face threats from coastal development.
142) Sand Bubbler Crabs, genus Scopimera.
Photo by May
Stinky Point
143) Looking back at Stinky Point & Spoon Rocks.
- Stinky Point is the dark rocky area
along the coast, below (north of) Spoon Rocks.
- We didn't go there. May be next time.
- We walked on a footpath along top of the cliffs,
beyond the right edge of this photo.
To Caves Beach
144a, b) On a footpath to Caves Beach.
- Yellow arrow: Direction of walk
- 144a: Stinky Point is just behind us.
• Left to right:
Ai Ling
May
John (mostly blocked by May)
Lyndal (mostly blocked by Karen)
Karen
- 144b: Closer to Caves Beach
• Lyndal, Karen
Caves Beach
We'll only visit a sea cave in Caves Beach.
And that is the final objective of this trip.
We didn't walk on the main beach for swimmers.
Next time 😊
145a, b) Stairs down to Caves Beach.
- 145a: 2 people in front: Not our group
- 145b: Ai Ling, Lyndal, John
• At the bottom of the stairs,
we turn right to visit a sea cave.
146) Main Caves Beach for swimmers ... north-ish.
- I snap this photo before heading
in the opposite direction towards the sea cave.
To sea cave
147) Heading south to a sea cave.
148) The sea cave is around the bend ...
where people are standing near the left edge.
- White arrow: Amy
- The rest are not out group.
Sea cave
149) This is it ... the sea cave we wanted to visit.
- Unfortunately, the tide is high,
hence we'll get our feet wet
if we wish to get inside the cave ... but ...
150a, b) ... but Amy and a tourist are willing
to wade into the sea.
151a, b) Amy !
152a, b) Amy reaches the far side of the cave.
- 152a: Red horizontal bar: Spoon Rocks.
153) Watch Amy returning from the far side
of the cave ...
Youtube:
https://youtube.com/shorts/x-fm9IAsnC4
Instagram is clearer:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSlchhWAmvb
154) Group photo in the sea cave area
of Caves Beach.
- 7 of us:
May, Paul, John, Lyndal, Ai Ling, Karen, Amy
- Background: Caves Beach proper
- Red oval:
Lyndal's wrapped hand ... injured by a cat's bite
Then, it is to Lyndal's car ... a short distance away
at the junction of Caves Beach Rd & Bligh Ave.
Comments
1)
Coast walks are always interesting.
This one is no exception !
2)
A separate detailed trip report
of the Pink Caves area is in this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/pink-caves-to-caves-beach-part-1.html
3)
And another separate report
of the Shark Hole area is in this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/shark-hole-pink-caves-to-caves-beach.html
4)
Full trip report,
from Pink Caves to Caves Breach ... this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/pink-caves-to-caves-beach-full-report.html
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