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
Spoon Rocks
Finally Caves Beach - a sea cave there
Pink Caves & Shark Hole
Pink Caves has its own trip repot ... this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/pink-caves-to-caves-beach-part-1.html
Shark Hole has its own trip report ... this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/shark-hole-pink-caves-to-caves-beach.html
Preview
Pink Caves
Shark Hole
Photo by Karen Lee
Spoon Rocks
Photo by John Graham
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
Pinny Beach
Quarries Head
Split Rock
Spoon Rocks
Caves Beach - a sea cave there
End at Lyndal's car at Caves Beach.
Note:
In the above maps, Deep Cave Bay is
the north branch of Desoto Inlet
and south of Hales Bluff.
Timeline and Distance
08:01 0.0 km Start walking along Hooey St
08:04 0.24km Turn right (south)
into an access stairs
to Moonee Beach
08:20 1.12km Just outside Pink Caves
Explore inside Pink Caves.
08:41 1.22km Back outside Pink Caves
09:02 1.5 km At cliff top above Pink Caves
09:09 1.8 km At south side of Deep Cave Bay
Morning Tea, photos #8 - #11
09:17 1.82km Resume walking towards
north side of Deep Cave Bay
Then spend some time around Deep Cave Bay.
09:25 1.98km At start of Hales Bluff
09:37 2.44km At end of Hales Bluff
09:43 2.65km Around the bottom of
Catherine Hill Bay Jetty
10:00 2.76km Leave Catherine Hill Bay Jetty
10:34 4.83km At eastern tip of headland
north of Middle Camp Beach
11:01 5.09km As far as we can go in
Middle Camp Inlet
11:29 5.72km At north-ish side of
Middle Camp Inlet
Directly opposite the spot at 11:01
11:41 5.9 km Leave north-ish side of
Middle Camp Inlet
Passing Baldy Cliffs
11:49 6.32km At south end of Bogey Holes,
aka Catho Rockpool
We then spend time swimming and
collecting sea snails at the various rock pools.
12:07 6.55km At the north end of Bogey Holes
12:09 6.64km Passing Drummer Hole
12:13 6.86km At southern-most part
of Shark Hole
12:22 6.99km At Shark Hole's
narrow channel entrance
12:27 7.07km At cliff edge above Shark Hole
12:32 7.07km Leave cliff edge
12:37 7.29km At top of ladder
which would get us down to
Shark Hole's narrow channel
12:41 7.29km Start to climb down the ladder
12:47 7.4 km At seaside edge
of the narrow channel
Photo session.
The girls are having fun doing various poses 😊
12:57 7.4 km Start to return to the ladder
13:02 7.48km At top of the ladder
Lunch
13:31 7.52km Resume walking
13:38 7.79km At top of rocky headland,
north side of Shark Hole
14:02 8.35km At north side of Nudie Cave
14:17 8.49km At south side of Nudie Cave
14:18 8.51km At an unnamed sea cave
just next to Nudie Cave
14:34 8.69km At lookout overlooking
Pinny Beach
14:54 9.94km At Pinny Beach
15:06 10.36km At southern tip of Quarries Head
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 - Pink Caves
Trip report and more pictures of Pink Caves ...
This link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/pink-caves-to-caves-beach-part-1.html
Only a few pictures of the Pink Caves
are presented below.
1a, b) Wonderful pink-coloured rocks in the cave !
Photos by John
2) May on the pink rock.
- In the background, left to right:
Karen, Lyndal, Amy
3) John, May, Karen, Ai Ling, Lyndal, Paul.
Photo by Amy
Trip report and more pictures of Pink Caves ...
This link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/pink-caves-to-caves-beach-part-1.html
To Deep Cave Bay
After Pink Caves ...
We climb up a slope to above the cave,
then head towards Deep Cave Bay.
4) On the cliffs above Pink Caves
and looking down at the coastline.
- It is a popular fishing spot.
5) Narrow overgrown foot track to Deep Cave Bay.
- Left to right: Karen, Paul, Ai Ling
Photo by May
Deep Cave Bay
In the above maps,
Deep Cave Bay is the north branch of:
- Desoto Inlet and
- south of Hales Bluff.
6) Arrived at Deep Cave Bay.
- Pink Caves is over the other side of the ridge.
- Red arrow: Paul
- White oval: Same as the white oval in photo #7
Photo by John
7) Deep Cave Bay.
- Paul
- White oval: Same as the white oval in photo #6
- Red arrow: We'll have morning tea here.
Photo by John
8) Morning tea time.
- Sitting, left to right:
Karen, Ai Ling, Paul, Lyndal, John, May
- Standing: Amy on a lower ledge
- We are at the red arrow of previous pic.
Photo by John
9) Nice colour of Deep Cave Bay !
Photo by John
10a, b) Deep Cave Bay.
- 10a: Another view of us having morning tea
• Left to right:
John, May, Lyndal, Paul, Ai Ling, Amy
- 10b: Deep Caves
10a: Photo by Karen
11) Deep Cave Bay &
South Pacific Ocean / Tasman Sea.
- We are still having morning tea.
- Left to right:
May
Lyndal
Amy (mostly blocked by Lyndal)
Ai Ling
Karen (mostly blocked by Ai Ling)
On the other side of Deep Cave Bay
Morning tea is over ...
12a, b) Pretty girls on the other side of the inlet.
- 12a: Amy, Karen, May, Ai Ling, Lyndal, John
- 12b: Zooming onto the pretty girls
13) The pretty girls above Deep Caves.
- May, Lyndal, Karen, Ai Ling, Amy
Photo by John
14) Deep Cave Bay &
South Pacific Ocean / Tasman Sea.
- John
Photo by Amy
15) John ... at the same spot as previous pic.
- White sandy beach in the far background:
Middle Camp Beach ...
We'll walk its entire lengh
from 10:10am to 10:30am.
Deep Caves
16) Deep Caves.
- Karen
Photo by May
17a, b) Deep Caves & Deep Cave Bay
- Amy, Ai Ling
- 17b: The cave here is the left side of photo #18.
18) Deep Caves.
- Left-side cave: The one in the previous pic
- Right-side cave: The one in photo #19
Photo by John
19) Deep Caves.
- The cave here is the right of previous pic.
Photo by John
Hales Bluff
20) Now at Hales Bluff.
- No writing on this cross 😭
21a, b) Towards Catherine Hill Bay Jetty ...
Photos taken from Hales Bluff.
22) Still at Hales Bluff ...
Walking towards Catherine Hill Bay.
- Left to right: May, Karen, John, Lyndal
23) Still at Hales Bluff ...
Walking towards Catherine Hill Bay.
- Left to right:
Karen, Lyndal, May, John, Ai Ling, Amy
24) John finds a weird stone
with perfect round holes !
Photo by John
Near Catherine Hill Bay Jetty
25) Sea grass ...
Seems to be washed up at this spot only,
no where else.
- Left to right:
Amy
Ai Ling
a person in blue pants ... not our group
Lyndal
26a, b) Coal seam.
- Compared to previous pic,
we are now closer to Catherine Hill Bay Jetty.
- 26a: Red arrow: See #26b.
- 26b: Amy ... at the red arrow of #26a
27a, b) Closer to Catherine Hill Bay Jetty.
- Lyndal
27a: Photo by Karen
Catherine Hill Bay Jetty
28) The jetty is locked. We can't walk on it 😭
- Dark patches on the right: Hales Bluff
Photo by John
Caves at Catherine Hill Bay Jetty
29) A cave below Catherine Hill Bay Jetty.
30a, b) More caves below Catherine Hill Bay Jetty.
Different from the cave in the previous pic.
- Ai Ling
- 30b: Zooming into the right half of #30a
• White oval: May will be here ... photo #34.
31) Panning to the right of previous pic.
- Black & red arrows:
Same as the black & red arrows in photo #33b
32a, b) Having fun in pretending to be chained up
😊😊😊
Same chain as previous pic.
- 32a: Karen
- 32b: Amy
(Ai Ling watching from a distance)
33a, b) Same chain as previous pics.
(From different angles)
- Amy (again) ...
Having fun in pretending to be chained up
- 33a: Black arrow: Same black arrow in #33b
- 33b: Black & red arrows:
Same black & red arrows in photo #31
33b: Photo by John
34) At the white oval of photo #30b.
- May
35) At another cave.
- Ai Ling
36) Looking out from the cave of previous pic.
- Amy, John
Under Catherine Hill Bay Jetty
37) Playing under Catherine Hill Bay Jetty.
- May
Photo by Karen
38a, b) Playing under Catherine Hill Bay Jetty.
- Karen
Photos by Lyndal
39) Lyndal.
- Lyndal's hand is wrapped ... See photo #42.
Photo by John
40) Amy.
41) Around here is a memorial plaque to
Anthony Michael Kuhn.
In the above plaque, the words are:
In loving memory of
Anthony Michael Kuhn
"Tony"
3rd May 1957 - 26th September 2020
Proud Father of Renee, Danielle & Jessica
And Grandfather of Marcus Luke, Lachlan, Zachary
Blake, Oscar, Wyatt, Bryce, Cayde,
Lylah-Mae, Brandon, Mia, Nikkita, Arabella
and Avayah
Forever in our hearts Dad / Grandpa
Go Hard Go Knights !
Leaving Catherine Hill Bay Jetty
42a, b) Heading north,
towards Middle Camp Beach.
- Amy, Lyndal
- Lyndal's hand is wrapped ...
injury caused by a cat's bite 😭
- 42a: Yellow arrow: Direction of walk
42b: Photo by John
43) Looking back at Catherine Hill Bay Jetty.
- 5 people nearest to camera, left to right:
May, Ai Ling, Lyndal, John, Karen
(Person in white in the middle ...
not our group)
- Yellow arrow: Direction of walk
To Middle Camp Beach
44a, b, c) Facing Middle Camp Beach ...
That's where we are heading now.
- 44a: Amy
• Vertical yellow arrow:
Another chain ...
Amy will be there in photo #45.
• Slanting yellow arrow: Direction of walk
- 44b: (Panning to the right of #44a)
• Amy
• Yellow arrow: Direction of walk
- 44c: (Panning to the right of #44b)
45) At the chain of photo #44a.
- Amy ... She is a bundle of fun.
Middle Camp Beach
We'll walk its entire lengh
from 10:10am to 10:30am.
46) Middle Camp Beach.
- Ai Ling ... in front
- Dark brown lumps on the beach:
Pyura praeputialis ...
More details are in Photo #47.
47) These are filter feeder animals ... not plants.
- Dark brown lumps: Pyura praeputialis.
- Orange thingie:
Another species in the same genus ...
Identification not possible from the photo.
Can be P. gibbosa, P. australis ... or others.
Photo by May
Pyura is a large genus of sessile ascidians
(sea squirts).
Like all ascidians, Pyura are filter feeders ...
Common in coastal areas of the
Australian mainland and ranges from
southern Queensland to Cape Otway in Victoria.
They live in waters at depths of up to
80 meters (260 feet).
Pyura praeputialis is an
intertidal and shallow water species of tunicate.
It is one of three species of "Cunjevoi"
in Australasia.
(The other two being to:
- Yellow Cunjevoi P. dalbyi and
- Doppelganger Cunjevoi P. doppelgangera).
It is the first reported species of marine organism
to create a "foam-nest" for its larvae.
48) Middle Camp Beach.
- Lyndal, Ai Ling, John
49) Looking back at where we came from.
- Red arrow: Hales Bluff
- White oval:
The town of Catherine Hill Bay ...
to the west of Hales Bluff
- Catherine Hill Bay Jetty:
It is to the left of the white oval ...
Unfortunately, due to its dark colour,
you can't see it properly in this photo.
Rocky headland
just north of Middle Camp Beach
50) At the rocky headland.
- 3 red arrows, left to right:
1 Hales Bluff
2 Catherine Hill Bay Jetty
3 The town of Catherine Hill Bay ...
to the west of Hales Bluff
51) Same rocky headland as previous pic.
- Amy
52a, b) Still at the rocky headland.
- Red arrow: We are heading towards Middle Camp Inlet.
- 52a: Karen, Ai Ling, John, Lyndal, Amy, May
- 52b: Closer to Middle Camp Inlet
• Amy
Middle Camp Inlet - south side
53) At the south side of the inlet.
- Ai Ling, Lyndal, Amy
- White arrow: A cave ... see photo #54.
- Yellow dot: As far as we can go in the inlet.
- To cross the inlet (ie to the north side):
• We'll retrace our steps.
• Climb up and over the left-side cliffs.
• Go inland a bit to get around the inlet.
Photo by John
54) The cave ... White arrow of previous pic.
55) Looking back at the inlet.
(Taken from near the yellow dot of photo #53.)
To the north side of Middle Camp Inlet
To get to the north side of Middle Camp Inlet:
- At the yellow dot of photo #3, backtrack a bit.
- Go around the base of the cliffs a bit.
- And find a way up the cliffs.
56a, b) Now above Middle Camp Inlet.
(After we found a way up the cliffs)
- 56a: White arrow: Middle Camp Inlet
- 56b: Middle Camp Inlet meets South Pacific Ocean.
• John ... bottom edge of the pic
Now, need to bushbash inland to cross upstream of Middle Camp Inlet.
Then down towards the coast to the north side of the inlet.
57) Some unpleasant bushbashing ! 😭
Middle Camp Inlet - north side
58) We are now on the north side of inlet.
- North side on the right
South side on the left
- Yellow dot:
Same as the one photo #53 ...
So close !
But it takes a long detour to reach where we are now.
59) (Facing the opposite direction compared to previous pic)
Middle Camp Inlet meets South Pacific Ocean.
- North side on the left
South side on the right
60) Overview of Middle Camp Inlet.
- Clockwise from centre:
John, Karen, Ai Ling, May, Paul, Amy
- Yellow route: How we go from the south side of the inlet to the north side
Photo by John
61a, b) Similar scene as previous pic.
- Yellow route in both pics below:
How we go from the south side of the inlet to the north side
- 61a: Left to right: John, Karen, Ai Ling, May
- 61b: Zooming into the middle of #61a
• Front: Amy
• Back: John, Karen, Ai Ling, May
• Cyan route: How we approached the south side of the inlet.
62a, b) Middle Camp Inlet meets South Pacific Ocean.
- 62a: Amy
- 62b: Amy, Paul
62b: Photo by May
Baldy Cliff coastline
Baldy Cliff is just north of Middle Camp Inlet.
We'll walk along its coastline to Bogey Hole.
(Bogey Hole is also known as Catho Rockpool.)
63) Baldy Cliff coastline.
- Amy, John, Lyndal
64) Baldy Cliff coastline.
- Left to right: May, Amy, Karen. John, Ai Ling
Bogey Hole aka Catho Rockpool
65) At Bogey Hole,
also known as Catho Rockpool.
- Many nice rock pools are here ...
Wonderful swimming area.
- The downside ... always too many people here
66) Crystal clear water in this pool.
67) A different pool to the previous one.
- Amy
68) Amy graduating to a bigger pool.
69) Amy at the centre.
The rest are not our group.
70) Karen & May looking for Sea Snails.
71a, b, c) Panorama of the rock pool area.
- 71a: 3 white arrows: Amy, Karen, May
- 71b: Panning to the right of #71a
• 2 white arrows: Karen, May
- 71c: Panning to the right of #71b
72) May & Amy showing off their Sea Snail.
(See photo #73.)
73a, b) Gastropods.
- They belong to a large taxonomic class of invertebrates within the phylum Mollusca called Gastropoda.
- This class comprises many thousands of species of snails, slugs and limpets from saltwater, freshwater, and from the land.
We keep walking northward.
74) Still at Bogey Hole,
and looking back at where we came from.
- Centre of the pic: Around photos #71a, #71b.
End of Bogey Hole
Start of Drummer Hole
75a, b) This channel marks the end of Bogey Hole area.
- 75a: Facing north
• Red arrow: Drummer Hole ... nothing special there.
• Yellow route: Direction of our walk to Shark Hole
• White arrow: Just a seabird
- 75b: The channel in the opposite direction compared to #75a
• 2 pretty birds: May, Karen
Drummer Hole
76) Drummer hole coastline.
- Drummer Hole itself is beyond the right edge of this pic.
- Ai Ling, John
Shark Hole
Trip report and more pictures of Shark Hole are in this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/shark-hole-pink-caves-to-caves-beach.html
Only a few pictures of the Shark Hole area are presented below.
77a, b) Overview of Shark Hole.
- 2 red arrows, left to right:
1 Ladder down to a narrow channel
2 As far out as we'll go at this rocky headland
- 2 yellow dots, left to right:
1 We'll be there ... photo #78
2 We'll be there ... photo #33 in this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/shark-hole-pink-caves-to-caves-beach.html
- Yellow arrows & dashes:
Our route along this part of the coast
Photos by John
78) Very nice view of Shark Hole.
(Photo taken at the left yellow dot of photo #77a)
- May (and the other girls) like this spot 😊
Photo by Karen
79) Ladder down to the inside of a narrow channel.
(The channel will lead to the bay of previous pic.)
(Photo taken at the left red arrow of photo #77a)
- May ... taking photographs of Amy & John
All of us climb down the ladder,
except Lyndal and Ai Ling.
Lyndal:
She has an injured hand from few weeks ago ...
Bitten by a cat 😊
Ai Ling:
No idea why shes doesn't want to climb down
to explore.
80) Down inside the narrow channel.
- Karen
- Yellow arrow: The ladder of previous pic
81) The narrow channel leads to here.
- Further out is the bay of photo #78.
- May, Karen
- Red arrow: Amy will be on top of this rock (photos #82a, #82b).
82a, b) Same area as previous pic.
- Amy ... on top of the rock in the channel
(It is the red arrow of previous pic.)
- When the tide is low, one can walk to the rock
without getting one's feet wet.
- Today, only Amy is willing to wade through the water.
82a: Photo by May
Trip report and more pictures of Shark Hole are in this link:
https://mntviews.blogspot.com/2025/04/shark-hole-pink-caves-to-caves-beach.html
Coastline between Shark Hole & Nudie Cave
83) On our way along the coast to Nudie Cave.
- 83a: • Yellow route: Our way along the coast
• 5 red arrows, left to right:
1 Amy will be on this rock, photo #84.
2 Photos #86 - #97 ???
3 Photos #101 - #102 ???
4 Quarries Head
5 Spoon Rocks
• White rectangle: #83b zooms into this area.
- 83b: (Zooming into the white rectangle of #83a)
• White rectangle: #83c zooms into this area.
- 83c: (Zooming into the white rectangle of #83b)
Some people fishing
84a, b) Amy on the rock ...
Left-most red arrow of photo #83a.
-84a: John, Lyndal, Amy
• Yellow dot: Where May will be in photo #85.
85) Coastline towards Nudie Cave.
- May ... She is at the yellow dot of photo #84a.
- Red dot: Same spot as the red dot in photo #86
- Yellow route: Our route towards Nudie Cave
86) Looking back at where we came from.
- John, May, Karen
- Red dot: Same spot as the red dot in photo #85
- Yellow arrows: Our route
We keep walking northward towards Nudie Cave.
87a, b) Looking back at where we came from.
- 3 closest hikers:
John, May, Karen
(The others are not our group.)
- Red arrow: Shark Hole is behind the ridge.
- Yellow route: Our way along the coast.
88) We are close to Nudie Cave ...
which is close to where Amy is now.
- Lyndal, John, Ai Ling, Amy
Close to Nudie Cave
89a) Close to Nudie Cave (white arrow).
- May (having fun), Ai Ling
89b: Closer to the cave (white arrow).
- Lyndal, Ai Ling, May
Photos by Karen
Nudie Cave & south side of inlet
We arrive at the south side of an inlet that feeds into Nudie Cave.
Grid Ref of Nudie cave: 7350 3314.
There are ropes for you to get down to the cave during low tide, unfortunately, not now.
Refer to photo #91 for the ropes.
90) Nudie Cave and its inlet ... This is it.
- Yellow oval: In photos #91 and #92, we'll be down there.
- Yellow arrow: Afterwards, we'll cross over to the north side of the inlet.
91) Nudie Cave.
- White oval: Ropes to get down the rocks
- Amy ... pretending to climb down 😊
- At low tide, we could have climbed down.
Unfortunately, not now, not today 😭
92) Nudie Cave ... again.
- Amy ... again
- White oval: Ropes to get down the rocks
93) Nice colour of Nudie Cave !
Photo by John
Near Nudie Cave's south side
94a, b) Can a geologist please explain what is the strange layer of cream-coloured vein in the 2 pics below ?
- Karen, Amy
Over Nudie Cave
95) We now cross over to the north side of Nudie Cave.
- Ai Ling, May, Amy
96) Keep crossing over to the north side of Nudie Cave.
- John, Karen, Lyndal, Ai Ling, May, Amy
97a, b) Nudie Cave inlet.
- We are directly above the cave.
97b: Photo by Amy
Nudie Cave & north side of inlet
We are now at the north side of Nudie Cave and its inlet.
98) Nudie Cave and its inlet ...
(Facing the south side of the inlet)
- Yelow arrow: Direction of walk across top of the cave
- White arrow: Amy was hanging onto the white rope in photo #91.
99) Panning to the left of previous pic.
- Red arrow:
Rocky headland ... north side of Shark Hole.
The other side of the arrow is Shark Hole.
- Yellow arrows: Our route along the coast
100a, b) At the northern tip of the inlet.
- Amy, John
- 100a, Red arrow:
Rocky headland ... north side of Shark Hole.
The other side of the arrow is Shark Hole.
100b: Photo by May
101) Lyndal ... at where Amy was in the previous pic.
- Lyndal's hand is wrapped ... injury caused by a cat's bite 😭
Unnamed sea caves
102a, b) These sea caves are just north of Nudie Cave.
- 102a: May, Karen, Amy, John, Lyndal
- 102b: Lyndal, May
102b: Photo by John
103a, b) Unnamed sea caves ... nice !
Photos by John
Lookout with view to Pinny Beach
After the unnamed sea caves, we arrive at a lookout with a view towards Pinny Beach.
Grid Ref of the lookout: 7350 3331
It is on a cliff above the coastline.
104a, b) Lookout ... to Pinny Beach.
- 104a: Pinny Beach
• Yellow dot:
The lookout, GR 7350 3331
(Going directy from lookout to beach is difficut.
The bush is too thick 😭)
• Yellow route on the left:
Yondeo Trail to Pinny Beach ...
That's how we'll get down to the beach.
• Yellow route on the right:
Direction we'll take to Quarries Head
- 104b: Panning to the right of #104a
• Red arrow: Spoon Rocks
• Right most yellow arrow: Quarries Head
• Yellow route:
Route we'll take to Quarries Head and beyond
To Pinny Beach
The bush is too thick to go directly from the lookout to Pinny Beach.
So we back track a bit.
Get onto Southern Headland Trail, then W Pinney Trail ...
They detour inland to avoid the bush.
Then onto Yondeo Trail to get down to the Beach.
105) Yondeo Trial ...
It leads to the northern part of Pinny Beach.
- Amy, Ai Ling, Karen
106) Yondeo Trial ...
Very close to Pinny Beach now ... just in front.
- May, Amy, Karen, Ai Ling
Pinny Beach
107) We arrive at Pinny Beach ... northern part.
- 3 red arrows, left to right:
1 Rock jutting out to the sea ...
Same as the slanting red arrow in photo #108a
2 The unnamed sea caves in photos #102 #103 are just behind this arrow.
3 Lookout over Pinny Beach ... photo #104
- Yellow arrows: Our route
108a, b) At Pinny Beach.
108a: Looking back at where we came from
- 4 red arrows, left to right:
1 The unnamed sea caves in photos #102 #103 are just behind this arrow.
2 Rock jutting out to the sea ... same as the left-most red arrow in photo #107
3 Lookout over Pinny Beach ... photo #104
4 Pinny Beach
- Yellow arrows: Our route not that long ago
108b: Panning to the right of previous pic
- John, Lyndal
- Yellow arrows: Our route
- 2 top-most yellow arrows: Yondeo Trail
109a, b) Still at Pinny Beach, facing north-ish.
- Red arrow in both pics below:
Quarries Head ... We are going there now.
- 109a: Ai Ling
- 109b: Left to right: Amy, Ai Ling
Quarries Head
Quarries Head is just north of Pinny Beach.
110a, b) We are at Quarries Head.
- 110a: Left to right: Amy, May, Karen, Ai Ling
- 110b: Karen, May
- Yellow arrow: To the tip of Quarries Head
- 2 red arrows, left to right:
1 Headland north of Shark Hole
2 The unnamed sea caves in photos #102 #103 are just behind this arrow.
111a, b) Looking back at where we came from.
111a: Foreground is Quarries Head.
- Yellow arrows: Our route not that long ago
- 4 red arrows, left to right:
1 Headland north of Shark Hole
2 The unnamed sea caves in photos #102 #103 are just behind this arrow.
3 Lookout over Pinny Beach ... photo #104
4 Pinny Beach (right edge)
111b: Identical scene as previous pic
- Karen
111b: Photo by Amy
112a, b) Amy ... taking photo #111b.
113a, b) Perfectly round hole on the beach rocks.
114a, b) Interesting patterns on the beach rocks
115) Still at Quarries Head.
- Beehive like patterns on the beach rocks
Photo by John
116a, b) More beehive like patterns ... on rock cliffs.
- 116b: Zooming into the middle part of #116a
Quarries Head - its tip
117) Tip of Quarries Head.
- Amy
- 2 red arrows, left to right:
1 Headland north of Shark Hole
2 The unnamed sea caves in photos #102 #103 are just behind this arrow.
118) Leptograpsus variegatus.
(Purple Rock Crab, Purple Shore Crab, Swift-footed Crab)
119) Walking northward ... from tip of Quarries Head.
- 2 red arrows, left to right:
1 Clockwise from lower-left: Lyndal, May, John
2 Spoon Rocks
- Foreground: Left to right: Amy, Karen
Quarries Head - north of its tip
120) May.
121) All the girls take turn posing on this rock 😊
(Except Ai Ling, she doesn't like the limelight.)
- Clockwise from top-left: May, Amy, Karen, Lyndal
Bottom-right: Photo by May
Split Rock
Grid Ref: 7373 3382
122) Split Rock.
- Top to bottom: Lyndal, Amy, John
- Red arrow: Spoon Rocks
123) Split Rock.
- Top to bottom: John, Karen
- Red arrow: Spoon Rocks
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 ... On top of the rock mentioned in photo #134.
136a, b) Amy ... On top of the same rock as in previous pic.
137a, b) Going to the right yellow circle of photo #132.
- Ai Ling
138a, b) The right yellow circle of photo #132.
- 138a: May, Karen
- 138b: Karen, May
139a, b) Carpobrotus glaucescens (Pigface or Iceplant)
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 Spoon Rocks.
- We didn't go there. May be next time.
- We walked on a footpath along the top of the cliffs,
beyond the right edge of this photo.
(Not right by the side of the coastline.)
To Cave Beach
144a, b) On a footpath to Cave Beach.
- Yellow arrow: Direction of walk
- 144a: Closer to Stinky Point
• Left to right:
Ai Ling
May
John (mostly blocked by May)
Lyndal (mostly blocked by Karen)
Karen
- 144b: Closer to Cave Beach
• Lyndal, Karen
Cave Beach
We'll only visit a sea cave in Cave Beach.
And that is the final objective of this trip.
We didn't walk on the main beach for swimmers.
145a, b) Stairs down to Cave 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 Cave 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 can't 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 other 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:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DSlchhWAmvb
154) Group photo of the 7 of us in the sea cave area.
May, Paul, John, Lyndal, Ai Ling, Karen, Amy
- Background: Cave Beach proper
- Red oval: Lyndal's wrapped hand ... injured by a cat's bite
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
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