Perkins Beach

Perkins Beach in southern suburbs of Wollongong is the perfect location for a long walk with your furry companions.

Perkins Beach is the longest in the Wollongong area curving from the south side of Red Point to the southwest then south for 7.2 km down to the entrance to Lake Illawarra in lee of Windang Island. It is accessible by car in the north around the Port Kembla SLSC, and in the south at the Windang SLSC.

Most of the beach is backed by now stabilised sand dunes. In the 1930s and '40s the dunes were actively extending hundreds of metre inland and threatening houses at Kemblawarra. Today the grassy dunes are Crown Land and are backed by Coomeditchy Lagoon Reserve in the north, Port Kembla Golf Course in the centre and the community of Windang in the south.

Swimming
Swimming is not recommended at this section of the beach. This area is UNPATROLLED. The closest PATROLLED beach is approx 1.3km to the south at Windang.This is a long rip-dominated beach, so definitely stay between the flags. In the south also stay clear of the lake entrance, which has strong tidal flows.

Surfing
A good surfing beach offering plenty of swell and often excellent beach breaks on the inner and outer bar, the latter holding to 2 m. The north end is also popular in the summer when the north winds blow offshore. Just off the north side of Windang Island is a patchy reef called Sharkies offering lefts and rights.

Fishing
The northern rocks at Red Point have a deep gutter running out from the beach and rock gutters further out. Good gutters run all the way down the beach, with the Windang Beach and the lake entrance always popular spots. Windang Island has wide flat rock platforms all round, and offers good spots on all sides.

Check out here for more scenic beaches in the Illawarra!