Garie is highly hazardous — permanent rips, strong currents and boulders. Swim only between the flags when patrolled.
Garie on BeachSafe →
Garie Beach
1.3 km of stunning surf coast — popular with surfers and families when patrols are on.
— checked against NPWS / BeachSafe where applicable.
Check NPWS alerts →At a glance
Little Garie to the south is GBHR 6/10. Off-season swimming is strongly discouraged.
GBHR 7/10 — rips, strong currents, high surf
Garie SLSC — weekends & public holidays, Oct–Apr
175 spaces at picnic area — gates lock at 8:30 pm
McKell Ave → Sir Bertram Stevens Drive → Garie Road
Landscape & name
About a kilometre of sand where sandstone cliffs meet rock pools on the headlands. The slightly more sheltered southern end isLittle Garie (GBHR 6/10).
How Garie got its name is uncertain — one theory is an Aboriginal word for sleepy; another traces it to Geaty, a bush ranger who camped here in the 1800s. A major redevelopment from 2005 restored the creek line, built the 175-space carpark, and opened the solar-powered Garie Beach Surf Safety Centre (the former youth hostel nearby burnt down in 2010).
Facilities
- Garie Beach Surf Safety Centre — kiosk, cold showers, toilets (solar-powered, rainwater)
- Picnic tables at carpark — no barbecues
- Bring drinking water
- Home to Garie SLSC (since 1938) and Garie Boardriders (since 1978)
- Garie Beach picnic area on NPWS →
Safety & patrols
- Patrol hours: When patrolled in summer, typically 9 am–5 pm (NPWS)
- Park open 7:00 am – 8:30 pm; entry $12 per vehicle per day
- Check BeachSafe and NPWS alerts
Surfing & fishing
Dangerous conditions produce excellent east-coast surf. Fishing and whale watching May–October from coastal lookouts. Coast Track access via Garawarra carpark nearby — North Era campground is closed to camping in 2026.
Related guides
Unofficial guide — always verify conditions withNSW National ParksandBeachSafebefore visiting.