Oak
Park.
For us, Oak Park is the jewel in Cronulla’s crown. A beautiful rockpool, a surf break, a big green park and an underwater world you'll fall in love with.
The jewel
in the crown.
If we had to choose one place around Cronulla, this would be it.
We love the beaches around Bate Bay and the quieter corners of Gunnamatta Bay, but Oak Park is our favourite. It brings so many of the things we enjoy into one place, with the ocean right in front of you.
You can swim in the rockpool, watch the surf, wander along the Esplanade or settle on the grass with a picnic. If you like snorkelling or scuba diving, there’s a whole other side to the place beneath the surface.
What makes it special for us is how much there is to notice. The shape of the reef, the colour of the water, birds on the rocks and, sometimes, something much bigger passing by. We’d come here for the view alone. Everything else makes us want to stay.
Bring the kids.
Bring the swimmers.
This is our pick for a family swim on a calm day. The sandy beach slopes into the pool, with room to splash, paddle and build confidence in the water.
When the kids have had enough swimming, the park is just above. Towels on the grass, something to eat and another swim when everyone’s ready. That’s a lovely afternoon in our book.
The pool and beach are unpatrolled. Stay close to children and check the swell before swimming; waves can wash over the pool walls.
Put your
goggles on.
There’s much more here than the view from the path.
Oak Park is a wonderful place to take an interest in what’s happening underwater. On a clear, calm day, the rocks, reef and moving fish give you plenty to look at. A mask and snorkel can completely change how you see this stretch of coast.
The big blue gropers are a highlight for us. They’re one of the reasons we rate snorkelling here so highly. Keep an eye out, give them space and enjoy watching them go about their business.
For certified scuba divers, Oak Park is also an established shore dive. Local operator Abyss describes a reef with kelp, ledges, sand channels and colourful sponge growth. Their Oak Park dive guide is a useful starting point for arranging a dive with local knowledge.
The open reef is a different environment from the pool. Choose conditions that suit your experience and check the entry and exit before getting in. Enjoy the marine life without touching, feeding or chasing it.
A wave
worth watching.
Oak Park has a great surf break too. Known as Sandshoes, it’s a right-hand reef break that adds another reason to stop along this part of the Esplanade.
We enjoy watching the waves from the shore just as much as looking into the calmer water. Take a seat, look out to sea and give yourself a few minutes to watch what’s happening.
This is a reef break, so assess the conditions and your experience before paddling out. Read more in the local surfing guide.
You never know
what’s passing.
Some of our favourite photographs begin with a little patience.
The wildlife is a huge part of why we love Oak Park. Seals, dolphins, whales and sharks all feature in our photographs from this stretch of coast. Seeing them changes an ordinary walk into something you’ll talk about on the way home.
You don’t have to be in the water to enjoy it. Pause along the Esplanade and look beyond the pool. Watch the surface, then the rocks and the reef. A passing dolphin or a seal in the shallows is a lovely reminder of how much life is right beside the city.
During whale migration season, roughly May to November, keep looking further out too. The Shire Whale Trail includes the area around Oak Park Pavilion as a place to stop and watch. Bring binoculars if you have them.
Of course, the animals choose when to appear. These photos are moments we’ve captured, rather than a promise for every visit. Give wildlife room and let the encounter happen on its terms.
Look at
all those fish.
The huge schools of salmon are incredible to watch. From above, you can see them gather into a dense, moving shape, then turn together through the water.
We love these photographs because they show the scale of it. What looks like a dark patch at first becomes hundreds of individual fish when you look more closely.
A picnic.
A coffee.
Another swim.
There’s room to make a day of it.
The big grassy park is a real part of Oak Park’s appeal. It gives the kids somewhere to run around and play, and everyone somewhere to spread out a towel or picnic rug between swims.
There are swings, seating, two public barbecues and picnic shelters. Toilets, changing facilities and showers are in the pavilion, so it’s easy to rinse off and get comfortable before lunch or the walk home.
For coffee or something to eat, SixSmith Café is across Ewos Parade and a little to the north, at 143–145 Ewos Parade. It’s a handy option if you’d rather pick something up than pack the whole picnic.
We’d keep the plans loose here. Have a swim, enjoy something to eat and take another look at the water. Oak Park is a place we’d happily give a whole afternoon to.
Worth an
early start.
Oak Park is beautiful at sunrise. The pool, the rock platform and the open water give you plenty to work with, whether you’re taking photos or simply watching the morning arrive.
Later in the day, the clear water and reef make a completely different picture. We’ve included both, because this place has far more than one good angle.
Easy to reach.
Hard to leave.
Find Oak Park on Ewos Parade, beside the Esplanade.
Before you go, check the Port Hacking tide times and council’s pool information.
We’d allow about 20 minutes to walk from Cronulla train station, depending on your route and pace. If you follow the Esplanade and stop for the views along the way, give yourself longer. The walk is part of the outing.
If you’re driving, there’s on-street parking along Ewos Parade and in the surrounding streets. Check the parking signs and leave a little time to find a space on a busy day.
An accessible path at the end of Jibbon Street leads towards the foreshore. Check council’s park page for facilities and access information if you’re bringing a pram or have particular access needs.
Pack swimmers, towels, goggles, sunscreen and drinking water. Keep an eye on the conditions, especially if the sea is washing over the pool, and remember that neither the beach nor the pool has lifeguard patrols.
Once you’re here, take your time. A swim, a wander and a little wildlife watching are a lovely way to spend the day with us.
See why
we love it.
Come for a look around Oak Park with us. The pool, the park and the coastline are all part of why we call this the jewel in Cronulla’s crown. It’s one stop on our trip around the peninsula that deserves a little extra time.
A place to swim.
For generations.
Oak Park’s pool began as a local swimming hole in the early 1900s. Council upgraded it in 1930, then enlarged it in 1936 through an unemployment relief scheme. The Shire’s ocean pool history tells more of that story.
We love that this little corner has been giving people a place to swim and spend time together for so long. Looking at the pool today, with the park just behind it, it’s easy to see why it’s stayed part of everyday life in Cronulla.
Through our lens.
The pool, the park and the wildlife that make this place special.
