Beaches

PARKING GUIDEWollongong

Wollongong Beach Parking Time Limits: 4 Hours at Austinmer, Flagstaff Hill and Port Kembla, 2 Hours at Stanwell Park (Wollongong, NSW)

Stanwell Park Beach

Parking at five coastal car park areas in the City of Wollongong is free but time-limited, as of October 2026: four hours at Austinmer Beach, Flagstaff Hill and the Port Kembla beach car parks, and two hours at part of the Bald Hill car park and the Stanwell Park Beach car park. Council Compliance Officers enforce the limits over the summer months.

CLOSURESSouthport

Gold Coast Swimming Enclosures: Where the City’s Netted Swimming Areas Are and What Is Nearby (QLD)

Shoreline at Jacobs Well, Gold Coast

The City of Gold Coast says it has 8 enclosed swimming areas, which are popular with children and people who prefer calm natural water. The City’s list names nine places, including the Rockpools wet play area in Southport, and none of the enclosures is patrolled by lifeguards.

GUIDESurfers Paradise · Coolangatta

Gold Coast Lifeguard Patrol Times 2026: 8am to 5pm Year Round at Most Towers, Summer-Only Towers Start in November (QLD)

A yellow lifeguard tower and a lifeguard vehicle on The Spit beach, Gold Coast

Most Gold Coast lifeguard towers are patrolled between 8am and 5pm every day all year round, but a set of towers only open for part of the year. In mid-October the towers that open “every day from September to April” are on, while those that start “between November and April” are not on that schedule yet, although the City also lists them as patrolled during school holidays. Always swim between the red and yellow flags, and if there are no flags, do not swim.

PARKING GUIDECoolangatta · Kirra

Kirra Beach Parking: Two Free Roughton Park Car Parks, 24 Hours, 150 to 199 Spaces Each (Coolangatta, Gold Coast, QLD)

Kirra Beach seen from the jetty between Coolangatta Beach and Kirra Beach, Queensland

Parking at both Roughton Park car parks beside Kirra Beach is free. The City of Gold Coast says there is no charge to park at either one, and that parking is available 24 hours a day. Each car park holds 150 to 199 vehicles, and each has accessible parking spaces. Details on this page are as of October 2026, taken from the City’s car park pages.

PARKING GUIDEPalm Beach

Tallebudgera Creek Car Park, Palm Beach: Free, With 3-Hour Limits on Some Bays From 7am to 5pm (Gold Coast, QLD)

Foreshore of Burleigh Heads along Tallebudgera Creek, seen from the Gold Coast Highway

The City of Gold Coast’s Tallebudgera Creek car park in Palm Beach is free. It has no meters, and it is open 24 hours, but some bays have a maximum stay of 3 hours between 7am and 5pm, Monday to Sunday. The City says spaces fill quickly on weekends and public holidays, so it recommends arriving early. Details on this page are as of October 2026, taken from the City’s car park and park pages.