Wollongong’s 17 Patrolled Beaches, Summer 2026-27 (NSW): Patrol Hours by Season, Flags and Beach Rules

Wollongong City Council patrols 17 beaches this summer, from Stanwell Park in the north to Windang in the south, and swimmers should enter the water only between the red and yellow flags. This brief sets out the council’s patrol hours for each beach in each part of the 2026-27 season, taken from its Beaches page and Swim Season Hours page.

The patrol hours are not the same all summer. The council splits the season into three periods, and many beaches stay on later hours only from late October or late December. If you plan around a particular beach, check which period your date falls in.

When are the beaches patrolled this summer?

Period	Dates
Shoulder Season	Saturday 26 September to Friday 23 October 2026, and Saturday 20 March to Sunday 25 April 2027
High Season	Saturday 24 October to Friday 18 December 2026, and Saturday 30 January to Friday 19 March 2027
Peak Season	Saturday 19 December 2026 to Friday 29 January 2027

North Wollongong Beach is patrolled year-round, and in winter its patrols run from 9am to 4pm daily. The council says the other beaches are usually patrolled from the start of the September school holidays until the end of the April school holidays.

What are the patrol hours at each beach?

The council lists the beaches from north to south. Hours are daily unless stated.

Beach	Shoulder	High	Peak
Stanwell Park	9am to 5pm	9am to 6pm	9am to 6pm
Coalcliff	10am to 5pm	10am to 5pm	10am to 5pm
Scarborough	10am to 5pm	10am to 5pm	10am to 5pm
Coledale	10am to 5pm	10am to 5pm	9am to 6pm
Austinmer	9am to 5pm	9am to 6pm	9am to 6pm
Thirroul	9am to 5pm	9am to 6pm	9am to 6pm
Sandon Point	10am to 5pm	10am to 5pm	9am to 6pm Monday to Saturday; 10am to 5pm Sundays and public holidays
Bulli	9am to 5pm	9am to 6pm	9am to 6pm
Woonona	10am to 5pm	9am to 6pm	9am to 6pm
Bellambi	10am to 5pm	10am to 5pm	9am to 6pm
Corrimal	10am to 5pm	9am to 6pm	9am to 6pm
Towradgi	10am to 5pm	10am to 5pm	9am to 6pm
Fairy Meadow	10am to 5pm	9am to 6pm	9am to 6pm
North Wollongong	8am to 5pm	8am to 6pm	8am to 6pm
Wollongong City	9am to 5pm	9am to 6pm	9am to 6pm
Port Kembla	9am to 5pm	9am to 6pm	9am to 6pm
Windang	10am to 5pm	10am to 5pm	9am to 6pm

In the High Season that is running now, Coalcliff, Scarborough, Coledale, Sandon Point, Bellambi, Towradgi and Windang are patrolled 10am to 5pm. The other ten beaches are patrolled until 6pm. Over Christmas and January the council extends the longer hours to Coledale, Bellambi, Towradgi and Windang as well, and Sandon Point moves to 9am to 6pm from Monday to Saturday. Coalcliff and Scarborough stay on 10am to 5pm all summer.

Can I swim if a beach is listed as patrolled?

Only when the flags are up. The council’s wording says: even if a beach is listed as patrolled, no flags means no swim. Lifeguards or volunteer lifesavers choose the part of the beach that is most suitable for swimming and put the red and yellow flags there; they are on duty when the flags are displayed. Outside the advertised hours, or when there are no flags, the council says you should not enter the water.

Austinmer, Thirroul, North Wollongong and Port Kembla beaches are marked on the council’s list as accessible beaches.

What are the beach rules?

The council says fines of more than $100 can be issued to people who break these rules at its beaches:

• No surfboards between the red and yellow flags (body boards are allowed)
• No littering
• No horses
• No vehicles
• No alcohol
• No dogs, except in approved dog areas
• No fires

Camping is not allowed in most foreshore areas, parks and gardens, and council compliance officers can fine people who camp illegally in public spaces. Signs at each beach explain any other activities that are not allowed.

Where do I check water quality and parking?

The council says Beachwatch monitors water quality at local beaches and updates pollution forecasts daily; you can check the forecast for a particular beach on the Beachwatch website. For parking, see our separate guide to Wollongong’s timed beach parking limits, and for the surf races at Thirroul Beach on 14 and 15 November, our article on the Iron Series at Thirroul Beach.

Questions about a particular beach can go to the council on (02) 4227 7111.

Sources

• City of Wollongong — Beaches
• City of Wollongong — Swim Season Hours

Featured image: North Beach, North Wollongong, photographed in December 2025 (photo: DaHuzyBru / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added).

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Wollongong City Council. Hours can change at any time; check the council’s pages before you go.