Lobster Beach from Ettalong

LOCATION: ETTALONG TO LOBSTER BEACH
LENGTH: ~4km (2km each way)

This is a relatively short paddle that I thought of while swimming at Ocean Beach (between Umina and Ettalong) which looks across to Lobster Beach. You can hike to Lobster Beach but it's a steep walk and it struck me how easy it would be to reach by kayak.

HAZARDS: This waterway is busy and is subject to strong tidal flows and is exposed to southerly winds. Check the forecast winds and tides (though figuring out the tides can be tricky for this stretch of water). The path shown first crosses the channel then follows the deeper part of the channel around to Lobster beach. This channel is the main thoroughfare for ALL large boats going in and out of Brisbane Water from Broken Bay so it can get quite busy. You may also see lots of fast jet skis although there are speed restrictions in certain areas. Keep clear of the main path as much as possible and make sure you are seen!

We launched one street along from the ferry wharf at Ettalong. You could probably launch at the wharf itself, or further along there's another boat wharf, but there are plenty of launch options depending on how long you want the trip to be. One issue in summer is parking in the streets near the water which can be competitive!

After crossing the main channel we kept pretty close to shore. This meant we were mostly out of the way of the traffic but it also made the trip quite scenic. You can get much closer to the shore in a kayak than the boats can.

Around the point we could see our destination ahead ...

And then reached it.

You can swim here and there's a toilet. It was a really hot day so the swim and the shady bits were good.

Heading back we stayed even closer to the shore and saw all this beautiful bright green sea grass and lots of little fish.

Another option for the return leg would be to go across to Ettalong beach. There are also sand banks that you can stop at if the tide is right.