Moon Bay: How to Visit This Remote Beach on the Sapphire Coast

Moon Bay is a beautiful remote beach in the Mimosa Rocks National Park. Despite its secluded setting, it’s actually fairly straightforward to reach. Best of all, it’s surprisingly not that well-known. So, you can expect genuine peace and quiet at this hidden beach.

In this guide, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about visiting Moon Bay. In particular, we’ll detail the easiest way to get there and also a longer yet thrilling coastal walk to reach the beach!

About Moon Bay

Moon Bay (AKA Moon Bay Beach) is one of many gorgeous secluded beaches in the Mimosa Rocks National Park. At around 200 metres wide, it’s only a small beach. But, it isn’t the size of the beach that’s impressive. The remote vibes and natural surroundings are what make this beach really special. It’s also set back around 200 metres from the ocean. Within the confines of the bay, the water remains calm and chilled. So, it’s just perfect for swimming, snorkelling and fishing.

So, exactly where is this spectacular beach located?

Where Is Moon Bay?

Moon Bay is located in Mogareeka, near Tathra, on the Sapphire Coast of NSW. As mentioned, the beach falls within the boundaries of the Mimosa Rocks National Park, which is an area managed by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services. The beach is around a six hour drive away from Sydney.

How to Get to Moon Bay

All in all, it’s fairly straightforward to get to Moon Bay. The easiest and most popular way to access the beach is by doing a short walk along the Moon Bay Walking Track. Below, we’ll look at some details about this quick walk option.

Moon Bay Walking Track (Short Walk)

• Type: Out & Back
• Distance: 500 metres
• Time: 10–15 minutes
• Difficulty: Easy
• Trailhead: Moon Bay Car Park
• Map: Google Maps

From the Moon Bay Car Park, which is also the trailhead for the Wajurda Point Walking Track, you’ll join the Moon Bay Walking Track. Simply put, you’ll follow the short walking track to reach the beach. Easy peasy.

Just be aware, the track is mostly stepped and somewhat steep. So, getting down to the beach is easy. But, retracing your steps and walking back up the steps is a little more physically demanding and time-consuming. Of course, it’s all worth the effort!

Given it’s a proper bushwalk, we recommend wearing decent footwear for the walk – not just your flip-flops!

So, that’s the easy option. Given the ease of access from the Moon Bay Car Park, this is by far the most popular option for getting to the beach. But, there is another option, if you don’t mind doing a longer walk.

Fords Walking Tack (Long Walk)

• Type: Out & Back
• Distance: 5.2km
• Time: 1.5–2 hours
• Difficulty: Moderate
• Trailhead: Ray Whyman Reserve
• Map: Google Maps

From the Ray Whyman Reserve, north of the Mogareeka Inlet and Tathra Beach, you can walk to Moon Bay. This walk is also known as the Mogareeka to Moon Bay Walk and is the walk that Beck and I did to reach Moon Bay. The benefit of doing a longer walk is that you get to explore more of the stunning surrounding coastline.

In particular, by doing this walk, you’ll enjoy stellar views of the Mogareeka Inlet, which is where the Bega River meets the ocean. From the slightly elevated position on the Fords Walking Track, you’ll enjoy far-reaching views of the Bega River as well as Tathra Beach.

Eventually, after following a meandering bush trail, you’ll arrive at the southern end of Moon Bay.

FYI – to shave around 1km off the walk, you can park at the end of Bay Drive in Mogareeka, which is where the Fords Walking Track officially starts.

Things to Do at Moon Bay

Whichever walk you choose to do to get to Moon Bay, you’ll no doubt arrive at the beach ready to relax and unwind. So, what is there to do at the beach exactly? Well, that’s all up to you. Do as you please!

As mentioned, Moon Bay is a really well-sheltered beach. Given the calm waters in the bay, swimming, snorkelling and fishing tend to be the most popular activities. Otherwise, some people visit to do birdwatching, while others explore historic artefacts such as rusted stubs of mooring rings and grooves carved into the cliff walls. These artefacts are remnants of a log slide and mooring area, where timber and farm-related products were loaded onto barges.

Personally speaking, Beck and I can get a bit fidgety at the beach. If you’re feeling a little restless after swimming and relaxing, and you’ve seen everything you want to at the beach, there are some nearby places that you should visit, starting at the Wajurda Point Walking Track.

Wajurda Point Lookout

Just north of Moon Bay, you’ll find the Wajurda Point Walking Track. As mentioned, the trail starts from the Moon Bay Car Park. It’s another short walking track, which doesn’t take too much time or energy. The walking track soon reaches Wajurda Point Lookout, which provides fantastic views of Nelson Beach.

​​​​​​​Nelson Beach

Nelson Beach is another one of those secluded beaches in the Mimosa Rocks National Park. If Nelson Beach has tickled your interest and you’re in the mood for some beach hopping, you can certainly walk to the beach via the Nelson Walking Track. You’ll find the Nelson Walking Track, not too far from the Moon Bay Car Park, at the end of Nelson Beach Road.

Tathra Beach

South of Moon Bay, you’ll find the breathtaking Tathra Beach, which is located in the heart of the coastal town of Tathra. This beach isn’t secluded like Moon Bay, but a lot of it is surrounded by bushland, so it still has those lovely nature feels. Definitely, while you’re in the area, you should check out Tathra Beach.

Read more: Tathra Beach and Its Fantastic Beachside Accommodation

Facilities and Amenities at Moon Bay

There are no facilities or amenities at Moon Bay. Of course, this is part of the charm. But, it means you’ll need to be prepared. Make sure to pack whatever you need for your trip to this secluded beach.

Accessibility

Unfortunately, Moon Bay isn’t accessible to those who are mobility impaired. Thankfully, Tathra Beach is an accessible beach. In fact, at Tathra Beach, it’s possible to hire beach wheelchairs with floats from the Surf Life Saving Club for free. Also, the playground at Taylor Square at the southern end of Tathra Beach is an all-abilities playground.

Things to Do Near Moon Bay

Other than exploring Wajurda Point, Nelson Beach and Tathra Beach, there are great things to do further afield from Moon Bay. There are plenty of other remote beaches to explore in the Mimosa Rocks National Park and Bournda National Park.

Additionally, Beck and I think one of the best places to visit near Mogareeka is the underrated Kianinny Bay. It’s a lesser-known yet exquisite bay, that’s a great place for a picnic.

Otherwise, if you’re happy to travel a little further away, you could head south to check out the gorgeous coastal town of Merimbula or go slightly inland to chase Nethercote Falls. In the opposite direction, you could head to Bermagui and check out the sensational Bermagui Blue Pool, Camel Rock or Horse Head Rock.

Read more: Kianinny Bay – A Spectacular Bay That You Need to Visit in NSW

Where to Stay Near Moon Bay

There are many excellent accommodation options in nearby Tathra. That’s where you’ll find many lovely properties along Tathra Beach. Below, we’ll look at the best accommodation options in this beautiful coastal town.

Otherwise, if you’re looking to camp near Moon Bay, we recommend heading to one of the many campgrounds in the Mimosa Rocks National Park. These include the Aragunnu, Picnic Point, Middle Beach and Gillards Beach campgrounds.

How to Get to Moon Bay

The easiest way to get to Moon Bay is to drive there as there is no direct public transport access. If you don’t have a car, we recommend hiring one for the day or for your South Coast NSW road trip.

Bear in mind, that many of the roads in the Mimosa Rocks National Park are unsealed dirt roads. Fortunately, the Moon Bay Car Park is accessible to 2WD vehicles.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

Travel Essentials

Moon Bay is a remote beach, so you’ll need to be prepared and pack a hat, swimmers, sunscreen, sunglasses, a long-sleeve shirt, snacks and plenty of water.

Otherwise, here are our gear essentials for your road trip along the South Coast of NSW or for any trip around the globe!

To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite travel gear, camera gear and hiking gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.

Please leave us a comment below.

We acknowledge and respect the First Nations people as the Traditional Custodians of the land/water that we visited and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.