As summer officially begins next week, the annual debate about Australia's best beaches inevitably turns to which stretch of coastline boasts the whitest sand. However, there's another side to Australia's coastal story that often goes unnoticed - our spectacular black sand beaches that rival famous international destinations.
The White Sand Myth Debunked
While Hyams Beach in Jervis Bay has famously traded on its "whitest sand" reputation for years, the reality is more nuanced. During peak summer, the crowds can be so thick that you can't even see the sand beneath the towels. More importantly, numerous other Jervis Bay beaches offer equally white sand, and all are distant runners-up to genuinely whiter beaches like Lucky Bay near Esperance in Western Australia.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to travel to Italy's Amalfi Coast or Hawaii to experience striking black sand beaches. Australia has its own collection of dark coastal gems, many located right on our doorstep along the NSW South Coast.
Honeysuckle Beach: A Hidden Treasure
Just beyond the Clyde Mountain, a left turn at the second roundabout leads you within half an hour to Murramarang National Park, home to one of Australia's highest concentrations of black sand and pebble beaches. The standout among these is Honeysuckle Beach, a destination as alluring as its name suggests.
This eastern-facing crescent of black sand and pebbles offers a wild, undeveloped experience - no coffee vans or ice-cream vendors clutter the car park here. While accessible via bumpy dirt tracks, the true magic of Honeysuckle Beach reveals itself to those who walk there.
The shorter route from North Head covers less than two kilometres each way but delivers an unforgettable journey. A detour to the cliff-top lookout near the campground offers magnificent coastal views and seasonal whale watching opportunities. "On a fine day, I'll eat my hat if there isn't a better view on the South Coast," declares seasoned explorer Tim the Yowie Man.
Wildlife and Natural Wonders
The track north winds through spotted gum and cycad forests characteristic of this region, offering shade and sea breezes that provide welcome relief on summer scorchers. As you descend toward the beach, the first glimpse of the black sand crescent appears ahead.
Where the track meets the sand, a grassy knoll often hosts sunning diamond pythons, while goannas patrol the sandhills. Seeing these creatures is considered good luck, and their tracks frequently mark the dark sand.
At the southern end of the beach, a small sea cave contains an unexpected resident - native yellow paper wasps (Ropalidia romandi). Their papery hexagonal nests, often mistaken for bee hives, dangle from the cave ceiling. Beachcombers will also find nest remnants scattered across the sand, possibly dislodged by strong sea breezes or large swells.
Apiarist Bradley Poile confirms these are wasps rather than bees, noting "There's no honey there, so if they are bees, they are the least productive I've ever seen." While less aggressive than some introduced species, these native wasps will sting if their nests are disturbed.
More Dark Coastal Gems
Honeysuckle Beach isn't Australia's only dark-coloured coastal wonder. Other notable black sand beaches include:
Kiama, NSW: Black Beach features ocean pools on either side, located between Kiama Harbour and the town centre.
Mackay, QLD: The palm-studded, six-kilometre Blacks Beach offers stunning sunrise and sunset strolls, though seasonal turtle nesting may cause closures.
Flinders, Victoria: Mushroom Reef Beach showcases black pebbles over white sand against dramatic basalt cliffs, complete with a marine sanctuary.
The Best of Both Worlds: For those who can't choose between black and white, Dark Beach south of Durras offers both. The northern section has predominantly white sand, while the southern section features black sand and cobbles.
A Geological Marvel
The colour variation at Dark Beach results from a rare, readily observable angular unconformity - a geological boundary between rocks from completely different time periods. Here, 300-million-year-old lighter-coloured sedimentary sandstone of the Sydney Basin sits atop darker-coloured slate and chert that's approximately 150 million years older.
Geologist Phil Smart explains, "You can see this unconformity exposed in the cliff face to the east of the stairs that descend to adjoining Myrtle Beach. About 100 metres to the south there is a large exposure of the darker-coloured chert rock. The hard black chert in these outcrops is the source of the black sand."
Visitors should note that Myrtle Beach offers another unexpected sight - it's clothing-optional.
Name Origins and Local History
Contrary to what the name might suggest, Wasp Island off Durras wasn't named for its insect population. According to Helen Moody's "Islands of the South Coast of NSW" (2023), Thomas Florence named the island, along with Wasp Head and Wasp Harbour (now Ulladulla), after his survey boat The Wasp in 1828.
The yellow paper wasp itself earns its name from the perennial nests constructed from papery plant fibres glued together with saliva.
As summer approaches, these black sand beaches offer Australians an alternative coastal experience - wild, geologically fascinating, and far from the crowded white sand hotspots that dominate seasonal discussions. So why not spread your towel on some dark sand this summer and discover a different side of Australia's coastline?
