# Malabar Beach, Long Bay, Sydney URL: https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/malabar/ · Region: Eastern Suburbs · Facts checked: 2026-10-09 A quiet, sheltered beach at the head of Long Bay, 12 km from the city. Calm water, an ocean pool, a park behind the sand, and nowhere to sleep: the nearest bed is a pub hotel at Maroubra. Malabar Beach has no hotels, hostels or guesthouses. The nearest place to stay is the Southend Hotel, a pub with rooms at the south end of Maroubra, 26 minutes (about 2 km) away on foot. The beach itself sits at the head of Long Bay, is usually calm, has an ocean pool, and is patrolled by council lifeguards only in summer. At a glance: 12 km south-east of the CBD · lifeguards in summer only · ocean pool · wheelchair beach mat · no dogs on the beach. ## Nowhere to sleep at Malabar. The nearest bed is in Maroubra. Malabar is a small residential suburb wrapped around Long Bay. Most of the land around it is the Randwick Golf Course, the ANZAC Rifle Range and the Long Bay Correctional Centre, and we found no hotel, hostel or guesthouse in the suburb. The nearest accommodation business we found is the Southend Hotel, a pub with rooms at the south end of Maroubra. From its door to Malabar’s sand is about 2 km, 26 minutes on foot. Coogee, further north, has the most choice. Malabar Beach is a 26 min walk (2,060 m) from the Southend Hotel at the south end of Maroubra, south through the streets to Long Bay. Walk = walking time along the walking route on OpenStreetMap (not driving), door to sand, at 4.8 km/h. Every place to stay at Maroubra Beach, with its walk to the sand and climb home: [Where to stay at Maroubra Beach](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/maroubra/) ([Markdown](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/maroubra/index.md)). ## What’s there - **The beach.** The sand sits at the head of Long Bay, sheltered from most of the swell, and the council describes the conditions as normally placid. Cromwell Park is right behind it, with a playground, toilets, showers and change rooms. Swimming, snorkelling, kayaking and rock fishing are all popular. - **The south side and the ocean pool.** Malabar Ocean Pool is on the southern foreshore, below Randwick Golf Club, with a ramp down to the pool deck. A rock pool has been here since at least the 1890s. It closed for decades when sewage made the water unsafe, and reopened in March 1997. - **Malabar Headland.** The headland between Malabar and Maroubra is a national park. The Boora Point walking track runs across it between the two beaches: 5.6 km return, rated hard, and closed every Saturday and on the first and third Sunday of each month while the rifle range is in use. ## How to get to Malabar - **From Maroubra.** Through the streets from the south end of Maroubra, about 26 minutes from the Southend Hotel. On days the rifle range is quiet, the Boora Point walking track runs over the headland between the two beaches: 2.8 km each way, rated hard. (Sources: [NSW National Parks: Boora Point walking track](https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/boora-point-walking-track)) - **From the city.** There’s no train. Buses run from the city to Malabar, about 12 km. Plan the trip on the Transport NSW trip planner. (Sources: [Wikipedia: Malabar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malabar,_New_South_Wales); [Transport NSW trip planner](https://transportnsw.info/trip)) - **By car.** The beach is on Fishermans Road, with Cromwell Park behind it. There’s a car park at the ocean pool on Bay Parade. (Sources: [Randwick City Council: Malabar Beach](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/beaches/malabar-beach); [Randwick City Council: Malabar Ocean Pool](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/ocean-pools/malabar-ocean-pool)) - **From the airport.** There’s no direct train or bus. Most people with luggage take a taxi or rideshare. ## Is Malabar Beach safe? - **Is Malabar Beach patrolled?** Only in summer. Randwick Council lifeguards patrol Malabar from early December to early April (9 am to 5 pm, 6 December 2025 to 3 April 2026 last season). Outside that, it’s unpatrolled; Maroubra is patrolled all year. (Sources: [Randwick City Council: Malabar Beach](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/beaches/malabar-beach); [Randwick City Council: Lifeguards](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/lifeguards)) - **Is the water clean?** It is now, most of the time. Sewage from the Malabar outfall kept the beach and pool off limits for decades; the water cleared after the deep ocean outfall opened in 1990. Stormwater from the streets still drains onto the beach: avoid swimming during and for 24 hours after heavy rain, and check Beachwatch. (Sources: [Randwick City Council: Malabar Ocean Pool](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/ocean-pools/malabar-ocean-pool); [Randwick City Council: Malabar Beach](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/beaches/malabar-beach); [NSW Beachwatch](https://www.beachwatch.nsw.gov.au/)) - **Shark nets** Randwick’s shark nets are at Coogee and Maroubra, not Malabar. (Sources: [Randwick City Council: Shark management](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/shark-management)) ## Is Malabar good for kids? - Usually calm water, a playground in Cromwell Park, and toilets and showers by the sand. - Lifeguards in summer only. Outside the season, stay in the water with them. - A wheelchair mat (up to 60 m) can be rolled out to the hard sand on request; it also helps with prams. ## The downsides - Nowhere to stay in Malabar. The nearest bed is the Southend Hotel in Maroubra, 26 minutes away on foot. - No lifeguards outside the summer season. - Don’t swim during or for 24 hours after heavy rain: stormwater drains onto the beach. - The Boora Point track from Maroubra is closed on Saturdays, two Sundays a month and at short notice. - No dogs, no alcohol and no glass on the beach. ## FAQ ### Where can I stay near Malabar Beach? There’s no accommodation in Malabar. The nearest place we found is the Southend Hotel at Maroubra, about 26 minutes away on foot. Coogee has the most hotels and hostels near a beach in this part of Sydney. ### Is Malabar Beach good for swimming? Yes. It’s sheltered at the head of Long Bay and usually calm, which makes it popular with families. It’s patrolled only in summer. (Sources: [Randwick City Council: Malabar Beach](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/beaches/malabar-beach)) ### Is Malabar Beach patrolled? In summer only. Last season, Randwick Council lifeguards patrolled it from 9 am to 5 pm between 6 December 2025 and 3 April 2026. (Sources: [Randwick City Council: Malabar Beach](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/beaches/malabar-beach); [Randwick City Council: Lifeguards](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/lifeguards)) ### Is there an ocean pool at Malabar? Yes, on the southern side of the bay below Randwick Golf Club. It has a ramp down to the deck, and the council cleans it about once a week. (Sources: [Randwick City Council: Malabar Ocean Pool](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/ocean-pools/malabar-ocean-pool)) ### Is Malabar Beach wheelchair accessible? Yes. Malabar was the first Sydney beach with permanent wheelchair access: up to 60 m of matting can be rolled out to the hard sand on request. The ocean pool is fully wheelchair accessible. (Sources: [Randwick City Council: Malabar Beach](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/beaches/malabar-beach)) ### Was Malabar Beach polluted? For decades. The beach and pool were declared off limits because of the Malabar sewage outfall; the water cleared after the deep ocean outfall opened in 1990, and the pool reopened in 1997. (Sources: [Randwick City Council: Malabar Ocean Pool](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/ocean-pools/malabar-ocean-pool); [Wikipedia: Malabar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malabar,_New_South_Wales)) ### Can you dive at Malabar? Yes. There are two wrecks in the bay, the MV Malabar and the Goolgwai, both popular with divers. Scuba diving and spearfishing aren’t allowed in the ocean pool. (Sources: [Randwick City Council: Malabar Beach](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/beaches/malabar-beach); [Randwick City Council: Malabar Ocean Pool](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/ocean-pools/malabar-ocean-pool)) ### Why is it called Malabar? After the MV Malabar, a Burns Philp steamer wrecked in fog on the northern headland of Long Bay on 2 April 1931. The area was known as Long Bay before that. (Sources: [Wikipedia: Malabar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malabar,_New_South_Wales)) ### Can you bring a dog to Malabar Beach? No. Dogs aren’t allowed on the beach. (Sources: [Randwick City Council: Malabar Beach](https://www.randwick.nsw.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/beaches-and-coast/beaches/malabar-beach)) ## Nearby beaches - [Maroubra](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/maroubra/): north, over the headland or through the streets - [Little Bay](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/little-bay/): the next beach south - [Coogee](https://sydneybeachside.com.au/beaches/coogee/): further north, with the most places to stay Ask a local: enquiries@sydneybeachside.com.au