Step off the deck, onto the sand, into the water. “Mackerel Shackerel” sits right on the foreshore of Great Mackerel Beach, a hidden community inside Ku-ring-gai National Park, reached only by ferry or boat. An hour from Sydney CBD. A world away from it all. The cottage is original in character and recently renovated throughout, so you get the timeless beach-shack feel without compromising on a hot shower, a quiet night’s sleep, or a proper kitchen.
Receive a full refund (minus service fee) up until 1 week prior to check-in.
STRA Registration: PID-STRA-92424
Additional Information
North-east facing - sun all day, from sunrise over Barrenjoey Headland to sunsets over the rugged National Park. Expansive decks wrap around the entire front of the house, blurring the line between indoors and out, and frame an ever-changing view across the water to Palm Beach, Barrenjoey Lighthouse and the Pacific beyond. It’s the kind of place where the day organises itself. Coffee on the deck as the morning sun dances off Pittwater. A swim straight off the beach. A bushwalk in the national park. A long lunch that rolls into sunset drinks as the yachts drift home. No traffic. No cars. Just the water, the bush, and the sound of the occasional ferry horn. If you want to leave the beach, you can kayak around to the other Pittwater alcoves and beaches, or get a Water Taxi to one of the waterside restaurants or pubs. Two bedrooms and sleep six: a queen in one room and two king single bunks in the other. Comfortable for a couple wanting space, a family with kids, or two couples sharing. Bring your swimmers, a novel, and not much else. By the time you leave, you’ll have forgotten what was worrying you before you arrived.
A summary: • Bedrooms: 1 × queen (2 pax), 1 x two King Single bunks (4 pax) • Bathroom: 1, recently renovated • Living: open-plan living and kitchen, opening onto the deck • Outdoor: wraparound entertaining deck with dining and lounge seating, uninterrupted water views • Beach: private, direct access to the sand and the swimming water below • Orientation: north-east with all-day sun • Views: Pittwater, Barrenjoey Headland, Pacific Ocean
Things to be aware of • You cannot access the beach by car. Your options are a public ferry from Palm Beach, a water taxi, or (during business hours) a barge, which can pull up right on the beach, and you can unload as close to the house as possible. • Due to some recent weather events, the track to the house currently requires you to rock hop at high tide. We advise timing your arrival and departure around low tide. We will be flexible with check-in and check-out times to accommodate this (we can’t set the times to “low tide”!).
Great Mackerel Beach is one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets — eighty-odd cottages tucked into the national park, with no roads in or out. That’s not a quirk; it’s the whole point. Swim, kayak and paddleboard straight off the beach. Walk the West Head and Mackerel Track trails into the national park (the 9.2 km Basin walk and 4.4 km Aboriginal Heritage walk both leave from the foreshore — you’ll find waterfalls, ancient rock art, and lookouts over Pittwater). Fish from the rocks, throw a line off the wharf, or hire a tinny from Barrenjoey Boat Shed at Palm Beach and explore the coves. If you feel like heading back to the mainland, the ferry runs hourly to Palm Beach Wharf (about 20 minutes) — easy lunch at one of the Palm Beach restaurants, or 5 minutes down the road into Avalon Village for shops, cafés and the surf beach.
Guest access (**please read before booking**)
Great Mackerel Beach is boat-access only. There are four easy options: • Palm Beach Ferry Service – scheduled public ferry from Palm Beach Wharf, hourly, ~20 minutes. The simplest option. • Water taxi – on demand, useful for late arrivals or heavy luggage. • Barge – during business hours, you can get the barge to drop you right at the bottom of the stairs up to the house. • Private boat or tinny – beach landing available.
Pack what you need before you come over - there are no shops, no cafes – it’s just you and the ocean. This is half the fun: a considered shop on the mainland, then everything you need for the stay in one trip. Full arrival notes (ferry timetable, what to bring, where to park at Palm Beach, how to find the Shackerel from the wharf) are sent with your booking confirmation.
Other things to note • No cars on the beach. Bags are walked or wheelbarrowed from the jetty. • We run on tank water. Like every house on this beach, we rely on rainwater tanks, so please use water mindfully: short showers, taps off when brushing teeth, no water play or watering the garden, etc. • Linen, towels and a starter pantry (oil, spices, salt, pepper, tea, coffee) provided. A full list is in the guest book so you have it before you shop. • Self check-in via key safe - full instructions sent the day before arrival. • Mobile reception (5G) and Wi-Fi (100 Mbps Starlink) are good - streaming works fine. • Best suited to guests who appreciate the barefoot, quiet-weekender vibe: long books, long lunches, early nights under the stars. Not a party house.
Registration details PID-STRA-92424
Prices
Base Price $605 / night
Weekend Price $770 / night
Cleaning Fee $200
Security Deposit $200
Discounts 10% discount for bookings of 4 nights or longer 15% discount for bookings of 7 nights or longer
Just a short stroll across the beach from the cabin, we ventured to the Cape Mackerel wharf to go fishing. Catching leather jacket, brim and flat head every 10 minutes. It was an eventful morning spent fishing. We later enjoyed two of the fish freshly grilled with a glass of wine.
Only a stone throw from the property and visible from the balcony is one of the most impressive looks outs on the Mackerel trail walking track. We climbed the short incline and enjoyed the view across the bay without having to complete the Basin track.
After dinner, we enjoyed the warm evening by heading down to the beach and swimming in the ocean. An intimate beach, we were the only ones there and had the whole beach to ourselves.
