As a kid, I was a frequent visitor of Gunnamatta Bay as my family had a Chinese restaurant in Cronulla. Throughout my university days, I also visited regularly to spend entire days fishing. Now, it was great to be able to share this same experience with Cara.
Date Visited: 16th April 2022
Location: Gunnamatta Bay, Cronulla NSW 2230, Australia
Getting There: Short walk from Cronulla station. Plenty of parking available, although gets very busy during peak summer season.
Cost: Free parking and area is free to use.
Here fishy, fishy, fishy
One of my goals during this visit to Oz was to take Cara fishing properly for the first time. That goal was finally achieved during our visit to Gunnamatta Bay. After a nice fish and chips lunch in Cronulla, we walked down to Gunnamatta Bay. A special thanks to Cara’s uncle for letting us borrow his fishing rods and tackle box for the afternoon.
We initially set up to catch anything, with no specific fish in mind. Teaching Cara to cast and feel for the nibbles was fun. After a few tries, Cara excitedly reeled up a small bream for her first catch of the day. It was too small to keep, so Cara gave it a fake kiss and sent it back on its way.
We were then joined by my cousin who along with his dad are a keen anglers. Thanks to their local knowledge and expertise, we switched from catching baby bream to targeting small yellowtails to use as bait for the larger tailors and potential kingfish. At this point, Cara was reeling one up every cast. It probably became too easy (and too hot) because Cara then decided to head out to the beach to play in the sand and water.
After fishing for a few hours, we collected enough yellowtails and a couple of tailors for supper that evening. Unfortunately no blue swimmer crabs or kingies on the day. Cara returned to inspect and play with some of the catch before we called it quits. It’s such a lovely area, in particular for young families. If you’re ever in the area and the sun’s out, be sure to check out Gunnamatta Bay!
ABC Dad Tips:
- Bring the swimmers and towel. If the kids get bored of fishing on the pier, they can dive into the swimming area or head along the beach depending on the tide.
- Within the park, there’s a children’s playground if the beach and water aren’t clear enough to fish or swim in, especially after a storm.
- Plenty of facilities close by if needed.
Ratings:
Burn Time: 5 out of 5 – Great way to spend the day with family.
Value: 5 out of 5 – As long as you have all the fishing gear already, or just after a swim, there’s no extra cost to visit the area.
Overall: 5 out of 5 – One of the happiest and proudest day during the holidays. Seeing Cara so excited about the fish was great.
Have you visited Gunnamatta Bay before? Prefer here, Cronulla Beach, Lilli Pilli (or somewhere else)? Let us know below!
