Goolwa Beach
Eighteen kilometres of open Southern Ocean sand
Goolwa Beach is the southern end of an 18-kilometre stretch of wave-pounded Southern Ocean sand running all the way to the Murray Mouth, with a patrolled swimming area and a legendary (and legal) 4WD beach drive.
The long beach
From the Goolwa Beach car park you can walk or drive along an unbroken arc of sand for 18 kilometres, all the way to where the Murray River finally spills into the sea. It is the kind of beach you come to for a long, lung-filling walk, not a resort experience, though a popular beach kiosk and surf club cluster around the main entry point.
What visitors do
Surfers work the consistent beach break; swimmers stick to the Surf Life Saving Club's patrolled flags in summer when rips and currents can be strong. The Kuti Shack cafe sits on the dune overlooking the water for post-swim coffee and famous Goolwa cockle dishes. Four-wheel-drivers can legally enter the beach here and drive south-east toward the Murray Mouth; tide times and signage must be obeyed, and sand dunes are strictly off-limits.
Practical notes
Free parking at the end of Beach Road, with toilets, showers and a dog rinse tap. Patrolled by the Goolwa SLSC during summer months. Watch for strong rips and currents outside the flagged zone. 4WDs should check the tide before entering the sand and stick to the firm beach only.
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Sources
- Goolwa Beach - official source - www.visitalexandrina.com (accessed April 2026)
Image credits
- Goolwa Beach by Mike and the Mountain , CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons