Delicate Nobby Rockpool cannot be spotted unless you’re standing directly on top of it, giving it an air of seclusion that is second to none.

The aqua blue pool is made even more beautiful by the steep cliff wall made up of dark, almost volcanic looking rock.

Its sandy bottom and protection from the waves is the icing on the cake and makes a swim here very relaxing (tide and swell dependent). Here’s how to find it.

Safety info: tide & swell

Delicate Nobby Rockpool is fairly well protected from the waves, but you should still visit only when the swell is marked as slight. We’ve seen the pool on a moderate swell and large waves entered it at regular intervals.

We visited when there was a slight swell (less than 1m) and no waves entered the pool at all; though this will not always be the case. Rogue waves can enter at any time, but your risk is greatly mitigated by visiting on a slight swell.

As always, we recommend taking a few minutes to see what the swell is actually like when you arrive. Sometimes a forecast may say slight, but when you get there it’s still quite wavy.

When it comes to the tides, low to mid tide is fine. On a mid tide, you will have to walk through the water a little to reach the pool, but other than that it’s no problem to come on a mid tide.

Visiting a couple of hours either side of low tide means you won’t have to walk through any water at all. The more important factor with this one is the swell. You can see the tide and swell forecast here.

The walk to Delicate Nobby Rockpool

The stats

Distance: 575m each way
Elevation gain: 50m
Difficulty: Easy - moderate
Trailhead: Delicate Nobby Beach Car Park

Summary: The route to the rockpool is short but does involve walking along rocks which can be sharp, so wearing shoes is a must.

You will need to climb up a few rocks to reach the headland as well as traverse rocks to reach the path up to it.

The trail ends above the rockpool and you can descend to it on the left or right side. The left side is steep while the right side is shallow.

The walk

From the car park for Delicate Nobby Beach (full parking details below) you will follow the gravel path downhill through a pretty patch of bushland to the beach.

You’ll reach the sand after 210m and head left, following the cliff line towards the rocky headland.

At low tide the route to the headland is dry; on a mid tide you will need to wade through water which may be above knee height.

You will reach the first set of rocks 50m after reaching the beach. You now need to walk across the rocks which are grippy when dry, but potentially slippery when wet.

It’s best to wear shoes as the rock can be sharp in places.

After 50m walking along the rocks you will reach a little cove which is where it will either be wet or dry depending on the tide.

There is also a really cool gap in the cliffs to the left which is impressive in its own right.

Head over to the next set of rocks and walk along them until you see a path leading up to the top of the headland.

There are two rocky paths moments apart, the second path is much less steep and therefore the easier option. The first one is a bit scrambly.

After 20m you will reach the grass on the top of the headland where there is a worn path. Follow the worn trail for 130m where it will end at the final rocky outcrop.

You still won’t see the pool at this point.

You need to walk down onto the rocks and move to the edge so you can see over the lip and then you will be greeted by a view over one of the most gorgeous rockpools in the state.

Climbing down to the pool

There are two routes to the pool: steep and direct, or a shallower and slightly longer route. As you face the pool from above, the steep and direct route is to the left of the pool (it’s pretty much just heading down from where you are).

The shallower and easier route is to head to the right of the spine that’s on your right (we don’t recommend traversing the steep cliff directly above the pool).

We climbed down the steeper, direct path on the left side of the pool (when facing the sea).

This route is 10m long and well tiered, but steep, and it’s a bit of a scramble with an overhanging rock which makes it slightly awkward for one step.

It isn’t difficult but I did the last half on my bum.

I used the easier route on the way back, which is 40m in length. This route traverses behind the spine to the right (south) of the pool. Don’t walk along rocks in front of this spine (where you can see the pool) as it is rather exposed.

You can then make your way down the rocks via the shallow route to the pool which is not exposed and easy as long as the rock is not wet.

It’s worth noting that the steeper route down is heavily barnacle encrusted and therefore getting out of the pool on this side is difficult without shoes.

The shallower route also has barnacles but they’re less dense and therefore exiting the pool is easy.

Swimming in the Delicate Nobby Rockpool

Swimming at Delicate Nobby Rockpool is a dream and it instantly became one of my favourite rockpools in NSW.

Our first visit was during a moderate swell (originally marked as slight, so always recheck your tides on the day of your trip!) which was unsuitable for swimming. Whereas on a slight swell it was as calm and relaxing as it gets.

The water is not overly deep throughout much of the pool, but more than deep enough to swim.

The water clarity is excellent and you can see down to the sandy bottom with no weed or coral to be mindful of. I think that’s what they call living the dream!

The cliff wall offers ultimate seclusion and the pool is entirely cut off from the ocean which is always my preference when it comes to rockpools.

The pool is bigger than it appears in photos, while still not being huge. It’s definitely big enough for a bit of a swim though.

Keep them wild

Please remember to take all rubbish with you and keep these places wild and pristine - as with anywhere in the outdoors. It’s important to leave them exactly as you found them so they will remain beautiful for generations to come.

Litter tends to breed litter, so if you do spot any and are able to pick it up and dispose of it outside the area, it will go a long way to keeping the area clean.

Please remember to wear reef safe sunscreen to protect the marine life inside the pool.

Getting to the parking area for the Delicate Nobby Rockpool

The closest parking area to the rockpool is the small car park beside the trailhead to Delicate Beach in Goolawah Regional Park, close to Crescent Head. You can see the exact location on Google maps here.

The car park is not very big so if visiting at peak times in summer you may find you can’t get a space. There are no facilities here so please plan accordingly.

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