Australia’s Hidden Secrets: Store Beach, Sydney -

In the latest issue of ele Magazine we explore 50 incredible Must-Visit places in Australia. Putting this list together was not an easy task with so many beautiful places in Australia to choose from.

The list is packed full of classic Australian locations, but we wanted to bring you some of our favourite places that are a little more off the beaten track. Mark Dagleish, founder of My Sydney Boat shared with us one of his favourite hidden secrets in the heart of Sydney, Store Beach.

Store Beach lies within Sydney Harbour National Park on North Head near Manly, but it’s only accessible by water which means it is usually deserted apart from weekends where you might find some local boaties moored up, or the occasional kayaker.

It is Mark’s favourite spot on the harbour and is only 15 minutes from Circular Quay on his super fast and stylish sports cruiser. “Arriving at Store Beach is like stepping back in time thousands of years ago when local aboriginals fished and collected local rock oysters here, which are still in abundance and very tasty! There’s a small rainforest and some incredible rock formations with inscriptions dating back to the early settlers, some of whom were quarantined at Store Beach in the mid 1800s. It is also home to NSW’s only colony of Little Penguins, who sleep in burrows here at night and spend the day out in the harbour and ocean.

It’s the perfect place to take our guests to see a truly unique and special part of Sydney and there’s nowhere better to swim and snorkel in safe and pristine waters, or we’ll give them a gourmet picnic basket and bottle of bubbly to enjoy a private picnic on the beach.”

If you don’t own a boat to get there then you can take a kayak from Manly or try My Sydney Boat, Sydney’s only charter operator able to land right on the beach.

About Mark

Mark has been living and boating on the harbour for over 20 years. He runs MySydneyBoat, a charter business taking guests to his favourite hidden spots, and a new online destination guide for Sydney Harbour called Sydney360.

Sydney lies on the largest natural harbour in the world, it is the jewel in the crown and full of wildlife and national parks cohabitating harmoniously in a modern working harbour. Many of Sydney’s greatest sights and things to do are found dotted around the harbour and there’s no better and quicker way to visit them than on a high powered, beach-accessible sports boat with My Sydney Boat.