Mackeral Beach (BB 8, also known as Great Mackeral Beach) is the longest beach on the western shore, at 640 m in length. It is largely freehold land and the home to permanent residents and holidaymakers. It is also on the regular ferry run from Palm Beach. The curving beach faces east across Pittwater toward Palm Beach 1.5 m away. The beach is part of a sand barrier that has partly filled Mackeral valley providing the flat land for many of the houses (though some also clings to the steeper slopes). The beach receives only low swell or wind waves and is often calm and consists of a narrow steep high tide beach. A creek drains out at the northern end and has built intertidal sand shoals extending 200 into the bay. These narrow to the south, with boats moored offshore and the 60 m long jetty located in the centre, where the sand flats narrow to 50 m (Fig. 4.186). Small boats are pulled up along the southern end of the beach to enable the resident to reach their larger boats or to cross to Palm Beach. read more

Beach Length: 0.64km