Mabel Cove is a 1 km wide southeast-facing embayment bordered and backed by steep vegetated slopes rising to 150 m. It receives waves averaging about 1.5 m in the north decreasing to the south. Beach BI 33 is located in its northern corner. It is an 80 m long high tide cobble beach fronted by a 50 m wide sandy surf zone, together with a few large rocks at the base of the slopes. Steep slopes border the northern side and rear of the beach with a steep 100 m wide headland separating it from the main beach. A strong rip usually flows out against the northern slopes. The main cove beach (BI 34) extends south of the dividing headland for 700 m grading into rocky shore in the south. It is a narrow sandy beach backed by the steep slopes with wave height decreasing down the beach. The surf varies from a low tide terrace to transverse bar and rip as wave height increases. The Lighthouse Road runs along the top of the backing slopes 150 m above the beaches, with a gravel quarry above the centre of the beach. read more

Beach Length: 0.7km