More information about Flaherty's Beach.

Recently named the 4th best beach in Australia, Flaherty's Beach is nestled entirely between Hardwicke Bay and Point Turton. The white sandbars extend almost 500 metres from the high-water mark. The warmest water on Yorke's sits between these pristine sandbars, naturally heated by the sun. This beach can be driven on and is a popular location for a new 4WDer to dip their toes in the off-road game. On any given long weekend many people head down to this beach and set up the awnings on their vehicles and enjoy snacks and watch their kids play in the shallows. You can usually get hundreds of meters to yourself by just picking a spot along the 7km of beach.

Flaherty's beach has a uniqueness that is rarely seen anywhere else in the world. The Beach is completely sheltered from the sea due to its location on Southern Yorkes, but at the same time isn't at the top of a gulf where mud, reeds and inlets are frequent. This allows masses the sand to pile on the limestone sheetrock creating the beautiful beach.

The beach is backed by a set of 3 sand dunes covered in native vegetation. Its for the most part undisturbed. Please keep in mind that camping in the sand dunes is prohibited.

Can you drive on Flaherty's beach?

Yes you can! And it's still formally considered a road. All the road laws still apply. Flaherty's beach is accessible from the Point Turton Esplanade as well as Hardwicke Bay boat launch. There is also a track that leads over the sand dune from the Flaherty's beach Car park. A 4WD is required to drive on this beach. But please take it slow kids are everywhere on this beach.

Can you camp on Flaherty's beach?

Unfortunately you can't camp at Flaherty's beach. Camping in, near or around Flaherty's beach would be fantastic, but at the moment it's prohibited. Luckily however the at either end of the beach is a coastal town with multiple places to stay, Point Turton and Hardwicke Bay. Point Turton has a beautiful caravan park nestled in an old quarry right next to the jetty.
The closest Council Camp ground to the north of Flaherty's beach would be the Minlacowie Campground near Parsons Beach.
To the south would be Len Barker Reserve near Burners Beach.

The Hooded Plover Project

Flahertys Beach has found itself to be an important site to this vulnerable bird. The bird can be identified by a distinctive black hood over its head and orange legs. Unfortunately, this bird has found itself at high risk of extinction by the introduction of feral animal, human and 4WD use. The birds can be seen between the high water mark and the sand dunes along the beach. The Northern and Yorke Landscape Board and the Friends of the Hooded Plover have been working with schools and the community to preserve this bird for future generations. A 2014 survey found less than 300 bird for the entire Yorke Peninsula. Please be mindful of their marked nests along the beach.

History about Flaherty's Beach.

Flaherty's beach was once home to the Flaherty's beach Classic. A day of golf where each sandbar became a hole of golf. The day was picked on a dodge tide where the sand bars would remain for some hours. White golf balls were not advised. This course had a higher than average number of water traps.

Flaherty's beach was named after an old farming family that resided between the beach and Warooka.