Cathie Wall is an offshore rock wall in Lake Cathie, a large estuarine lagoon on the Mid North Coast of NSW, just south of Port Macquarie. The wall rises from 20 m to 8 m depth and is covered in a rich tapestry of hard and soft corals, making it a premier macro spot for snorkelers. The sheltered estuarine waters are warm and shallow, offering an accessible underwater garden teeming with small reef creatures, ideal for those wanting calm conditions away from ocean swell.
Cathie Wall
BeginnerMAYBE
MAYBE
Fair. Experienced snorkellers only.
Showing last known conditions
Wave Height 0.0 mSwell Period 0.0 sWind Speed 2.6 knPrecipitation 0.1 mmTidal Phase unknown
Last evaluated
The spot
Community-maintained
Community contribution: submitted by Daniel
Know before you go
Logged by the community, confirmed by mods
Low risk: Boat traffic
Cathie Wall is a boat-only access site, and vessels operate in the surrounding waters. Snorkelers should remain aware of boat movements and surface with caution.
Low risk: Depth changes
The wall drops from 8 m to 20 m — significant depth variation that can surprise inexperienced snorkelers. Stay within comfortable depth limits.
Wildlife Guide
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Getting in
Boat
Entry
Cathie Wall is located in Lake Cathie, about 11 km south of Port Macquarie via the Pacific Highway. Turn east onto Lake Cathie Drive and follow to the lake foreshore. The wall itself is offshore and requires a boat or kayak to reach — launch from the Lake Cathie boat ramp or the foreshore reserve.
Parking & facilities
Parking is available at the Lake Cathie foreshore reserve and near the boat ramp off Lake Cathie Drive.
parkingboat_ramppicnic_tables
No fees for lake access or boat launching at public ramps.
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About this data
- Conditions last evaluated
- Spot data last updated
- Data sources
- Open-Meteo (marine & weather conditions), tide predictions via UTide, community contributors (descriptions, hazards, marine life).
- License
- Spot content licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. How's the Spot is open source.
Weather & swell ┬╖ Open-Meteo marine & weather APIs Tides ┬╖ UTide harmonic analysis Sea & safety ┬╖ community reports