Worm Bay

Worm Bay is a roughly 100-metre pocket beach east of Bay of Martyrs, where a break in the limestone cliffs opens onto a crescent of sand. It’s a worthwhile short detour if you want to get down to the water; if you’re collecting big coastal lookouts, this is a quieter change of pace rather than another grand panorama.

Use the nearby access and parking area, then descend the wooden steps. The beach pin is on the sand, not a drivable arrival point. The steps are short but steep, so this isn’t step-free access. The limestone bluffs can be unstable, so keep clear of their edges.

High cliffs wrap around the beach. At the western end, an overhang makes a cave-like shaded pocket, especially in afternoon sun. Look offshore for the Bay of Islands stacks in the distance. Waves can sweep around the eastern corner, and the cove feels more exposed in a southerly wind.

The beach is unpatrolled, and local guidance warns of rips and recommends paddling rather than swimming. Its sheltered shape doesn’t make it a swimming beach; conditions can change across the cove.

From the sand, use the western overhang as a foreground for the curved cliffs and distant stacks. From the access, the stairs make a leading line through coastal shrubs. Local guidance points to summer sunsets for photos.