A golden headland wrapped by Sydney's widest rock platform, with views from Manly to the Central Coast — the northern beaches' aerial classic.
FreeFamily
Long Reef juts further into the Pacific than anywhere else on Sydney’s northern beaches, and from above it’s easy to see why pilots love it: a golden, grass-topped headland ringed by the city’s widest wave-cut rock platform, a protected aquatic reserve swirling below, and beaches unspooling toward Manly one way and Palm Beach the other.
Flying Long Reef
Launch from the reserve near Fishermans Beach, morning for side-lit cliffs and glassy top-downs of the platform’s patterns. Two local realities shape every flight: hang gliders and paragliders use this headland constantly — if wings are in the air, keep the drone grounded — and the reef and beach host nesting shorebirds, so hold altitude and distance from birdlife. Standard CASA rules apply.
On the ground
The headland loop walk takes 40 minutes and doubles as a whale-watching gallery in season; the aquatic reserve’s rock pools open up at low tide. Pair with a run up the peninsula to Barrenjoey, and browse more drone locations and lookouts.
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Watch
Photo Gallery
Facilities
Parking at Fishermans Beach and the golf club; cafes at Collaroy
Photography Tips
Top-down the rock platform's radial patterns at low tide, then a wide orbit stacking beaches north to the Central Coast skyline.
Insider Tips
Hang gliders own this airspace when conditions are on — never share it. Nesting shorebirds use the reef; keep height and distance.
Getting There
Anzac Avenue, Collaroy, to the Fishermans Beach reserve car park; 40 minutes from the CBD via Pittwater Road.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you fly a drone at Long Reef?
Yes under CASA rules, with two local cautions: ground the drone whenever hang gliders or paragliders are flying, and keep well clear of nesting shorebirds on the reserve.
What makes Long Reef special from the air?
The widest wave-cut rock platform in Sydney, whose low-tide patterns shoot spectacularly top-down against the golden headland.
When do whales pass Long Reef?
May to November — the headland walk is one of the city's best free whale-watching platforms.
Where do you park for Long Reef?
Fishermans Beach reserve or the golf club car park off Anzac Avenue, both a short walk from launch-friendly grass.
