Meet the site
Tupia Point is the headland at the southern end of Long Bay, named for the Tahitian navigator who sailed with Cook, and the reef off it is one of the most cave-riddled pieces of seabed on the Eastern Suburbs coast. Because the point is steep, the reef is very narrow: close in it drops from the rock platform to 5 m and then quickly away, and the sand at 22 m is only about twenty metres off the rocks. Everything in between is large boulders, and where they lean on each other they form what McFadyen describes as swim-throughs, caves and tunnels 'everywhere', ranging from tight squeezes to large tunnels a diver can swim comfortably through. In a small inlet at 8 m lies wreckage he believes is the funnel and built-in boiler of the MV Malabar, which struck the northern headland of Long Bay in 1931 – either drifted across the bay or rolled there by sea action; the NSW shipwreck database does not record it. Fish life is prolific: yellowtail, ladder-finned pomfrets, nannygai and seapike in dense schools over the boulders, black reef, six-spined and rough leatherjackets, large cuttlefish and moray eels in the tunnels. Sponge and sea-squirt growth is healthy because the site is rarely visited. The difficulty is entirely logistical. The reef is too narrow to anchor on in any southerly or easterly wind, so it is often done as a drift with a live boat, and no charter operator comes here. For private-boat divers from Botany Bay on a flat day it is an outstanding boulder-and-tunnel dive within 15 minutes of the heads, and a natural pairing with the MV Malabar wreck or Yellow Rock a few hundred metres north.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
Tupia Point (Malabar) is recorded as Reef in Sydney South & Botany Bay. The listed access is boat. Confirm the actual meeting point, route and permission to visit; a map pin does not establish any of these.
Topics flagged by the stored research
These are questions prompted by the existing notes, not a verified or complete hazard assessment.
- Other water users
- Ask about vessel activity, exclusion areas and the agreed surface arrangements.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
- Overhead environments
- Ask whether the plan stays entirely in open water. A wreck or cave listing is not permission or training to enter.
Historical access notes exist for this record, but have not been independently verified for current use. Request current directions from the operator or site manager rather than following an old entry description.
Questions, answered
Is Tupia Point (Malabar) suitable for my certification?
The record lists Advanced Open Water. That does not establish suitability for every route or day. Share your training, recent experience and equipment needs with the operator and ask about the specific proposed dive.
Can I book Tupia Point (Malabar) through YouDive?
YouDive is an independent research directory. Contact an operator directly to confirm whether it currently runs the trip, the inclusions and the booking terms.
What you might see
Yellowtail, ladder-finned pomfret, nannygai, seapike, black reef/six-spined/rough leatherjackets, large cuttlefish, moray eel, sponges, sea squirts
Location
Narrow boulder reef off the point at the far southern end of Randwick Golf Club where it meets The Coast Golf Club, south of Long Bay; swim-throughs, caves and tunnels from 5 m to 22 m within 20 m of the rock platform.
Facilities nearby
None.
Before you make plans
Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.
Sources & further reading
michaelmcfadyenscuba.infomichaelmcfadyenscuba.infoRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.
