Slaughter Bay

Here on Norfolk Island, some of our most jaw-dropping scenery is found beneath the waves. Visit Slaughter Bay at low tide equipped with a snorkel and you’ll be just a few kicks away from the offshore reef. Here, gardens of coral are a playground for brightly patterned fish. The reef protects the waters from dangerous swells and currents, making it a safe and calm beach for swimming.

If you’d rather stay dry, take a barefoot stroll along the shore from Kingston Pier through to Emily Bay Lagoon, a popular swimming beach to the east.

Located within the Kingston UNESCO World Heritage Site, Slaughter Bay is also of historical significance: it was on this reef that the HMS Sirius – the flagship of the First Fleet – was wrecked in 1790.

A woman with snorkelling gear looks out across the water. She stands near a sign with information about Slaughter Bay.

Side-on view of the bay with the ruins of the Salt House visible in the distance through Norfolk pines.

Three women with snorkelling gear wade through clear, shallow water towards the reef.

A woman stands in the foreground taking a photo of the waters of the bay. An island stands in the distance.

A wide, side-on view of the bay with its clear, shallow water meeting rocks at the foreshore.

Elevated view behind three women with snorkelling gear walking towards the reef. Waves break on the reef in the distance.

Aerial view of the reef, which has colours of rusty browns that contrast with the blue-green water and white of the waves.

Destination Details

Operating Hours: 24/7

Cost: Free

Getting Here: About a 5-minute drive south from the centre of Burnt Pine. Near Kingston Pier.

Top Tips for Slaughter Bay

Listen to local radio or ask at the Visitor Information Centre to find out tide times; snorkelling is best at low tide.
Find out more about the fate of the HMS Sirius and see items salvaged from the wreck at the nearby Sirius Museum.

Destination Details

Top Tips for Slaughter Bay

Other beaches on Norfolk Island

Anson Bay

Bumboras

Cemetery Beach

Emily Bay Lagoon