Bulgo Beach, Sand beach in Helensburgh, Australia.

Bulgo Beach is a sand beach around 350 meters long in Helensburgh, surrounded by steep rock cliffs and facing the Pacific Ocean. The golden sand sits along the New South Wales coast, creating a secluded cove.

Coal miners from Helensburgh built the first fishing shacks on this beach during the 1930s, establishing a small coastal settlement. The shacks developed as the miners sought places to catch and store fish during their leisure time.

The 53 fishing shacks along the sand are heritage-listed, and many are still used by families who return season after season. The German text wrongly said visitors and locals used the coast; the shacks are private cabins, not public facilities. Miners from Helensburgh built the first of them in the 1930s.

Reaching the beach requires a 20-minute steep walk down from Otford Lookout, and there is no parking directly at the sand. Plan ahead because there are no lifeguards, and the descent is challenging, so bring water and wear good shoes.

At the southern end of the beach, a rock pool was cut in 1930 and first served as a fish-holding tank for the miners' shacks before becoming a swimming spot at low tide. Look for the squared stone edges that separate it from the open surf.