Nightcliff beach, Australia
No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Darwin, 9 km away, is the nearest town we list.
Watch this spot We email you when Nightcliff beach is worth the trip.
About Nightcliff beach
Facing, offshore wind, exposure, level and swell range are estimated. Facts: verified, surf details estimated.
The spot faces NW (328°), so it takes swell from the NW. The wind blows offshore from the SE (148°). It is sheltered to the open swell. It suits beginners and up. It works in 1–6 ft of swell. The sea floor shelves very gently: 10 m deep about 7.1 km out (1 in 714). On a typical 5 ft, 11 s swell the waves here would spill softly. The sea is about 26°C in July, its coldest month (no wetsuit), and 31°C in November, its warmest (no wetsuit). No town nearby. No stay checked for this site yet: Darwin, 9 km away, is the nearest town we list.
Water about 30°C: no wetsuit. Typical sea temperature for the time of year, not a forecast.
Save this trip A link to come back to, or to send to the group.
Book the trip
From Chicago: about 33 h 35 door to door, one way. An estimate; the journey never changes the score.
Fly. Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) to DRW, changing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Brisbane International Airport (BNE).
See flights MDW → DRW · Skyscanner from about £830 returnAdGetting there. 25 min from the airport to Nightcliff beach.
Accommodation.
No town nearby
No stay checked for this site yet: Darwin, 9 km away, is the nearest town we list.
Hire and lessons.
Surf lessons in Nightcliff beach · GetYourGuideAdBoard and wetsuit hire in Nightcliff beach · GetYourGuideAd
Where it is
Nightcliff beach on Google Maps · Directions
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Forecast
The score for experts, coloured as on the area pages:GoodFairPoorToo bigToo small
| Day | Score for experts | Swell | Energy | Wind | Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 18Oct | 1, too small | under 1 ft9 s | 3kJ | wind from the north, 4 knots | 32°C |
| Mon 19Oct | 0, too small | under 1 ft9 s | 1kJ | wind from the north-west, 3 knots | 30°C |
| Tue 20Oct | 1, too small | under 1 ft10 s | 4kJ | wind from the north-west, 4 knots | 31°C |
| Wed 21Oct | 1, too small | 1 ft9 s | 6kJ | wind from the north, 5 knots | 31°C |
| Thu 22Oct | 1, too small | 1 ft9 s | 5kJ | wind from the north, 3 knots | 32°C |
| Fri 23Oct | 1, too small | 1 ft8 s | 3kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 3 knots | 31°C |
| Sat 24Oct | 1, too small | under 1 ft7 s | 2kJ | wind from the north, 3 knots | 30°C |
| Sun 25Oct | 1, too small | under 1 ft7 s | 1kJ | wind from the north-north-east, 2 knots | 31°C |
| Mon 26Oct | 1, too small | 1 ft3 smushy | 1kJ | wind from the west-north-west, 4 knots | 32°C |
| Tue 27Oct | 1, too small | 1 ft3 s | 1kJ | offshorewind from the south-east, 7 knots, offshore | 30°C |
| Wed 28Oct | 0, poor | – | – | – | – |
Day scores here are the conditions out of 80; a trip's score on the results is the same conditions out of 100. The journey never scores. The forecast reaches about 10 days. Energy is the swell's power in kJ per metre of wave, from its height and interval: it grows with the square of each, so a long-period swell hits far harder than a short one the same size. The word under the swell is the wave's shape, our estimate from the sea floor. Wind is in knots: 10 kn is about 19 km/h. The arrow points where the wind blows to; offshore wind, blowing from the land out to sea, is green and says so.
Your trip, day by day
6 nights from Mon 19 Oct, leaving from Chicago, for expert surfers. Change dates
- Mon 19 OctTravel out
Fly MDW to DRW, changing at LAX and BNE, then 25 min by road. About 33h 35 door to door
- Tue 20 OctRest day
Too small: under 1 ft at best.
- Wed 21 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Thu 22 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Fri 23 OctRest day
Too small: 1 ft at best.
- Sat 24 OctRest day
Too small: under 1 ft at best.
- Sun 25 OctTravel home
Fly MDW to DRW, changing at LAX and BNE, then 25 min by road. About 33h 35 door to door
Rough cost
About £1,230–£2,445 each for 6 nights, 2 people sharing a room. A guide from typical prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book. No town nearby, so no stay is in it.
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return MDW to DRW, estimated from distance and season, changing at LAX and BNE, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | £830–£1,725 |
| To the UK airport | parking or the train, there and back | £35–£65 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | £15–£25 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | £245–£455 |
| Board and wetsuit | 5 days, or about £85 to fly your own | £105–£175 |
| Total | £1,230–£2,445 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026: where they come from. Lessons, lift-pass deals and insurance are extra.
Book the trip
Links marked Ad may pay us a small commission if you book. You pay the same price, and it never changes a score.