Big seas have snatched tonnes of sand from Illawarra beaches and dramatically reshaped parts of the region's coastline.

Newly eroded sand cliffs line the beaches at Woonona, Towradgi and Wollongong City - the result of huge waves and a king tide measuring 2.2m.

Authorities strung safety tape over the walkways to Towradgi Beach yesterday morning to stop the unsuspecting meeting an unannounced 1.5m vertical drop carved into the other end overnight.

At Austinmer, the tide inundated the beach car park, but stopped short of crossing Lawrence Hargrave Dr as some had speculated.

Jackie Metzner, office manager at Lawrence Hargrave Dr trading securities business Tibra Capital, helped safeguard the building with sandbags on Tuesday afternoon as the power supply surged on and off.

"Everyone was on tenterhooks - we had never seen the swells the way they were," Ms Metzner said. "The water was still lapping up against the [beach side] footpath until about midday today.

"We're glad [the sandbags] weren't tested."

Woonona Beach remained inundated yesterday morning.

Resident Michael Barnett believes inappropriate vegetation planted to prevent sand blowing onto the road has made the beach particularly vulnerable to erosion.

The plant, he said, dropped leaf litter and nourished itself, growing in height and creeping towards the water line.

View post:

Beaches take a hammering