A long, sweeping golden sand Illawarra surf beach stretching from the rocky headland at Puckeys Estate Reserve in the north down towards the Fairy Meadow Surf Life Saving Club and main picnic precinct in the south, roughly 10 minutes north of Wollongong CBD. Fairy Meadow Beach is extremely popular with local families and dog owners alike thanks to its consistently gentle rolling surf (ideal for beginner board riders and kids learning to bodyboard), shady Norfolk Island pine tree plantings lining the entire length of the dune reserve, a large modern fenced children's playground with water play right next to the surf club, and direct level boardwalk access from Fairy Meadow train station via the popular shared cycle path.

Dog access at Fairy Meadow Beach is regulated by Wollongong City Council using three clearly signed zone boundaries running north-south along the shoreline. The southern end of the beach surrounding the Fairy Meadow Surf Life Saving Club building, the summer red and yellow flagged patrolled swimming enclosure, and the main kiosk, picnic shelter and playground precinct is a permanent NO DOGS exclusion zone at all times for public safety and water quality reasons. The large middle section of the beach, running roughly from the second public access ramp opposite Guest Street northwards up to the start of the Puckeys Reserve headland, is a time-restricted ON-LEASH only zone where dogs are permitted when walked on a short fixed lead before 7am and after 6pm between the months of October and March (summer daylight saving period), or before 9am and after 4pm from April through September (winter off-peak months). The most sought-after dog exercise area is the entire northern third of Fairy Meadow Beach, running all the way along the shore up to the rocks at the Puckeys Estate Reserve headland boundary – this entire signed stretch is a permanent 24-hour, 7-day-per-week OFF-LEASH exercise area where dogs can run free, play fetch on the wide sand bar at low tide and swim safely well away from the human-only flagged swimming area. Dogs must remain under effective voice control at all times in the off-leash zone; aggressive dogs, females in season and unvaccinated puppies under 12 weeks are not permitted on any part of the beach reserve.

Connected directly to the northern end of the beach via a level boardwalk is the Puckeys Estate Nature Reserve – dogs are permitted on-leash throughout the entire 7km of sealed and gravel walking tracks through this protected coastal bushland. Puckeys Reserve features saltmarsh wetlands, mangrove boardwalks, elevated sea bird observation hides, multiple picnic tables under shade trees and the historical remains of the old Puckey's Salt Works dating back to 1895, making it an ideal add-on on-leash nature walk to extend a beach off-leash run at the northern end.