We arrived at high tide, and there was a high swell, so we didn't venture down - the steps looked really really slippery too - lots of algae on them.
So, we took off to search for the rock pools at South Maroubra, to discover that they are mainly revealed at low tide. We arrived at peak high tide (1.83m). Still, there were pools and headland to explore, and a nice cup of coffee back at the cafe at the Surf Club afterwards!