South Coast Revisited

To celebrate the long weekend in the ACT like most of the ACT I left the ACT to head to the south coast of New South Wales and some gloriously untamed natural attractions. The road south to Cooma was significantly greener than the last time I took this route and, as with all roads that head to the coast, it turned lush as the mist shrouded coastal mountain ranges were crossed.

Eventually the sea was in sight at Eden, where life was quiet with fish and chips on the beach followed by an invigorating walk and paddle through the clear waters.

From Eden it was back heading north along the coast, stopping at nearby Ben Boyd National Park, where there was an equally beautiful expanse of white sand, sapphire waters and untamed bushland.

A few kilometres further up was Pambula Beach, with its cosy combination of surf beach, kangaroos on the lawn and shallow river lined with gum trees. From Pambula it is a short drive to the major town in the area, Merimbula, where there was a nice hostel to stay in and too many choices of where to eat that it proves difficult to make a decision!! In the end it was some Thai washed down with a little red wine.

The next day began with some sunshine and a great wake up in the sea at Short Point Beach, one of the many bays around Merimbula. This was followed by a choice brekkie overlooking the waterways of the town before hitting the road again. The first stop on day two was at Bournda National Park. Here is the obligatory photo of me getting in the way of the scenery, overlooking a lagoon and Bournda Beach!

The beach itself was just as untamed and striking as many others along this coast, rolling clear waters crashing onto the golden sand with that unmistakable rhythm of being beside the seaside.


From Bournda, the road winds along an array of forest, green pastures and sweeping coastal beaches, passing the towns of Tathra and Bermagui and then cutting inland to the massive hulk of Mount Dromedary, rising abovet heritage village of Central Tilba. Here there are cheese shops and afternoon teas and gallerys aplenty, all rather relaxing and laid back, with a main street of pretty clapperboard buildings adorned with colourful shrubs and flowers.

It sounds like a place you would take your granny, and you probably would, but it’s just as interesting for the slightly younger generation.

A little way from Central Tilba is Narooma, and then the road heads inland, with turnoffs to several more coastal towns and beaches, one of which is Tuross Heads. Here there are numerous bays and beaches, split by an inlet lapping the shores of the rolling countryside as it progresses inland. On the banks of the water were a few cafes and restaurants, where you could tie up your boat and order some fish and chips and a ginger beer!

From Tuross, the road whizzes along to Batemans Bay, where the daylight was fading and things were relatively tranquil beside the water. Leaving the Princes Highway at Batemans it was across the mountain ranges once more and then back across the tablelands, thankfully finding no kangaroos in your headlights, to the glittering birthday party lights of Canberra. South Coast Revisited, not a bad spot to go to again and again and again…