Ben Boyd National Park, EdromCredit: Destination NSW
Sun rising over Boyd Tower on Red Point in the Beowa National Park, Edrom.
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The New South Wales far South Coast revitalises with blissful beaches and untouched forest reserves, transporting visitors with uplifting adventure activities, from hiking, biking and surfing to whale watching and swimming with seals. The best bit? This remarkable wilderness bounty is just three hours’ drive from Canberra, and six from Sydney.
Swim with seals at Montague Island
A mini wildlife reserve, Montague Island is home to hundreds of seabirds, and almost as many Australian and New Zealand fur seals. The best way to glimpse these playful creatures is with your head under water. A number of tour operators make the 20-minute voyage here from the town of Narooma, with some, including Montague Island Adventures, offering combined snorkelling and island tours. The Meal with a Seal cruise from Island Charters pairs seal snorkelling with a gourmet lunch; you can fish then scuba with seals through Narooma Charters; and Underwater Safaris specialises in marine-based tours, including snorkelling and scuba diving with seals.
Join a whale watching safari
More than 25,000 whales steam up and down the east coast of Australia between May and November every year. On their way back to Antarctica at the end of their migration (September through November), they linger in the food-rich waters off the Sapphire Coast to feed their young. There are plenty of places to glimpse these gentle giants from shore, but for a closer perspective jump on a boat with companies like Cat Balou Cruises (from Eden) and Sapphire Coastal Adventures (from Merimbula). In addition to southern rights and humpbacks breaching and blowing, you’ll also likely spot pods of dolphins following close by.
Humpback Whale, Merimbula, South Coast Credit: Destination NSW
Humpback Whale, Merimbula on the NSW South Coast
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Humpback Whale, Merimbula, South Coast Credit: Destination NSW
Humpback Whale, Merimbula on the NSW South Coast
Light to Light Walk, Beowa National Park Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a day section of the multi-day Light to Light Walk.
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Light to Light Walk, Beowa National Park Credit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a day section of the multi-day Light to Light Walk.
Learn to surf
In addition to snorkelling and swimming, surfing is a major allure of the Sapphire Coast. From Merimbula, Tathra and Pambula beaches, Coastlife Adventures offers lessons for beginners, surf camps for those who want to develop serious skills in a short period of time, and school camp programs for kids. Mobile surf school Amped also teaches surf skills to keen wave riders, utilising the best breaks from more than 20 beaches along the coast.
Hike through national parks
Lagoons, beaches, sea caves, headlands, offshore stacks and native forest all await in Mimosa Rocks National Park, spanning more than 20km of coastline between Bermagui and Tathra. Hiking trails here reveal a wonderland of flora and fauna, including a number of threatened species like the sooty owl, golden-tipped bat and hooded plover. The region is also home to the legendary Light to Light walk in Beowa National Park south of Eden. This multi-day trek hugs the coastline between Boyds Tower and Green Cape Lightstation, with tracks weaving through heathland forest, banksia woodlands and tea tree coves. Look out for whales, seals and seabirds. Note: parts of this walk are affected by closures. Please refer to NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service alerts for the latest information.
Explore on two wheels
Work up a sweat on the excellent mountain biking tracks that characterise the Tathra countryside, including more than 20km of trails for all experience levels on the Fire Shed Loop, on the southern side of town. Beginners can enjoy a leisurely cycle through native forest, while adrenaline junkies can pick up speed on steep hills, across bridges and over jumps. Just behind town you’ll also find the Bundadung Trail network. Tathra Mountain Bike Club has a plethora of downloadable maps and information available, and if you leave your wheels at home you can hire them from Tathra Beach & Bike.
Pambula Beach, Pambula Credit: Destination NSW
Enjoying a surf off Pambula Beach on the Sapphire Coast.
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Pambula Beach, Pambula Credit: Destination NSW
Enjoying a surf off Pambula Beach on the Sapphire Coast.
Mimosa Rocks National Park, Tanja Credit: Destination NSW
Enjoying a morning stroll along the Aragunnu Walking Track in Mimosa Rocks National Park.
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Mimosa Rocks National Park, Tanja Credit: Destination NSW
Enjoying a morning stroll along the Aragunnu Walking Track in Mimosa Rocks National Park.
Blue Pool, BermaguiCredit: Destination NSW
The scenic Blue Pool on the Bermagui coastline.
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You’ll find spectacular ocean pools dotted along the southern coastline of New South Wales. These handmade pools, fed by the ocean’s waves, are often built into the rocks near beautiful sandy beaches, can be hidden away along the coastline and are enjoyed mostly by locals. Ocean pools are great for kids learning how to swim, lap swimming and for a dip on the days when the waves are a little too big for your liking. Here’s where to find an ocean pool on the coast south of Sydney.
In the Illawarra
You’ll find many spectacular ocean pools in the Illawarra area, from south of the Royal National Park all the way through to the popular seaside town of Kiama. These include lovely pools at Coledale, Bulli, Towradgi, Port Kembla and North Wollongong.
Take the road through the Royal National Park to Stanwell Park and onto Coalcliff Beach, where the ocean pool is set against a dramatic backdrop of the escarpment.
Nuns Pool, at Flagstaff Point in Wollongong, is one of the oldest in the state, dating back to the 1830s. (The title of oldest ocean pool goes to the Bogey Hole in Newcastle, north of Sydney. It was built by convicts in 1819.) Located below the lighthouse, the Nuns Pool (formerly known as Chain Baths and used by the nuns of St Mary’s convent) sits in a small, sheltered cove and is accessed via a narrow path chiselled into the sandstone.
Further south at Kiama, the Blowhole Point Ocean Pool offers a safe swimming spot near the area’s famous blowhole, the largest in the world, on a headland near the town centre. This beautiful, hand-cut pool is an irregular shape and has a varied depth and rock bottom – it was also once a men-only bath. You can also take the 15-minute walk around Kiama Harbour from the blowhole to Black Beach Reserve. Here you can do 50-metre laps in the Olympic-size Continental Ocean Pool.
A 15-minute drive south of Kiama is the tiny coastal town of Gerringong. Head down to Gerringong’s Werri Beach for a swim at Ourie Ocean Pool, at the southern end of the beach. This rectangular pool, carved into a flat rock shelf, has a smooth concrete bottom and is perfect for a summer’s day dip.
Bulli Rockpool, Bulli Credit: Destination NSW
Sun setting over Bulli Rockpool, Bulli.
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Bulli Rockpool, Bulli Credit: Destination NSW
Sun setting over Bulli Rockpool, Bulli.
Ourie Pool, Gerringong Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic aerial over Ourie Pool off Werri Beach, Gerringong.
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Ourie Pool, Gerringong Credit: Destination NSW
Scenic aerial over Ourie Pool off Werri Beach, Gerringong.
From the Illawarra to the Shoalhaven
Drive an hour further south into the Shoalhaven region and seek out Huskisson Sea Pool at Huskisson. This coastal town has a rich shipbuilding heritage, which you can explore at the Jervis Bay Maritime Museum after your swim.
A 45-minute drive south of Huskisson brings you to Mollymook, where you’ll find the South Coast’s famous Bogey Hole, a natural rock pool on the headland south of the beach. There’s also a lovely ocean pool at Ulladulla, a five-minute drive further down the coast.
On the Sapphire Coast
One of the state’s most famous ocean pools is found at Bermagui, a little over five hours by car from Sydney, on the Sapphire Coast. Bermagui’s Blue Pool is revered as one of the prettiest, filled with azure-hued water fading to turquoise and green. At 50 metres long it makes for a great lap-swimming pool and there’s also a shallow wading pool, ideal for kids, just next to the pool.
One of the southernmost ocean pools on the NSW coastline is the Aslings Beach Rock Pool, a hidden gem carved into the pink-and-white cliffs at Aslings Beach in Eden, a six-hour drive from Sydney. It’s only a short walk from town, but its low profile makes it hard to spot from further down the beach. Make your way over the rocks from the beach and take a dip at low tide before the waves have a chance to deposit any seaweed.
Blue Pool, Bermagui Credit: Destination NSW
The picturesque Blue Pool situated along the Bermagui coastline.
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Blue Pool, Bermagui Credit: Destination NSW
The picturesque Blue Pool situated along the Bermagui coastline.
Aslings Beach Rock Pool, Eden Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial overlooking Aslings Beach Rock Pool in Eden.
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Aslings Beach Rock Pool, Eden Credit: Destination NSW
Aerial overlooking Aslings Beach Rock Pool in Eden.