South Coast NSW, Australia
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Welcome to the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia
South Coast definition:
For the sake of this Wiki the South Coast is from Nowra to the Victorian Border To discover the coast north of Nowra see Wollongong
Travelling the South Coast of NSW is one of the secret gems of wandering this wonderful country. The Princes Highway that connects Sydney to Melbourne via the scenic coastline is often overlooked as a tourist route as most folks (certainly most international visitors) are limited in the time they have available and therefore choose to drive (or cycle) the faster inland route taking the busy Hume Highway calling into Canberra, the National Capital, on the way.
For those of you with a little more time on your hands and a love of pure natural beauty might we suggest that you consider the alternate drive along a far quieter Princes Highway taking your time to see the stunning coastline and its attractions along the way. There are countless National Parks to visit, perfect empty beaches that will take your breath away and most importantly very real people happy to take time out for conversation over a coffee, offering up anecdotes of the special spots, the treasures that you must see.
If you are a Couch Surfer and travelling through come and see our little corner of this brilliant land. It is filled with magnificent National Parks that are in pristine order and all easily accessible.
If you are from overseas please take a little more time out in your busy schedule to take a load off your feet, relax in this undemanding quarter of the State of New South Wales and let its hospitality and stunning beauty refresh you before travelling on
This Wiki will hopefully assist in your travels South from Nowra to the Victorian border offering up advice and suggestions for those hitching or coming by public transport (bus or train). Couch Surfing hosts along the way have been encouraged to contribute to the information and to keep it up to date.
Enjoy your stay and we look forward to hosting you as you travel through.
From North to South
Nowra[1]
Transport
Access to Nowra, the gateway of the South Coast is via the Princes Highway or via the NSW City Rail (note that this is the end of the line and there are NO train lines south of Bomaderry until you are well inside Victoria). timetable
The local bus connects you from the train station in Bomaderry to Stewart Place in Nowra. If the bus isn't around it is only a 10 minute walk across the bridge veering right at the Information Centre. For those who require the Nowra Information Centre is just over the bridge on the southern side on you Left Hand Side. Open 7 days.
There is a public transport network available within the Shoalhaven area and you can find bus timetables at the train station and at Stewart Place. Stewart Place is also the terminus for Interstate buses travelling up and down the coast. The most well known of these is Premier Motor Service
Rent a Cars at $48 per day are available to explore the adjacent coast through the Riverhaven Motel on the south side of the bridge. An indication of public transport costs in the area is $9 one way for a bus ride to Huskinsson (40kms away on Jervis Bay)
Nowra Accommodation
As a backpacker, cheap accommodation is difficult to find should you not be able to find a Couch however there are two hotels to choose from. The first is Bomaderry Hotel in Bomaderry adjacent to the train station at 71 Merroo St Bomaderry at $35 per night. In Nowra there is the Australian Hotel on the corner of North St and Kinghorn St that has rooms for $25 per night. Ph 44212433. For larger groups (up to 40) there is the historic M&M Guesthouse by the river on the south side of the bridge. This is a classic building that can accommodate much larger groups such as those CouchSurfers who chose to travel by motorcycle or vehicle convoy.
Internet There is limited access to the Internet in Nowra during business hours at Shoalnet on Berry Street just a few doors along from The Tea Club and opposite the Roxy Cinema. The other sites available are the Shoalhaven Library and the Tourist Information Centre near the Highway/Bridge interesection (during hours only and $5 per half an hour)
Things of Interest in Nowra
There are heaps of little cafes in Nowra and two stand out The Tea Club and the Wholemeal Cafe. There is a good Thai restaurant and a handful of nouvelle cuisine eateries along Junction St and Berry St.
Bens Walk is a wonderful 5km walk along the river side to the west of the bridge that traces its way down through stunning sandstone country. To begin the walk drive (or walk) past the hospital in into the Showground where you will see the start of the track on your Right Hand Side. On the other side of the river there is
Rock climbing: just a kilometre out of town is Thompsons Point. Nowra attracts climbers from around the world, since it has some of the most challenging climbs in Australia. Over 100 climbs at Thompson's Point have been documented in rock climbing guides. Membership of a recognised rock climbing association is recommended in view of the skill and experience required for climbs in this area. Reference to one of the rock climbing guides should be made before attempting any of the climbs.
Jervis Bay[2]
The stunning Jervis Bay is nearby. It has backpackers accommodation at Jervis Bay Backpackers located between Huskisson and Vincentia. Note that they insist on 2-3 days notice and bookings are essential. There are however a few Couch Surfing hosts in this area if you get caught out.
The two towns of Huskisson and Vincetia are side by side providing you with you central access to Jervis Bay. The larger of the two is Huskisson which has a wide selection of shops and services and is a bus stop for the public transport connection between Huskisson and Nowra.
Hitchhiking:
Huskisson is well in from the Princes Highway however the Huskisson intersection south of Nowra provides a good spot to hitch into the towns. In turn if you need to hitch out most of the traffic from thewestern end of the main street is heading back towards the highway where there are two good hitching points for north and south travel.
The Shoalhaven area continues south along the Princes Highway with small coastal Villages usually a few kilometres in from the forest lined highway that runs parallel just inland. The next point of contact with the coast is at Milton and Ulladulla. A CouchSearch will show a few members in this area.
Milton/Mollymook/Ulladulla
Milton is a classic little town just in land from its rambunctious cousins being Mollymook and Ulladulla. There is a Backpackers Hotel in the main street Of Milton at the Commercial Hotel (ph 44551211 email commercial-hotel@bigpond.com ). Rates are $30 per person per night and it is a perfect spot if you happen to want to go to the Milton Theatre to see any of their great concerts. There are four rooms avilable
Mollymook is a beach side town whilst Ulladulla is a fishing port, both with their own character and charm. The Interstate bus picks up and drops off at the garage in Milton and picks up and drops off at the pedestrian lights on the main street in Ulladulla.
Ulladulla Internet availability
It isn't until another three quarters of an hour further travelling south that you find the next town. The highway along this leg once again skirts the coast a few kilometres inland and doesn't hit the coast again after Ulladulla (heading south) until Batemans Bay. The forest that you drive through however is always stunning. Keep in mind also that there are some magical little villages just a few kilometres towards the coast from the highway and if you have the opportunity to explore it is well worth it. A great example of this is Beach with its resident kangaroos who are very friendly (take care though, they are still wild).
Just inland from Pebbly beach you will find some magical country to explore being Pigeon House Mountain and The Budawang Range
Batemans Bay[3]
Batemans Bay is a large (but not too large) attractive coastal town that sits on the Clyde River around 3 kilometres in from the coast. It has a variety of cafes, shops, services and hotel/clubs and is serviced by Premier Motor Service that picks up and drops off in the town centre.
Batemans Bay does have a CS membership however if you find yourself looking for accommodation then there is a YHA Back Packers
From Batemans Bay heading south there are two options - the inland route to Mogo and on to Moruya or the coastal route of a slightly longer yet more scenic (and flatter for cyclists) route via the coastline arriving back on the highway at Moruya. For those interested Mogo is a heritage village filled with curio shops and is only a few kilometres from the famous Mogo Zoo that specialises in raising white lions.
Hitching out of town: if you are heading north then cross the Batemans Bay bridge and go on another 200m to the intersection of the Kings Highway and the Princes Highway. This intersection is the best spot to hitch north (there is a perfect lay-by on the Northern side of the Intersection for heading north) or west to Canberra (just 100m up past the second roundabout). If you are hitching south adjacent to McDonalds 500m south of the bridge on the highway is easy enough.
Internet access in Batemans Bay Check here and at LiveFire or at the Public Library - check here for opening Hours
Moruya [4]
If you are coming into Moruya by bus you will be dropped off at Apex Park near the roundabout. There is an all weather bus stand there in case you are waiting for a connection or lift. Directly adjacent to this bus stand is the Air Raid Tavern and cafe which is also a widely known meeting point.
Accommodation There is NO backpackers in Moruya however the Pubs offer cheap accommodation. The next back-packers is not until Narooma, some 50kms south.
Moruya has a wealth of cafes, pubs and clubs that you can eat at. Weekends are very quiet in the town leaving you with little to do once you have walked the length of the street on both sides which should take you around 5 mins. The purpose of Moruya is to be a town centre for most of its residents who live outside of the town area along the coastline or inland on farms.
Internet Moruya Library, located at the south end of town adjacent to the Council Building in Vulcan Street has a few machines. opening Hours
To the east of Moruya along the river is Moruya Head. A little further south is the Village of Congo and then Bingie which is part of Eurobodalla National Park.This is a wonderful area to explore including Bingie Point and Mullimburra Point which are both accessible by tarred roads.
Hitching out of town: Travelling north: cross the Moruya Bridge and you will find a good spot just outside of the petrol station/ Riverbreeze Caravan park - it has good sight distance, is a well known spot for hitching and has pub and petrol station if you need a leak or shelter from the rain.
Hitching South is harder - my best spot is just 50m along from the towns second roundabout (outside the Luhana Motel)- vehicle speed is low here and basically most folks are heading south however if you want to get rid of those still doing suburban driving go on a little further past South Head Road and there is a lay-by there in a 60km zone. Another 600m along will give you another good spot outside the Tech College however this is a 80Km zone and is your last hope - DON'T walk up the hill 'cause there isn't another good spot for at least 3 kms.
Tuross Head [5]
13 kms south of Moruya is the turn off to Tuross Head. This delightful village is 7kms from the highway along a road that traverses the ridge that separates Coila Lake to the north from Tuross Lake and the Tuross River to the south. Beyond the lake Mt Dromedary draws your eye, enticing you to climb her.
For a bit of history. A guy called Hector McWilliam had a dream in the 1920's of a seaside resort. He designed the layout of the village and then planted row on row of Norfolk Island Pines making wonderful vistas along the road networks of his vision. Another bit of history is that Eva Mylott, the famous Australian contralto was born here. At the end of her worldwide career she married an American tycoon called Gibson.
One of their sons bore a son, a grandson for Eva, named Mel who went on to become the famous actor, producer and director. A park is named after Eva Mylott with a plaque set in the same granite that was used to construct the bastions of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Tuross Head is a quiet village of 1500 people surrounded by water on three sides and connected to the mainland by a thin isthmus. The village has a post office, supermarket, baker, butcher, deli, chemist, bottle shop, hardware, fruit and veg, a tavern and club and several cafes and restaurants. All of these are within easy walking distance so Tuross is pedestrian friendly for those travelling without a car.
Accommodation
Tuross Head has several CS Members. In the case where accommodation with these members isn't available the cheapest options are the two caravan parks. The first is only a few kilometres in from the highway at the Tuross Lakeside Park. In the village proper you will find the Tuross Beach Holiday Park. Both offer camping sites.
Things to do
Tuross is a wonderful place to do absolutely nothing. Its beaches are pristine, its coastal walks varied and incomparable. It really is a unique corner of the world and worthy of taking the time to look at ensuring that you give yourself the pleasure of a walk, a read and the opportunity to watch the sun go down with a good meal (there is something to suit all budgets) and a nice wine.
Hitchhiking to/from Tuross:
If you are travelling north there is a suitable bay just 100m north of the intersection of the Tuross Head road and the Highway. Hitching south is equally as easy from the lay-by just at the intersection. Opposite the intersection is a bus shelter providing cover from the elements in case of rain and it serves as a perfect point to be collected if you are meeting someone from the village to pick you up. The primary Interstate bus also picks up and drops off at this intersection whilst buses from Canberra come into the village. There is no public transport.
Internet
The internet is available seven days a week at the local shops in the Take Away that is located adjacent to the Post Office
for more info on Tuross Head and its facilities click here
Bodalla [6]
A little further south of the Tuross Head turnoff is the village of Bodalla. In its heyday Bodalla was a bustling town that supplied the Sydney population with a great percentage of its produce and dairy. The nearby mining town of Nerrigundah also contributed. Bodalla today is a much quieter place with an old pub, a couple of garages, a pie shop and a Mexican Restaurant. The pie shop opposite has a comfortable deck for lunches and coffee whilst the local bowling club a little further south offers Chinese food. The next food and fuel is another 20kms south at Narooma.
If you have the opportunity please venture westward towards Nerrigundah to see firsthand the beauty of the Tuross River. A sealed road (the Eurobodalla Road) runs parallel to the river through beautiful loamy grasslands with the occasional dairy. Crossing the Tyrone Bridge on Nerrigundah mountain Road you continue on a all-weather sealed road to the Cadgee Mountain Road turnoff where you can either turn left and go down the Cadgee Mountain Road to loop back to Bodalla or continue west a little more to the village of Nerrigundah. This is truly spectacular country, the likes of which you won't all that often.
From Bodalla you can also head to the coastal village of Potato Point and explore the Eurobodalla National Park that is accessed by the road that runs north from the village behind the beach. Basic camping is available in this park.
There are CS Members in Bodalla. If they are not available there is NO accommodation available in town other than at the Bodalla Motel. Note that the YHA Narooma is only another half hours drive south.
The Interstate bus will pick up and drop off at the Ampol Service station and the Sydney -South Coast bus picks up and drops off at the Bodalla bakery.
Narooma [7]
Narooma can be accessed directly via the Princes Highway or alternately you can turn left into Dalmeny and follow the more scenic route that loops back to the highway arriving just north of the Narooma Bridge.
The town is divided between Upper Narooma and Lower Narooma offering a wealth of services, cafes, clubs and pubs. The Top Pub (Lynches) does have accommodation.
At the south end of the lower section of town you will find the Tourist Information Centre.
Things to do around town
The Mill Bay walk that is accessed by the cycleway that links Narooma to the Villages of Kianga and Dalmeny to the north is a wonderful walk that takes you into a gully full of bellbirds and beyond, following the pristine blue of the Wagonga Inlet waters to Apex Park. Be sure to keep an eye out for the massive stingray that cruises the waters adjacent to this timber walkway that follows the shoreline.
On the south side of the Inlet (accessed from Bluewater Drive that is located just south of the Information centre) you will find Australia Rock down by the river mouth. Further south along Bluewater drive is the world famous Narooma Golf Course. A little further south is the Narooma cemetery that looks out over the Glass House Rocks towards Montague Island
Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba [8]
Not too far south of Narooma (approx 20kms) is the turn off for the scenic route through the villages of Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba. Central Tilba is a heritage village with wonderful curio shops, a couple of cafes, a cheese factory and a direct link to Australia's past in its buildings. Make sure you have a look in the pub and the corner store.
Just down the road from Central Tilba is Tilba Tilba. Again a small village with a lovely old garden called Fox Glove Spires that has a cafe next door.
Accommodation
There is little in the way of budget accommodation in either of the Tilbas however the pub might have rooms
Hitchhiking; It would be easy enough to be dropped off at the top access to Central Tilba and walk down to the village - a 5 min walk. Further along Corkhill Drive you will find Tilba Tilba which is the start point for the walk up Gulaga Mountain (Mt Dromedary).
Bermagui and Cobargo
South of the Tilbas’ are the townships of Bermagui and Cobargo. The choice is yours as to whether you choose to take the longer (and more scenic) coastal route south through Bermagui, the Mimosa Rocks National Park and the village of Tathra or to stay on the Princes Highway and continue to travel south towards Bega via the small township of Cobargo. Note that the turn off to the Australian Alps is on the highway between Cobargo and Bega for those wishing to head towards Cooma. Bega is a further 10kms or so south of this turn off.
A Note for CouchSurfers. There are a few CS Hosts in the Cooma are and certainly a lot more in Canberra if you are planning on leaving the South Coast at this point and heading Inland.
Bega [9]
Bega is a nice old town inland from the sea with its sister town of Merimbula serving to provide the coastal treats of beaches, sun and surf. Bega is the principle town of the Bega Valley and is the administrative centre for a dairy based economy.
Also have a look at the Bega valley Org site
Accommodation
Bega has a Back packers Hostel just on the northern edge of town. Note that they seem to only want international travellers. There are a few CS members in Bega so it would pay to make contact with them to learn of the hidden secrets of the town and area.
Bega has its share of an alternate community so music and good food can be easily found. One cafe of note is the Goose is Out Cafe at 24 Church St, Bega. The cafe is just a few doors down from the Bega Wholefood Co-Operative where you can restock your mung-bean supplies.
Merimbula http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merimbula
Merimbula is a seaside town with typical seaside attractions. There is great surf there and is well suited to beginners who want to try their hand at body surfing.
There are a few CS Members in the Merimbula area however if you have difficulty in finding a Couch then the Merimbula Youth Hostel is in town and comes well recommended from CS members who have stayed there.
Eden [10]
Last but not least on this road trip south is the township of Eden. Eden is a fast growing town set on Twofold Bay which is one of the largest bays in Australia. It has always been associated with the timber industry and was, for many years, also a principle whaling town. There is a Whale Museum that features the skelton of Old Tom, a killer whale that used to herd other whales into the harbour for slaughter.
Down by the wharves you will find a few cafes. Just up above the wharves, as you continue ahead rather than turning right, you will find a viewing platform that looks out over this stunning coastline.
There are treasures to be found along this South Coast coastline. Mostly they are known only to the locals and, as such, it is through making contacts with other Couch Surfing members that you will be able to learn of these treasures and possibly see them first hand guided by the passion of those who love them best.
We hope you enjoy your stay
The NSW South Coast CS members.
Some useful Links:
Premier Motor Service - The Coast Road interstate bus that runs between Melbourne and Sydney
Nowra
CityLink train timetable Sydney to Nowra
The New South Wales South Coast Visitors guide
Shoalhaven Tourist Information Office or Shoalhaven Tourism
Batemans Bay
Central Tilba
Sydney Morning Herald article on the history of Central Tilba from 2004
Don't have a car but don't want to hitch or take a bus?
then try:
NeedARide ShareDrive ShareYourRide GumTree
THE Cs Australia Newsletter
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