Sapphire Coast, NSW
Get this homegrown slice of paradise on your y travel hitlist, stat!
1 YOU’LL GET THE BEACHES TO YOURSELF
There are a whopping 150 white sandy beaches just waiting to be discovered. Standouts include the 300m-long Barragga Bay, bordered by rocky headlands and speckled with dip-worthy rock pools. For surfers Cuttagee is a go-to, and if you love coastal walks then the 7.5km Bermagui path will take you through several beaches and must-see lookout points. For families, Tathra combines epic stretches of white sand with a grassy foreshore, skate park and kids’ playground.
3 THERE’S CHARM IN SPADES
Packed with quaint towns, vintage shops and quirky boutiques, the rural charms of the Sapphire Coast are guaranteed to win you over. Make tracks to the river village of Pambula, where historic shopfronts give a nod to its goldrush past. The main drag houseses specialty shops, including an artisan bakery, sculptureure gallery and Merv’s Shed – an Aladdin’s cave of antiques ues and bric-a-brac. Then reward the kids’ patience at Oaklands Barn (oaklandsbarn.com) where they cann feed and play with pigs, goats and alpacas.
2 IT IT’S WORLD FAMOUS FOR WHALE WATCHING
Oonce considered as a potential Australian capital, postcard-perfect Eden is one of the only places in the world where humpback whales feed on their southern migration, from September to November. So your chances of getting up close and personal are pretty high. Outside of whale-spotting season you can enjoy Eden’s Killer Whale Museum (killerwhalemuseum.com.au) year round, and check out the skeleton of Eden’s most famous whale, Old Tom, who died in 1930.
4 IT’S S A HAVEN FOR FOODIES
Given the amazing local produce and proximity to the ocean, being well fed is a virtual guarantee here. You can see this paddock-to-plate ethos in action at the weekly local Growers Markets att Bermagui Fishermen’s Wharf. Wine,, meat, olives, preserves and ready-to-eat treats: it’s the perfect pitstop to pick up picnic supplies. Cheeselovers should also load up at the Bega Cheese Heritage Centre (begacheese.com.au), and no trip to this region of NSW is complete without sampling one of its most famous exports: oysters. Check out the award-winning, family-run Tathra Oysters (tathraoysters.com. aau), which supplies some of Sydney’s ritziest restaurants. Prefer a sit-down meal? Bermagui’s il Passaggio (ilpassaggio.com.au) is great for scrumptious pizzas and pasta, while nearby cafe/gallery Mister Jones would give any Melbourne coffee shop a run for its money.
5 WITH THE AREA’S PACKED NATIONAL PARKS
With eight national parks here, you’ll be spoilt for choice. Lying between Bermagui and Tathra, Mimosa Rocks National Park is a good place to start. Bordered by a ragged coastline of volcanic rock, its succession of beaches offer fishing, surfing, snorkelling and birdwatching. For a view you’ll never forget, watch the rocks turn pink at Bunga Head at sunrise. Then grab your camera and head south to Ben Boyd National Park – the views from its lookouts are something else.