This is a super late post. We went to South Coast a while ago but somehow didn’t get around to posting it. But lately, I have been thinking of South Coast after seeing the devastating bushfires. It is so awful to watch because I know it is such a beautiful place. I’d highly recommend it to any future travellers. Now let’s get started with the details:
Our approach: We did not plan much at all. We read a few articles online and noted down some places we wanted to see but did not have a particular order. We really enjoy the spontaneity that comes with free travel so we wanted to keep it flexible.
Where we stayed: Marriot Park Hotel, Nowra
Where we ate:
- Beleaf Japanese
- The Deli on Kinghorne
- The Little Snapper
- Leaf Noodle and Bar
- Cherubs 3 (twice)
- Woody’s Woodfired Pizza
- Sea Vista Café (Gerringong)
Places we visited:
- Shoalhaven Zoo
- Culburra Beach
- Seven Mile Beach
- Seven Mile National Park
- Hanging Rock Lookout
- Bomaderry Walking Track (partial)
- Chinaman Beach
- Jervis Bay National Park
- Booderee National Park
- Coolangatta Estate
- Werri Beach
- Kingford Smith lookout
Day 1
We didn’t arrive until the afternoon and was very hungry after we checked into our hotel. Luckily, we had a Japanese restaurant located close to us. We went moon watching and tried to go to a very secluded beach afterwards. But the beach was so secluded, we couldn’t even find the beach. We could hear it but couldn’t see the entrance past the bushes (should’ve carried a torch). We decided to return to normal well-lit places and went for a long walk.
Day 2
It was a bit of a struggle to find a breakfast place that was open. We eventually found one and headed off to our first stop for the day- Shoalhaven Zoo. It was a pretty small zoo but both of us quite enjoyed it (perhaps because it was our first time visiting one together). Our 3 favourites would be the wombat, crocodile and of course the king of jungle (mighty lion). We had lunch afterwards at a nearby fish and chips place. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring nearby beaches and went back to the secluded beach we were unable to find the day before.
Day 3
We tried to do the Bomaderry Creek walking track but the surface wasn’t good then we tried to locate Jervis Bay national park and ended up at another beach. We then tried to head to Jervis Bay national park but the road was closed off. So, we ended up going to another one called Booderee National Park. We had a quick stop at the local takeaway shop to help us gain some energy for exploring. We hiked down to Steamers Beach. It was tough (the beach was 200+ steps down) but the view was worth it. We visited a few more spots at this park and explored right up till sunset.
Day 4
We had a very lazy morning and ended up going back to an old place for brunch. And it was time to drive back home. On our way, we stopped at Coolangatta Estate, Kingford Smith lookout, Werri Beach and a restaurant in Gerringong which had a beautiful view.
Overall, it was a short but a very memorable trip. We managed to visit 7 beaches in total so that was definitely a record. I will always remember South Coast for its beautiful beaches and national parks.
