Beaches in the Bawley Region

The natural splendour of beautiful beaches in the Bawley region are second to none. There are many beaches to choose from – quiet and calm for families, rocky outcrops with abundant sea life for snorkeling and scuba diving, fishing or rock hopping, beach side trails or a great spot to surf, this region has it all. Little coves and rocky headlands, stretches of sand and seal spotting off O’Hara Headland is only a taste of the delights this area has to offer.

Many of the beaches in this area are pet friendly with a few being ‘off leash’. All others are ‘on leash’ beaches. It means that you can bring your special companion and family member with you on holiday and not leave them fretting in a costly kennel.

NB: Always remember to respect the environment by taking a plastic bag to clean up after your dog – keep all areas pristine for all users. On occasion you may find yourself subtly entering National Parks. Remember that dogs are not permitted in the National Parks.

Bawley Beach and Beyond…

Bawley Beach is a favourite and the first that you will come to as you enter the Bawley region. Take a first left into Tingira Dve after turning right at the T intersection onto Murramarang Road and you won’t miss this delightful cove with azure seas. Accessible also by turning left at the Murramurang Road T intersection, and then a quick right down a tree lined track will lead you to a gorgeous park which fronts this beach. With lush grassy areas, picnic tables, a playground for the children, BBQs and amenities, you will enjoy a fun family day at the beach. Stop for a cuppa or lunch at the Bawley Beach Café before you explore further.

Walk the rocks around to Cormorant Beach or follow the road around the headland and down to the beach entry point. This beach is the ‘off leash’ beach that sees many visitors and locals enjoying the delights of this beach with their dogs splashing in the waves and chasing balls.

A little further south is Gannet Beach, known for being really calm, it’s a great beach for stand up paddle boarding. Beautiful squeaky white sands, azure seas and rocky headland walks around to other beaches, means you can walk for miles. From Gannet Beach and south is a Batemans Marine Park to care for our oceans’ marine inhabitants. Scuba Diving, Snorkeling and Whale and Dolphin watching tours can be booked at Batemans Bay or Ulladulla. For the keen boating enthusiast and angler, there is a boat ramp at Bawley Beach and Kioloa where you can enjoy water sports or fish north of the Marine Park – or if you don’t have your own tinny, book a fishing tour at Ulladulla or Batemans Bay.

Murramarang Beach

Murramarang Beach is the next beauty to the south. A longer more open beach overlooking Brush Island and Cat & Kitten Bay, if you walk to the southern end of this beach you will find yourself in the Aboriginal Heritage Area where wombats reside in their coastal burrows. You will find great surfing and boogie boarding at any of these beaches, depending on the wind direction. All of the beaches I have described so far have been tucked away and protected from the southerly winds and will be calm where the next few beaches will provide more challenging surf, of course depending on the wind direction on the day.

Surfers @ Sandmines

One of the surfers favourites in this area, Sandmines can be accessed via a carpark off Murramarang Road with a 250mtr walk to the beach. If you love coastal walking all of the beaches along this stretch of coast have tracks that allow access from one beach to the next with rocky headlands in between.

Aboriginal middens can be found all along these coastal areas and stone cairns are scattered where the pebbles gather.

Sandmines stretches to Racecourse Beach and further to the point. Onto Shell Beach, Avenue Beach, Butlers Lagoon and Kioloa Beach overlooking Belowla Island. Kioloa Marine Rescue, Boat ramp and public amenities can be found here. Walking over and around O’Hara Head, you may just spot some happy seals floating in the water near the rocky edges. You may also see a tow in surfer or two on this headland. The delightful forested trail will take you to Merry Beach. If you are travelling by car the road ends at the carpark at Merry Beach Caravan Park but if you veer right you will enter Murramarang National Park and Pretty Beach. There is a small park entry fee of $7 but the wilderness, beaches, headlands and beyond are breathtaking. Walk in to Pretty Beach & Singing Stones or up the hill to Mt Durras. If hiking isn’t your thing you can drive into the National Park by veering right in Kioloa and heading up the hill past houses until you hit dirt road. This would get you to the Highway eventually but if you take the not so unbeaten tracks you can get all the way to Pebbly Beach by car. The going in places could be a bit rough so 4WD is best.

Murramarang National Park and the Trails in the area allow for miles of exploring on foot or mountain bike riding. Don’t forget to take your togs and a towel, there are plenty of places to cool off along the way.

I digress and take you back….If you turn north when you first enter Bawley Point this will take you to a headland carpark, the entry point to Willinga Lake and north along the coast or back beach trails to Nuggan Point (a popular surfing and fishing spot) and further into Meroo National Park. Meroo National Park, Willinga Lake and camping in the national park can all be accessed by hiking in from Bawley Point, or by road heading north on the Princess Highway turning right into Meroo Lake Road, Meroo Point Road or Blackbutt Road.

Unspoilt, azure seas, white sands and very few people – a special place indeed, will find you enjoying the richness inherent in the beautiful locale of the Bawley region on the south coast of New South Wales.

Whether you love to relax or explore, Mimosa Eco Retreat is the perfect spot to stay.