Between Sydney and the southern border of New South Wales is a selection beach holiday destinations that provide the traveller with a vast array of experiences to enjoy. To fully explore all these towns it is best to take a road trip and a campervan is perfect for this. The journey starts with a campervan hire from Sydney.
Kiama
Heading south from Sydney along the coast for 1 hour 45 mins and we arrive at the small township of Kiama. Be sure to take the coastal road over the sky bridge for some amazing views. Kiama has unspoilt beaches, rolling lush country side, famous blow holes, world class surfing and rainforests.
The blow holes at Kiama are a definite stop but they only blow or swoosh according to the direction of the ocean swell. The big blow hole is most active when the ocean swell is south east while the little blow holes works best in a north east swell.
If you are into walking, then the Kiama coastal walk covering 20 kms will give you a great experience of the area starting from Minnamurra River and going down to Gerringong. The walk pass points of interest such as Kiama Lighthouse, Bombo headland and the ocean pools of Gerringong.
Jervis Bay
Jervis Bay is another 45 minutes south along the coastal route and offers some amazing white sand beaches, turquoise colour water, bushwalking in national parks, plenty of water activities and great dinning. There are some 16 white sand beaches around Jervis Bay which include the very popular Hymas beach. Since there are so many beaches around it is recommended to explore a few and find one that is just perfect for you.
The waters of Jervis bay contain the Jervis Bay Marine Park which is home to dolphins, seals, fairy penguins and passing whales. The bay is also a hotspot for water activities including; diving, surfing, stand-up padding boarding and kayaking.
In the Jervis Bay area there are some nine national parks which offer many walking options.
Bermagui
A great spot to spend a few days is the township of Bermagui which is part of the Sapphire Coast area. The area is perfect for water activities as it has Lake Wallaga on the north side of the town plus fabulous open ocean beaches. Water activities to indulge in include fishing, swimming, surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking and diving.
Bermagui is famous for its deep sea fishing with marlin and yellow fin tuna in particular. You can take a charter fishing trip for a day from the town to get in some serious fishing.
In the main part of town you can find the Blue Pool which is a local ocean swimming pool with crystal clear water. Also there are the local attractions of horse head rock and camel rock which can be found on the beach just south of Lake Wallaga entrance to the ocean. To visit horse head rock it is best to go at low tide so you can walk around from the beach to the rock itself, otherwise you will have to view the rock from the headlands above.
Merimbula
Located in the central area of the Sapphire Coast is the township of Merimbula. The town is located between the lake of Merimbula and the ocean. The quiet waters of the lake are very popular for families to enjoy while the open ocean beaches offer a surf experience.
There are three main beaches around the town, one to the north, one in the middle and a six kilometre long beach just on the south edge of the township.
Lake Merimbula has a broad walk along which you can take a stroll and enjoy viewing the lake and any visiting marine life. The lake is sometimes visited by seals, penguins and dolphins. The calm waters of the lake are also home to oyster farming and you can take a boat tour to learn about oyster farming.
Eden
Travelling further down the coast we reach the township of Eden. Eden is a natural deep water port and was a popular whaling station in the past. The port now serves as a commercial fishing port and a cruise ship terminal for holiday makers on coastal cruises.
There are multiple beaches dotted around Eden with Aslings beach on the north side of the headland getting the better surf, while Cocora & Bungo beaches on the southern side of the headlands are more protected family beaches. There are also several short walks around the township that offer great scenery including the headland walk from the Claw to Rotary Park, a broad walk around lake Curalo and Story Trail from Cocora Beach to Brierly Lookout.
The other big attraction of Eden is the Ben Boyd National Park that surrounds the town both north and south. There are many walking tracks in the national park and you can also visit Cape Green Lighthouse for views both north and south along the coast line.
The Return
You can now return to Sydney as in a round trip, or you can continue on to Melbourne if you are doing a one way trip. Either option you choose you will have had a great campervan holiday at the beach.