More than 70% of the Sapphire Coast is covered by national park and state forest, so everywhere you go feels like true wilderness. From secluded beaches to awe-inspiring hikes, a refreshing adventure in nature awaits.
- 7 min read
Paddle to paradise with Navigate Expeditions
If you're looking for the ultimate antidote to the routine of everyday life, floating atop crystal-clear sapphire-hued water surrounded by sea birds and lush mangroves comes pretty close. Navigate Expeditions offers a variety of kayak tours to leave your worries on the shoreline and explore the Sapphire Coast’s natural wonders on water. Amp up the indulgence on their Kayak and Shuck tour, where you’ll taste award-winning Broadwater Oysters in between paddles. Take a journey into ancient Indigenous history as you paddle along the Pambula River in Beowa National Park. Led by an Indigenous, you'll learn about the river’s profound significance in Aboriginal culture, history and lore.
Navigate Expeditions, Bermagui River
Discover hidden gems in national parks
With the Sapphire Coast covered by so much protected land, the area offers a utopia of secret beaches, uncrowded picnic spots, pristine waterways and secluded campgrounds just for you and whoever you choose to bring with you. In Mimosa Rocks National Park, climb the steep walking track to discover secluded Moon Bay, and stop by Wajurda Point lookout for incredible ocean views and the chance to spot dolphins all year round and whales from August to November.
Mimosa Rocks National Park, Sapphire Coast
In Bournda National Park, find a cosy coastal picnic spot at Wallagoot Gap (also known as Turingal Head) near the wildlife-packed wetlands of Wallagoot Lake and glistening waters of Wine Glass Bay.
Turingal Head/Kangarutha Walking Track, Bournda National Park
And in Beowa National Park, pitch a tent at Saltwater Creek Campground, an intimate bush spot surrounded by rough-barked apple gums, serene lagoons, creeks with good fishing opportunities, and a beach you’ll likely have all to yourself.
Saltwater Creek Campground, Green Cape - Credit: John Spencer | DPE
Lace up your hiking boots on a day walk
The Sapphire Coast is threaded with less-travelled, wild walking trails that lead you to the best sights in the region, whether you want a gentle wander or a more adventurous hike. Start with the elevated 1.5-kilometre Camel Rock to Murunna Point Walking Track and get up close to Camel Rock, a spectacular formation created by underwater avalanches, as well as the 500-million-year-old Horse Head Rock. On the 1.1-kilometre Pinnacles Loop Walking Track, marvel at the spectacular red and white cliffs as you meander the easy trail.
Horse Head Rock, Sapphire Coast
Meet the colourful creatures of the Blue Pool
Clamber down the cliff in Bermagui’s east and you’ll be greeted by an aquamarine oasis, the Blue Pool, a 50-metre-long seawater swimming hole carved into the rockface. During low tide it’s a natural treasure trove: dip your head under water with a snorkel and you’ll likely be greeted by a cornucopia of marine life, from anemones and sea stars to crabs, fish and marine snails. If you’re not quite ready to take the plunge, head to the viewing platform for dazzling views over the pool and coast. Keep an eye out for whales during winter and spring.
Blue Pool, Bermagui
Feel the freedom of exploration on two wheels
Leave your worries at the top of Tathra’s coastal peaks and descend a eucalypt-edged dirt track as it twists and turns through lush green forest, over wooden bridges and down epic gully drops. The winding Tathra Mountain Bike Trails are some of NSW’s best featuring almost 50 kilometres of dirt track hand carved by the local Tathra community alongside volunteers from the Bega Aboriginal Lands Council. There are tracks for both beginners are experts, all met with stunning beach views when you reach the bottom. Further south in Eden, there's more bush-to-beach riding at the Gravity Eden Mountain Bike Park. More than 58 kilometres of track descend from up to 300 metres elevation, twisting and turning from the wilds of Nullica State Forest to the shores of magnificent Twofold Bay.
Enjoy the vistas from Green Cape Lighthouse
Pharologists (aka lighthouse enthusiasts) will wax lyrical about the 29-metre Green Cape Lighthouse, which was not only Australia’s first concrete lighthouse tower but is also the second tallest of its kind in the state. Built between 1881 and 1883, the impressive white-washed structure is now heritage listed, nodding to its importance in the state’s seafaring history. From here, your vista is of enormous cliffs cleaving into a wild ocean. So wild, in fact, that a number of ships now lie under the ocean’s surface just offshore. During migration, this perch offers one of your best chances of spotting whales offshore. Check in to one of the three lighthouse keeper's cottages, where you’ll fall asleep to the sound of a crackling fire and pounding seas in the distance and wake to misty mornings and maybe even a bandicoot on your doorstep.
Green Cape Lighthouse, Sapphire Coast
Set up camp at Bittangabee Bay
Bittangabee Bay’s scalloped cove of opaline water may be small, but it offers plenty of natural wonders to take your breath away. Explore quietly and you might come across a menagerie of wildlife – from wombats and bandicoots to possums and lace monitors. The bay is within easy reach of a campground; rise at dawn to hear the chorus of birdsong that will become your soundtrack while you’re here. Nearby trails take you south to Green Cape Lighthouse and north to Twofold Bay, where you’ll journey through the eucalypts of Beowa National Park and breathe in the calm that this patch of NSW seems to manifest at every turn.
Bittangabee Bay, Beowa National Park - Credit: John Spencer
Tackle the multi-day Light to Light Walk
Starting at historic Boyds Tower and finishing at the iconic Green Cape Lighthouse, the spectacular 32-kilometre Light to Light Walk weaves through an ever-changing landscape of red cliff tops, sheltered coves, eucalypt forest and coastal heathland. You can tackle the three-day and two-night walk on your own, bringing all your provisions and pitching your tent at campgrounds along the way. If you prefer a little luxury, Sapphire Coast Guiding Co operates guided walks with accommodation at the Green Cape Lighthouse Quarters or in tents that have been set up for you. The tours include delicious gourmet meals and they'll transport your backpack between destinations.
Hegartys Bay on the Light To Light Walk - Credit: Remy Brand | DCCEEW
Get up-close to gentle giants
While it’s a thrill to watch humpback whales breach and blow from shore, there’s nothing quite like witnessing their antics in close quarters. Jump aboard a tour with Sapphire Coastal Adventures from Eden to enjoy the show, which often features pods of dolphins, fur seals and penguins accompanying these gentle giants on their southerly migration (August to November). Be prepared for the adrenaline to kick in when a whale sidles up to the boat, teasing with the glimpse of a flipper before somersaulting and sending spray skyward. Over the course of three hours, you’ll hopefully enjoy many such encounters, while the crew impress you with their encyclopaedic knowledge of these waters, the marine life that calls them home and the company’s ongoing commitment to conservation.
Follow ancient footsteps on the Bundian Way Story Trail
There’s nothing more humbling than coming face to face with signs of what life was like tens of thousands of years ago. On the Bundian Way Story Trail in Eden, you can follow pathways Aboriginal people from Yuin, Ngarigo, Jaitmathang and Bidawal Country have walked for generations. The full 365-kilometre trail goes from Turemulerrer (Twofold Bay) to Targangal (Mount Kosciuszko), but in the Sapphire Coast you can embark on a more accessible 1.8-kilometre snippet that starts at sheltered Cocora Beach and travels around the headland to the quiet fishing spot of Quarantine Bay. Through the trail, eight signposts offer information about traditional meeting points, native flora and fauna used as bush food and medicine, and ceremonial performance spots, plus you’ll experience sweeping views of the entire bay at Budginbro Lookout.
Cocora Beach, Eden - Credit: David Rogers Photography
Sleep under the stars at Currajong Retreat
Enjoy luxury glamping on a working Angora Goat Farm committed to sustainability and accompanying regenerative farming practices with Currajong Retreat. Choose between three luxurious safari tents, each with its own private deck, outdoor bath and stunning views of the surrounding countryside. Breakfast, dinner and drinks included in your booking. Embark on a variety of activities including bush walking, swimming, bird watching, and farm tours on this 100-acre property.
Currajong Retreat - Credit: TBH Media
Discover a magical world beneath the waves
Explore the wonders the await in the dazzling waters of the Sapphire Coast. Kianinny Bay, just south of Tathra, is a hidden gem that’s managed to stay off the tourist trail. Bring your own snorkel and jump off the jetty to spot schools of colourful fish and resident stingrays gliding along in the clear water. Want to go deeper? Join Dive Eden to discover Twofold Bay on a guided scuba diving tour. Marvel at underwater caves, spot marine life along the base of the wharf or explore shipwrecks like the Tasman Hauler and Henry Bolt.
Dive Eden, Eden - Credit: Max Gillespie | Dive Eden
Take a selfie at Camel Rock
A photographer’s dream (and also a geological marvel) Camel Rock is an incredible coastal rock formation resembling its namesake animal kneeling down into the sea, formed by underwater avalanches 450 million years ago. Take selfies with the camel from the viewing platform, enjoy lunch by its side at the picnic area, or see it from different angles on the 1.5km walking track to Murunna Point. Frolic in the waves and rockpools, or swing by Camel Rock on your way to nearby Wallaga Lake, where you can waterski, hike, fish, observe significant Aboriginal relics, and bask in, on and beside the reviving waters.
Camel Rock, Bermagui
Reel in the catch of the day
Cast off from the beach, try for the big one out at sea or throw a line in from an historic wharf to land a beauty on the Sapphire Coast. You’ll always see keen fishers lining the railings on the beautiful Tathra and Merimbula wharves, with low-light conditions around dawn and dusk the best times to make a catch. Bream, flathead, snapper, tailor, squid, gummy shark and whiting are the most common fish to snag.
Tathra Wharf, Tathra
Fish straight from the sand at Severs Beach in Eden, Tathra Beach, Pambula Beach and Moorehead Beach in Bermagui. The secluded beaches inside Mimosa Rocks National Park are also popular or turn inland to the estuary at Bithry Inlet on Wapengo Lake. You can hire a small boat from Sunny’s Kiosk or Mitchies Jetty to fish in the pristine waters of Merimbula Lake. Join FishBermi Charters for a day out in the deep in search of kingfish, yellowfin tuna, blue-eye trevalla or gemfish.
Mitchies Jetty, Merimbula - Credit: David Rogers Photography
