Must-see attractions in South Coast NSW

  • Montague Island (Barranguba)

    South Coast NSW

    Wildlife thrives on this small, pest-free island, 9km offshore from Narooma, where fur seals frolic and 90 bird species wheel overhead. Little penguins…

  • Ben Boyd National Park

    South Coast NSW

    Divided into two sections north and south of Eden is 104.85-sq-km Ben Boyd National Park. Boyd was a Scottish entrepreneur in agriculture and whaling who…

  • Booderee National Park

    South Coast NSW

    Occupying Jervis Bay’s southeastern spit, this sublime national park, jointly managed by the government and the local Indigenous community, offers good…

  • Wollongong Botanic Garden

    South Coast NSW

    In a region already awash in scenic spots, Wollongong's botanic gardens still delight visitors with their attractive lily ponds, manicured lawns and…

  • Silos Estate

    South Coast NSW

    Beautifully set on a verdant former dairy farm between Berry and Nowra, this crowd-pleasing winery makes a range of tasty drops. Swirl a glass of bright…

  • Pioneer Village Museum

    South Coast NSW

    This open-air museum, with meticulously recreated 19th-century cottages set in seven hectares of bushland, thoroughly immerses visitors in the sounds and…

  • Booderee Botanic Gardens

    South Coast NSW

    Lichen-splashed rocks, big ferns and mossy paths make for an enriching ramble at these 80-hectare gardens off the road to Cave Beach. The gardens are…

  • Seven Mile Beach

    South Coast NSW

    This superlative crescent of sand, stretching south from Gerroa to Shoalhaven Heads, is one of the South Coast's most memorable beaches thanks to its pale…

  • Bega Cheese Heritage Centre

    South Coast NSW

    A supermarket mainstay in Australia, Bega cheese isn't the stuff of a gourmet detour, but the heritage centre devoted to the brand (established 1899) is…

  • Minnamurra Rainforest Centre

    South Coast NSW

    At the eastern edge of Budderoo National Park, 15km inland from Kiama via Jamberoo, this is a surprisingly lush subtropical rainforest. A 1.6km loop walk…

  • Coolangatta Estate

    South Coast NSW

    Founded on a 19th-century wine-growing estate, Coolangatta has been bottling its signature creamy semillons and stone-fruit scented savagnins since 1990…

  • Boyd's Tower

    South Coast NSW

    At the end of Edrom Rd is the turn-off for Boyd’s Tower, built in the late 1840s from Sydney sandstone. It was built as a lighthouse, but the government…

  • Symbio Wildlife Gardens

    South Coast NSW

    Friendly kangaroos are the highlight at this private zoo, 34km north of Wollongong. Native animals such as emus, echidnas and koalas (plus imported…

  • Bournda National Park

    South Coast NSW

    The 2655-hectare Bournda National Park has empty surf beaches, rugged headlands and forested walking trails. Around 200 bird species flit around its…

  • Morton National Park

    South Coast NSW

    Inland from the coastal strip but easily accessible from Nowra, Kangaroo Valley or the Southern Highlands, Morton National Park features the deep gorges…

  • Green Cape Lightstation

    South Coast NSW

    At the southern tip of Ben Boyd's southern section, elegant 1883 Green Cape Lightstation offers awesome views. There are tours (by appointment only) and…

  • Mimosa Rocks National Park

    Tathra & Around

    Spreading north of the Bega River along the coast, Mimosa Rocks National Park is an earthly paradise of rainforests, lagoons and distinctive rock…

  • Fitzroy Falls

    South Coast NSW

    Tumbling 81m from near-vertical sandstone cliffs, Fitzroy Falls can be a dramatic torrent or, in the heat of summer, a mere trickle. Regardless, you can…

  • Gold Rush Colony

    South Coast NSW

    Mogo was established as a gold-rush town, and this sizeable recreation of a pioneer village aims to capture the atmosphere of that time. Some displays…

  • Murramarang National Park

    South Coast NSW

    Stretching along a secluded section of coast, this scenic park offers excellent beaches, opportunities to learn about Indigenous culture, and plentiful…

  • Nan Tien Temple

    South Coast NSW

    South of the city, Nan Tien is the southern hemisphere's largest Buddhist temple, belonging to the Taiwanese Fo Guang Shan order. It's quite a sight, with…

  • Milton

    South Coast NSW

    The town of Milton, 6km northwest of Ulladulla on the Princes Hwy, is a cheerful caricature of its 19th-century history. European settlers flocked to the…

  • Science Space

    South Coast NSW

    Buoyancy, inertia, the Stroop effect and other scientific laws and phenomena are explained with cranks, bubbling tubes and even a mechanical elephant at…

  • Bellambi Point

    South Coast NSW

    Eight kilometres north of Wollongong, this fine-sand headland – formerly a tool site and burial ground, with a large shell midden – was legally recognised…

  • Jervis Bay National Park

    South Coast NSW

    North of Huskisson, Jervis Bay National Park spreads outwards from the graceful arc of Callala Bay. More than 4850 hectares of low scrub and woodland…

  • Tilba Valley Wines

    South Coast NSW

    Gorgeously rough-hewn Tilba Valley Wines sits in an idyllic setting by Corunna Lake, 5km north of Central Tilba. This is an unpretentious spot to sip…

  • Illawarra Escarpment State Conservation Area

    South Coast NSW

    Spectacular rainforest hugs the edge of the ever-eroding sandstone cliffs of the Illawarra Escarpment, a 30-million-year-old feature that rises to 534m at…

  • Shoalhaven Zoo

    South Coast NSW

    Meet wallabies and other native animals, and ever-popular imports such as monkeys and lions, at this 6.5-hectare private zoo on the north bank of the…

  • Panboola

    South Coast NSW

    An admirable community project has protected 77 hectares of wetlands for native bird species. The well-managed realm of mangroves and salt marshes is…

  • Bundanon

    South Coast NSW

    Arthur Boyd, perhaps Australia's greatest painter, found inspiration in this remote homestead in a bend in the Shoalhaven River. If you're here on a…

  • Potoroo Palace

    South Coast NSW

    Warmly run Potoroo Palace, a not-for-profit animal sanctuary, has a menagerie including echidnas, dingoes, koalas and native birds. Keepers have an…

  • Meroogal

    South Coast NSW

    Guided tours reveal the history behind this attractive mint-green mansion that's pretty as a picture with its gabled roof and lace-like balconies. Built…

  • Tathra Wharf

    Tathra & Around

    Tathra Wharf is NSW's last remaining coastal steamship wharf; today it's a listed building and an attractive place to watch local life unfold, from…

  • Whale Lookout

    South Coast NSW

    Between late September and late November, a good spot to look for whales is at the scenic lookout south of the wharf. This can also save you the time and…

  • Kiama Blowhole

    South Coast NSW

    A tourist draw for well over a century, Kiama's blowhole sits on the point by the centre of town. Girded by basalt columns and wave-thrashed rocks, the…

  • ABC Cheese Factory

    South Coast NSW

    Jersey cattle munching in the fertile meadows beneath Mt Gulaga produce creamy, award-winning cheese at ABC's retrofitted dairy. Cheese has been made here…

  • North Beach

    South Coast NSW

    Stretching north from the harbour, North Beach is an excellent all-rounder: shallows for kids to splash in, breaks suitable for various levels and…

  • Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens

    South Coast NSW

    This exceptionally pretty botanical garden is equal parts manicured lawn and flourishing bushland, a combination evidently appreciated by the numerous…

  • Merimbula Aquarium

    South Coast NSW

    Get to know your wrasse from your kingfish at the aquarium beneath the very good seafood restaurant Merimbula Wharf. It's an educational, if not very…

  • Sri Venkateswara Temple

    South Coast NSW

    Bone-white and richly decorated with sculptures of Hindu deities, Helensburgh's temple is a rewarding detour on the drive between Wollongong and Royal…