The Eurobodalla Coast along New South Wales’ South Coast is fairly well known because of Bateman’s Bay. It’s certainly a beautiful coastal town. Ease of accessibility from Sydney and Canberra makes it a popular place to holiday. But there’s more to the Eurobodalla Coast than just Bateman’s Bay. There’s the gorgeous Murramarang National Park and the stunning Narooma coastline.
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Eurobodalla Coast: Two Day Hiking Guide
Of course, you should visit Bateman’s Bay as part of a trip to the Eurobodalla Coast. It’s the prominent hub of this coastal area. But we value the less explored and hidden gems of any place. For that reason and many more, make the trip to the Murramarang National Park and Narooma when travelling to Eurobodalla. These areas are full of stunning coastal trails, rugged nature and are bustling with wildlife. For instance, you’re guaranteed to see kangaroos in the Murramarang National Park.
This is a two day hiking based guide to help you see the highlights of the Eurobodalla Coast.
Hikes in this guide are graded by NSW National Parks using the Australian Walking Track Grading System. If no grade is provided, Travel Made Me Do It have personally rated the difficulty of the trail.
Feel free to use this page and our website to book your Australian adventures. It helps to support local tourism, as well as Travel Made Me Do It. Our NSW South Coast / Victoria road trip started in the Southern Highlands. It then continued onto Kiama and Jervis Bay, and after exploring the Eurobodalla Coast, we checked out the Sapphire Coast.
Other Highlights of the Eurobodalla Coast
- Dark Beach & Myrtle Beach
- Bar Beach South & North
- Australia Rock
- Bar Rock Lookout
- Wagonga Head
- Mystery Bay Beach
Eurobodalla Coast Itinerary – Day One
Murramarang National Park
The Murramarang National Park is likely the most underrated national park in NSW. It’s absolutely gorgeous. The national park itself is located 206km south of Sydney. It stretches from Kioloa in the north to Merry Beach in the south nearing Bateman’s Bay. It’s surrounded by three forests – Kioloa, South Broomna and Benanderrah, making it a very green space.
It’s not the largest of NSW National Parks. But that’s part of the charm. The relatively small space it does occupy is jam-packed full of stunning coastline, wildlife and adventurous hiking trails. You’ll want to spend at least a day here. Please find below the highlights of the Murramarang National Park. It’s truly a must see on your trip to the Eurobodalla Coast.
Please note that the majority of trails in the Murramarang National Park described below are currently closed due to bush fire damage in 2020.
1. Pretty Beach to Merry Beach Return Trail
- Type: Out & Back
- Distance: 4km
- Time: 1-1.5 hours
- Accumulated elevation gain: 57m
- Difficulty: Grade 3
- Trailhead: Pretty Beach Car Park
This is a fairly easy 4km return trail. It’s rated as Grade 3 but isn’t too difficult. It takes around 1-1.5 hours to complete but that really depends on how long you stay at Merry Beach to hang with the kangaroos. But more on that later! There’s a slight elevation gain on this trail to the main lookout which will get your heart rate up.
Speed hiking here is enjoyable but please note that the track is fairly narrow at points. This can make it tricky if there are people around. Plus, the terrain varies from rocky and coastal bushland to exposed rocky cliff tops. So be mindful of that. Honestly though, visiting in winter meant that there were very few people on the trail.
WHAT’S SPEED HIKING? Speed hiking is whatever you want it to be! It’s not just for athletes surging up mountains. Recreational speed hiking is an activity that is suitable for anyone that enjoys walking at a quicker pace. Speed hiking can take place on any trail or track that you like. As long as you’re considerate of track limitations and others around you.
For this trail, park at Pretty Beach. It makes for a good base to enjoy the best walking trails in this national park. A common hike from Pretty Beach is actually to the Snapper Point Lookout on its own. It’s a 1km return trail taking 45 minutes. But we recommend walking to this lookout and then continuing onto Merry Beach. This only adds another 1km or so in that direction.
Snapper Point Lookout
The Snapper Point Lookout provides excellent views of the Eurobodalla Coast. You’ll get a real sense of the power and rage of the ocean as the waves smash up against the rocky cliffs. It’s hard to beat that smell of the ocean as nature’s breath of fresh air fills your nostrils. Just make sure you have a windproof jacket handy as the wind will have you feeling a wee bit chilly. It can also be a fantastic spot for whale watching.
Kangaroos at Merry Beach
If you want an almost guaranteed chance of seeing wildlife, make sure you continue to Merry Beach. The coastal trail continues to this beach via Snapper Point. At the beach, it’s common to spot a mob of kangaroos. We enjoyed morning tea at the Merry Beach Caravan Park just opposite the beach. From there, we were joined by almost a hundred kangaroos! It’s an incredible feeling to see these magnificent animals close up. As we walked by them, most were unfazed as they continued to eat grass. There was even an albino kangaroo. It reminded us of our amazing experience on Bruny Island when we saw a rare white wallaby.
Upon returning to Pretty Beach, have lunch at the picnic area. There are a few tables close to the beach on a grassy area. It’s a beautiful spot to relax and take in the stunning Eurobodalla coastline.
Completing this trail early in the morning would be ideal for a quieter walk. In regards to seeing kangaroos, they tend to move about around dusk and dawn. But on this occasion, it seemed as if the kangaroos turned up to Merry Beach for a late morning tea. But for when you visit, it’s really all luck of the draw! The whole experience here of speed hiking and seeing wildlife certainly exceeded our expectations.
2. Pretty Beach to Durras Mountain Return Walk
Another great option for hiking is the 10km return trail from Pretty Beach to Durras Mountain. It can take 3-4 hours though. So make sure to give yourself enough time to complete this hike. You’ll still need time to explore other parts of the Murramarang National Park today!
Unfortunately, this trail is currently closed as of June 2020 due to bush fire damage. So we didn’t get the chance to do this trail. But we have read that this hike is challenging with a steep ascent to Durras Mountain. It’s rated Grade 4 so make sure to be prepared for a challenging hike. But the payoff is beautiful coastal forest and lovely views of the coast at the summit. It’s uncertain as to when it will reopen.
Alternatively, it’s possible to walk from Pebbly Beach to Durras Mountain. It’s a 6.6km return hike and can take around 3 hours. Again, this trail was closed due to bush fire damage when we visited in June 2020. So sadly we couldn’t do this trail. Please do let us know in the comments section if you have completed either of the Durras Mountain trails. We’d appreciate any tips or information about them.
It’s also worth noting that NSW National Parks recently published a Draft Murramarang South Coast Walk Master Plan. The project involves construction of a 48km multi-day trail connecting five South Coast villages. The trail will be known as the Murramarang South Coast Walk.
3. Pretty Beach to Pebbly Beach Via Snake Bay
If you’re looking for a day hike in the Murramarang National Park, look no further than this 16km return trail. Of course, you’ll probably need an extra day here to fit this one in. Spending more time at this beautiful national park would be time well spent. The trail starts at Pretty Beach. The first section of the walk from Pretty Beach to Snake Bay is 5.2km and will take around 1.5-2 hours. From Snake Bay to Pebbly Beach is 2.8km and takes around an hour. So the return hike is 16km and takes around 7-8 hours to complete.
Again, unfortunately, due to bush fire damage, the trail is currently closed. But from exploring the area, you should expect great coastal views, secluded beaches and coastal forest. Please note that this hike is rated Grade 5. This is due to challenging and difficult portions negotiating rock platforms. These rock surfaces are slippery as they’re covered by the ocean in high tide. So this hike should only be undertaken at low tide and in good weather conditions. Make sure you check the tide times, swell and weather before you set off. Due to the nature of the walk, portions are not marked or well signposted. So only experienced hikers should tackle this one.
Alternatively, if you don’t wish to or have time for a longer hike, you can simply just visit Pebbly Beach. Similar to Merry Beach, Pebbly Beach is known for having kangaroos lazing around on the beach. What an incredibly Australian experience! Of course, that’s when it reopens.
4. Pretty Beach to Durras Mountain Circuit Via Snake Bay
Another popular option is to combine this trail with Durras Mountain. For this, you would continue south of Snake Bay from Pretty Beach. Then around 75m from Clear Point, there’ll be a junction with the Mount Durras Track. This way, you will hike the final section of the Pebbly Beach to Durras Mountain trail, plus the reverse of the Pretty Beach to Durras Mountain trail. Give yourself 4-5 hours for this 12km circuit option. Visit NSW National Parks for more detailed information on all of these trails. The link above provides an excellent map of all the trails mentioned above.
5. Depot Beach
If the trails above are still closed due to bush fire damage, don’t worry as there’s plenty else to do in the Murramarang National Park. Luckily, Depot Beach is currently open. It’s another stunning beach along this stretch of coast. It’s a fairly secluded and quiet area so you might even get the beach to yourself! You’ll lose phone reception out here. Luckily, you won’t need any GPS as finding the beach and the rock platform is straightforward. Plus, it gives you a chance to just connect with nature and your company.
By the way, there is no car park here. We parked adjacent to the beach on the street. But there are barely any cars around. There’s a tiny walk through some coastal forest to reach the beach. From there, walk the entirety of the beach to soak in the ambience and peacefulness. The beach is surrounded by coastal forest. You’ll feel far away from civilisation.
6. Rock Platform Walk
- Type: Out & Back
- Distance: 1km
- Time: 0.5 hours
- Accumulated elevation gain: None
- Difficulty: Grade 4
- Trailhead: Depot Beach Street Parking
After strolling the beach, check out the rock platform. Like most of the Eurobodalla Coast, expect fascinating rock geology. Just around the corner from the beach are naturally carved out rock pools and unique geological patterns and formations.
As you walk along the rock platform, you’ll begin to lose sight of the sand. It’s a joyous occasion to be so close to the seawater, as waves continually pummel into the brown and orange rocks. In fact, it’s thanks to these waves that there are incredibly carved out rock pools. Expect to see many pipis and periwinkles among the rocks. Try not to crush too many!
Depot Beach is a phenomenal spot for photography. The early afternoon proved to be a difficult time to photograph the beach with the sun well and truly out. But on the large rock platform, it’s easy to work different angles to avoid shooting directly into the sun. Otherwise, we’re sure photography around dusk or dawn would be majestic. As long as you’re off the rock platform before it turns dark.
Walking from the street to the rock formations shouldn’t be more than a 1km return. If you add on the walk of the beach, it’s roughly an extra 1km in total. The trail is rated Grade 4 due to a large component of walking on slippery rocks. There’s no scrambling or anything but caution is still required. It’s certainly not a good place for speed hiking! Even without the speed hiking element, the place as a whole was tremendous.
7. Dark Beach & Myrtle Beach
More secluded beaches! These beautiful beaches are located next to each other on the Eurobodalla coastline. The roads to get there are a little rough. But are doable with a 2WD. Once you have conquered the roads, both beaches can be easily accessed from the same car park on Old Coach Road. See Google Maps here.
Each of these beaches has its own easy walking trail through coastal forest. Both are about a 500m return walk. You won’t be visiting for a hike as such. But more for the beauty of the beach. What you actually may stumble upon is a secluded or even private beach! Similar to North Head Beach, the sand on Dark Beach is an interesting mix of the usual white sand with unusual black sand. This darker sand was formed by volcanic rock remnants many moons ago.
Specifically, the walk to Myrtle Beach is through what the locals have coined the ‘enchanted forest’. You’ll see stunted spotted gum forest that have been shaped by coastal winds overs many years. There’s something truly delightful about exploring the lesser known destinations. You’ll feel like a real explorer as you check out natural wonders that many people, even from NSW, will never see in their lifetime. Even in our own busy lives, these moments are something to savour.
8. Honeysuckle Beach Walking Track
- Type: Out & Back
- Distance: 2.5km
- Time: 1 hour
- Accumulated elevation gain: 29m
- Difficulty: Grade 3
- Trailhead: North Head Campground
As mentioned before, even if you don’t plan on camping at North Head Campground, you should still visit North Head Beach. If you have enough time, complete the Honeysuckle Beach walking track. Similar to getting to Dark and Myrtle Beaches, the road to reach North Head is unpaved and quite rough. It’s also about 10km long. We managed in a 2WD in good weather conditions. But being ultra careful, meant it was a painfully slow drive.
The walking trail begins at North Head Campground. It passes through North Head Beach and other secluded beaches. You will be spoiled with glorious ocean views and lovely coastal forest. Because there isn’t really any clear solid trail terrain, it’s not an ideal trail for speed hiking. We took this walk around sunset so it was more of a relaxing stroll for us. Overall, at a leisurely pace, it’s a 2.5km return trail taking around an hour.
North Head Campground Sunset
Make sure you stick around for sunset. It’s one of the best sunsets you will see on the South Coast of NSW! There’s just something about a sun setting over the water that gets us every time! The orange clouds scattered across the sky as a wallaby bounces along the beach into the bushland. What a blissful moment. Honestly speaking, it was only a truly epic sunset we witnessed around Wilsons Prom that topped that sunset! In winter, make sure to pack a warm jacket as it gets very cold once the sun is down!
Eurobodalla Coast Itinerary – Day Two
Further south of Murramarang National Park and Bateman’s Bay is Narooma. It’s quite common for Sydneysiders to explore the South Coast of NSW down to around Bateman’s Bay. Further beyond is considered a little too far to travel for a weekend and even a long weekend. But it’s the Eurobodalla coastline south of Bateman’s Bay that is even better.
The beautiful scenery, outstanding sea stacks and hidden gems in and around Narooma exceeded all expectations. This stretch of coast is far less frequented. So it’s generally much quieter to visit and can be enjoyed without the crowds. Below are the highlights of Narooma and the surrounding coastline to be enjoyed in a day.
Narooma
9. Mill Bay Boardwalk
- Type: Out & Back
- Distance: 4km
- Time: 1-1.5 hours
- Accumulated elevation gain: None
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Trailhead: Bar Beach Parking
We started our day in Narooma completing the Mill Bay Boardwalk. Park at Bar Beach Parking as you can explore South and North Bar beaches afterwards. From Bar Beach Parking, you’re only a minute walk away from the start of the boardwalk. Simply cross the road, pass the Wagonga Playground and public toilets to reach the start.
The boardwalk itself is only 700 metres. We were there around 9am and walked past a dozen or so locals. It’s not what we consider a hiking trail so we weren’t meant to be speed hiking there. But we were hankering for a coffee. So we extended our walk into town to find some caffeine at a healthy pace. This made it a 4km return walk.
Once you complete the actual boardwalk, you will walk over Narooma Bridge into town. Make sure to keep an eye on the water. We saw a few fur seals being fed by the local fisherman. There were also stingrays about!
After the Boardwalk
Once you walk over Narooma Bridge, you can either head right towards the high street. There are a few cafes there. To make it a loop, we continued left. This continued our walk along the water. At around the Big 4 Narooma Easts Holiday Park, we turned right towards the high street for coffee!
It’s also possible to add the Australia Rock (Bar Lookout) onto this walk from town. This adds another 1.2km. So all up, from Bar Beach to Australia Rock is a 3.2km walk. So it would make an approximate 6.4km return. This is a great option too! Because the walk is through town, it certainly isn’t the most wondrous of trails. But it’s beside the water in a small coastal town, so it’s still pleasurable nevertheless.
Admittedly, with a take away flat white in hand, our walking pace slowed on the return trip to Bar Beach. It was a glorious day with a clear blue sky and beaming sunshine to soak in. The fact that it was winter was unrecognisable. After a stint of living in the UK, it’s quite an extraordinary sensation to feel such warmth during the supposed coldest months of the year.
Bar Beach South & North
Once you return from your walk, it’s time to explore Bar Beach. Bar Beach South is a beautiful bay that’s great for snorkelling. We visited in winter so declined the snorkel opportunity. But the sun was shining so it was tempting to at least go for a dip! Even in winter, the water wasn’t as cold as expected. But it was only early winter!
Bar Beach South is quite small. You can walk the entire beach and return within 10 minutes. During that time, you may even see some paddleboarders out to play. The beach was fairly empty when we visited. It made our trip even more serene.
Bar Beach North is a longer stretch surf beach next door. We did a small walk along the beach there. Expect Bar Beach North to be a bit more crowded, for Eurobodalla Coast standards. That’s because the beach is situated very close to town. Plus, the beach is quite large so there’s plenty of room for everyone.
But we didn’t stay for long. We were too excited to check out some sea stacks! Overall though, South Bar Beach was worth the visit. But Bar Beach North wasn’t anything particularly special. You will be right there after seeing Bar Beach South though. So you could always just quickly check it out as we did or skip along to the next part of the itinerary!
10. Australia Rock (Bar Rock Lookout)
Although you can see Australia Rock from Bar Beach South, it’s located across the Wagonga Inlet. So if you have parked at Bar Beach, drive over Narooma Bridge, and park at Batemans Marine Park. It’s possible to park closer to Bar Rock, at the Bar Rock Lookout car park, but we enjoyed the longer walk. As you can see below, Australia Rock has a crazily shaped hole. It’s only missing Tasmania!
We had fun photographing the rock with the ocean and sky piercing through the hole. Photography by mid-late morning was a bit tricky with the brightness of the sun. But playing around with your positioning will ensure taking photos is manageable at this time of day. If you are to climb onto the rock, just be careful in case it’s slippery!
Bar Rock Lookout
It’s also here that you’ll have Bar Rock Lookout to explore. To access this lookout, head up the small staircase next to Australia Rock. There’s probably around 30 steps. Soon enough, you’ll have lovely views of the Eurobodalla coastline and the Wagonga Inlet. You’ll have some glare from the sun bouncing off the water if you visit in the morning. But the views of the inlet and its symmetrical rock wall formations are a pretty sight.
11. Wagonga Head
Even before you head up to Bar Lookout, do the small walk to Wagonga Head. You will have another wildlife watching opportunity. Basically, pass Australia Rock to your right and follow the paved track to the end. The narrow pier winds it’s way out to the ocean. Along the track are rock walls. They were positioned there to form the bay. On these rocks are beautiful fur seals. We saw around a dozen of them! They were either sunbathing or playing together in the water.
Seeing these animals up close is truly majestic. That’s while your other senses are infiltrated by the ocean breeze. Again, expect a few people around. But in winter, it shouldn’t be overly crowded.
12. Glasshouse Rocks Beach Walk
- Type: Out & Back
- Distance: 3km
- Time: 1.5 hours
- Accumulated elevation gain: Minimal
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Trailhead: Narooma Cemetery
After a picnic at Batemans Marine Park, make your way to the Glasshouse Rocks! Do not follow Google Maps to get there though. You will be sent up a random private road. Instead, make your way to and park at the Narooma Cemetery. From there, head inland past the cemetery. You will then need to walk to and around a small white fence and into some bushland. There is a fairly obvious track to follow from this point.
You will eventually find a trail off to the left down a fairly steep dirt track. This heads towards the beach and is the correct way to go. But we accidentally missed this turnoff! So we naively kept following the initial trail. But within a few minutes, we got to this incredible lookout of the Glasshouse Rocks at the end of that section of headland. We’ll call this the secret lookout of the Glasshouse Rocks!
The Secret Lookout
The viewing point is a safe distance from the cliff edge but caution must still be taken. It’s truly an ecstatic feeling when you unexpectedly stumble upon a different viewing point of a natural wonder. Photography of these magnificent rocks around early afternoon was great. From the headland, the Glasshouse Rocks in the distance were silhouetted by the coastal bushland. It created an epic scene. Did you know that the Geological Society of Australia dates the extraordinary Glasshouse Rocks to be around 440-510 million years old?
Back on the Trail
There is one thing for sure though, do not attempt to descend to the beach from this lookout point. Once you have followed the correct trail down to the beach, it’s about a 1km walk on the beach to the Glasshouse Rocks. On the way, you’ll find other epic rocks along the beach. You’ll feel like another tiny speck of sand among some of these geological giants.
The vivid orange, brown and yellow colours and patterns of rock on display on the beach are incredible. Be sure to check out one rock in particular. It’s not the biggest rock you’ll see, but it has an incredible wavey and swirly orange pattern almost shaped in the letter ‘M’. That rock was mind blowing.
You will also see pillow lava on this walk. This rock shape was formed by undersea volcanic eruptions. Overall, hiking to the lookout and on to the beach where the Glasshouse Rocks are located was a surreal experience.
Trail Details
Do this walk at low tide. This will allow safety and ease of access to the amazing rocks on the beach. The trail is a bit steep to get down to the beach initially and does involve a tiny bit of rock scrambling at the end. But this also depends on how far you explore once you have passed the Glasshouse Rocks.
Overall, we have rated the walk as moderate-difficult for these reasons. In total, the walk was about a 3km return and took us around 1.5 hours. But this was with plenty of stops for photos. The trail isn’t a classic trail for speed hiking. And to be honest, there were too many rocks to check out on the beach. So for this walk, we hit it at more of a leisurely pace.
13. Mystery Bay Beach
You should also check out Mystery Bay Beach. We chose to camp there. So the walk to the beach was convenient and easy. But you should still visit even if you’re not camping there. The beach has even more sea stacks and amazing rock formations. Although they weren’t quite on the same level as Glasshouse Rocks, it’s a nice activity to finish the day on.
The beach is fairly long and takes around 1 hour to roam its entirety. Enjoy the smell of the sea. Cherish the sounds of waves crashing and seagulls flapping. It’s also a nice spot for sunset!
Eurobodalla Coast Recap
This is your comprehensive two day guide to seeing the best of the Eurobodalla Coast. Most Sydneysiders will know of Bateman’s Bay. But they won’t have heard of Eurobodalla despite Bateman’s Bay being located in the region of Eurobodalla. That’s a real shame because the highlights of this underrated coastline are outside of this town.
Not to say you shouldn’t visit Bateman’s Bay. It’s a great place to pick up supplies, groceries and has more accommodation options. But the natural wonders and gorgeous scenery are along the coastline outside of Bateman’s Bay. Specifically, throughout the Murramarang National Park and Narooma.
Please find below details on how to get to Eurobodalla, accommodation, gear recommendations and total costs to help you plan your trip to the Eurobodalla Coast. Feel free to use our website to book your amazing trip!
Getting to Sydney
Flights: Of course, you’ll need to fly to Sydney to do this trip from abroad. If you’re travelling to Sydney from overseas, use Skyscanner to search for the cheapest flights. When flying abroad, we always get the ball rolling with a Skyscanner search. Also, if you’re based in the UK or US, you should sign up to Jack’s Flight Club for the best flight deal alert service. By simply subscribing to the free weekly newsletter or buying premium membership, you could save lots of money on international travel. If you’re interstate, subscribe to I Want That Flight for the best flight deal alerts to and from Sydney.
Getting to and From Eurobodalla
Car: Exploring the Eurobodalla Coast requires a car. Public transport isn’t really an option. From Sydney, trains will only get you as far as Nowra. So ensure you have your own set of wheels when exploring South Coast NSW, particularly south of Kiama. The drive from Sydney to Bateman’s Bay is around 4 hours.
If you don’t have a car, use RentalCars.com to find one! We hired a car using RentalCars.com for our road trip in Tasmania to see Cradle Mountain and Bruny Island. They were easy to book with, reliable and trustworthy. Use the search widget below to find your ideal vehicle.
Accommodation in Eurobodalla
The Eurobodalla Coast is a fantastic place for camping! We had the chance of staying at two campsites in the area. Both were exceptional. Please find more information below about the campsites we stayed at. If you’re not into camping or prefer a different style of accommodation, we recommend using Booking.com or Airbnb.
We found more affordable options on Booking.com. Those slightly cheaper accommodation options were most often motels. But as we were camping, we didn’t need to use Booking.com on this occasion.
SIDE NOTE: For exploring the Murramarang National Park and Narooma, you could certainly day trip each area from Bateman’s Bay. The Murramarang National Park is only about half an hour away. Whilst Narooma is about a 1-1.5 hours’ drive away in the opposite direction. Staying closer to the Murramarang National Park in the smaller towns won’t provide you as many affordable options. There’s also less to choose from around Narooma.
North Head Campground
Using WikiCamps, we narrowed down some options for camping in Eurobodalla. After seeing some amazing sunset shots at North Head Campground’s beach, we chose to stay there. Camping there is actually free! But you must book in advance as there are only 10 sites available. Booking online through NSW National Parks incurred a $6AUD ($4USD) fee.
Admittedly, the 10km unsealed dirt road to get there was a little challenging in our 2WD Sedan. But it is certainly doable on a dry track. Luckily for us, the weather in the preceding days had been rain free. We did read a 4WD is recommended in periods following and during heavy rainfall.
The campsite itself is very basic. There are no showers and just a drop toilet. But it’s lack of facilities and remoteness made it an excellent place to camp as you feel at one with nature. Although we were only half an hour from Bateman’s Bay, we felt like we were hours away from the nearest town. The star gazing here was therefore phenomenal. There was no light pollution.
As we mentioned previously, even for those not camping, you should still visit this remote beach for the amazing sunset. You’ll be mesmerised by the spectacular display of purples, oranges and pinks parading the sky as the sun goes down.
Mystery Bay Campground
Our second night of camping on the Eurobodalla Coast took us to Mystery Bay Campground. Again, it’s a very basic campsite. But this one is huge so there’s no need to book. It’s first in, first served. We were told that someone would come around to each camping group to take payment. But it never happened. We found the office empty upon arrival and departure also. So we slipped the $12AUD ($8USD) through an opening in the side of the office as we left the next morning.
Please honour the honesty box system. Well, actually, there wasn’t really a box to catch the money we fed through at all. We could hear the coins smash the wooden floorboards and then scatter around the room. But hopefully the staff were able to scramble the change off the floor.
Make sure to find a site that’s well protected from the wind. We advise you to drive up the dirt road upon arrival. You will then find more protected positions to set up camp in the surrounding bushland. There are no official or numbered sites here. Just set up wherever you please really.
Again, even if you’re not planning on camping, it’s worth visiting this area. We explored Mystery Bay Beach after setting up camp. The beach had amazing rock formations at either end.
Five Hiking Gear Essentials For Eurobodalla
- Merrell Moab 2 Mid Goretex hiking boots – these boots had great traction when we were walking on the Rock Platform at Depot Beach.
- The North Face TKA Glacier snap fleece jacket – you’ll want some warm gear for when the North Head Campground sunset concludes.
- The North Face Venture 2 waterproof/windproof Jacket – a windproof jacket is a smart idea when at the Snapper Point Lookout.
- Lightweight down jacket – warm clothes will be needed when camping during winter.
- Nikon D3400 Digital SLR Camera – there were so many epic photography moments on this trip. This is one of the cameras we use.
Five Camping Gear Essentials For Eurobodalla
- Vango Banshee Pro Tent 300 – because we were car camping, we didn’t need our tent. But this is one of the tents we own and love.
- Vango Ultralite Pro 200 sleeping bag – a lightweight sleeping bag that’ll keep you warm.
- Sea to Summit Aeros Premium inflatable pillow – a convenient inflatable pillow that packs down to be pocket size!
- PETZL Headlamp Flashlight – both campsites described above are basic and therefore have no lighting. You’ll need a headlamp.
- AeroPress Coffee Maker – our morning cup of coffee is very much an essential for us! This is a great compact coffee maker to take camping.
Trail Navigation
Although none of the trails listed above are too tricky or complex to follow, you should always be prepared. Consider downloading a GPS guided map before you set out. We recommend Wikiloc or AllTrails. For those not so prepared, if you’re needing navigation help during the hike and don’t have any phone reception, consider using Maps.me. Although you need to have at least downloaded the map of the general area beforehand.
Bonus Tips
- Check NSW National Parks Website: Before visiting the Murramarang National Park, check the NSW National Parks website. Due to bush fire damage, much of the park is still closed as of June 2020. You don’t want to drive all the way to a section of the park that is closed.
- Consider a 4WD: We were able to visit all of the places in our itinerary with a 2WD. But, the road to North Head Campground was a bit rough in sections. Driving that road and some of the other roads in the Murramarang National Park would be much easier in a 4WD.
- Don’t always rely on Google Maps: For the Glasshouse Rocks, following Google Maps will lead you astray. Always make sure to research and prepare when visiting lesser known areas.
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