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South Coast

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The South Coast offers spectacular scenery, as well as beautiful beaches and great surf. There are also a wide range of activities for you to partake in such as scuba diving, hang-gliding, skydiving, bushwalking and horse riding as well as much more. One stop you can’t miss is to the Snowy Mountains which are pretty all year around.

The South coast is easy to get to. If driving just head north or south along the Princess Highway which although may take a little longer than some of the other routes is definitely worth it. Although there aren’t many flights and trains there are plenty of buses and coaches which can take you all along the coast if you are using public transport.

The South coast stretches quite a distance and includes a large number of beautiful places to visit. Just south of Sydney is Cronulla and Botany Bay. There is a fantastic walk around Cronulla from the train station, passing some pretty beaches, and offering fabulous views of the area. You can also visit nearby Kurnell where Captain Cook landed in 1770, as well as get a boat around Port Hacking to Bundeena. The spectacular Royal National Park is here, featuring fabulous bushwalks and remote camping.

The South Coast is also home to Wollongong the 3rd largest city in New South Wales and a large industrial city. Shellharbour south of Wollongong is one of the South Coast's oldest towns and now a popular holiday resort. North of Shellharbour at Windang Peninsula are several pleasant beaches. Bass Point which is south of the town offers some good scuba diving. Further south again is Kiama and the famous Kiama blowhole.

Further south along the coast you will come across Gerringong, another great place for surfing. Seven Mile Beach south of Gerringong is now a National Park. It is also the point from which Charles Kingsford-Smith set off on the first non-stop flight across the Tasman Sea to New Zealand, piloting the 'Southern Cross' plane. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith also made the first non-stop flight across Australia, as well as an around the World flight in 1929 and the first West to East crossing of the Pacific in 1934. However, along with his companion he disappeared when flying over the Bay of Bengal in 1935 during bad typhoon weather.

If history interests you then head to historic Berry hosting a number of museums and antique stores. There are also several classified buildings which offer an interesting and relaxing day out. Also historic are Kangaroo Valley which features the Pioneer Farm Settlement with various exhibitions and Coolangatta and its many convict built buildings.

The area from Gerringong to Batemans Bay is Shoalhaven, another popular holiday resort. Batemans Bay is a large fishing port with a variety of accommodation around the marina. Further south Moruya is a dairy centre and oyster farming region. Batemans Bay is also surrounded by National Parks. To the south is the unspoilt Eurobodalla National Park, inland is the Budawang Range which offers several good walking trails. Budawang Range can be accessed from Braidwood, a small arts and crafts area on the way to Canberra. Further south are more fishing areas including Narooma and Bermagui.

The final few places before you reach the Victoria border include Merimbula, Eden and Boydtown. Merimbula offers numerous beaches which aren’t over developed as well as an aquarium on the wharf. Eden is a old port which offers whale spotting cruises and has its own Whale museum which tells the history of whaling and whales in the area. Boydtown was founded by Benjamin Boyd who planned for the town to be the capital of Australia. As we know this isn’t the case, as when Boyd’s fortunes disappeared so did his dream. There are also several National Parks and Nature Reserves around this area, including the Ben Boyd National Park, the Nadgee Nature Reserve and South-East Forests National Park.

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PLEASE NOTE: The New South Wales travel destinations outlined above are only a small selection from the tens of thousands of Australian travel information pages available on Australian Explorer. A comprehensive list of destinations for New South Wales Holidays can be found on the main New South Wales Holidays location guide.