Southern Exposure – Boating on the NSW South Coast
Explore NSW's South Coast region and discover some fantastic boating and fishing opportunities
The NSW South Coast is a boating paradise of unspoiled lakes and rivers, many in pristine surroundings. Whether you're an experienced angler or a beginner looking for a peaceful cruising experience, there is something for everyone in this beautiful region.
Offshore fishing is popular all along the South Coast, and you will also find flathead, snapper, morwong, and kingfish almost all year round. Marlin and tuna are making a comeback in summer, and the current season has proven the best for many years. And the whale migration north in winter and back to Antarctica in spring sees thousands of humpbacks pass close enough for an extraordinary encounter.
Located between Wollongong and Wonboyn, the South Coast region is home to a diverse range of boating experiences along a coastline that is the least developed in the state. Let's explore the four areas that make up the south coast, the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, Eurobodalla and Sapphire Coast.
The Illawarra
Wollongong is considered part of Greater Sydney but has a slower pace and a relatively laid-back coastal lifestyle. The region nestles between the escarpment and the sea, so boating opportunities abound. Lake Illawarra is surrounded by suburbia to the south of the city, but its nine-by-five-kilometre-wide waterway hosts sailing, fishing and water sports over its 33 square kilometres. Access is easy with 13 ramps, but they are busy in peak seasons like most ramps along the South Coast.
Offshore boat ramps include those at Shellharbour Marina and the main ports providing easy access to the nearby waters. Popular fishing spots off Bass Point and the Five Islands are renowned for their excellent snapper and shark fishing. Newcomers may like to try the artificial reef south of Five Islands. Check it out at 34°.31.081' S -150°.54.883' E.
Kiama has an ocean ramp and the lovely Minnamurra River with small boat and kayak access for beautiful scenery and decent estuary fishing.
The Shoalhaven
The region takes its name from the mighty Shoalhaven River, which meanders across the floodplain of rich alluvial soils of prosperous farmlands. The river between the township of Nowra and upstream to Long Reach is popular for fishing, water skiing, sailing and canoeing. At the entrance, the river widens, and the mouth inside Shoalhaven and Crookhaven Heads is ideal for estuary fishing. A break wall leads to the ocean, and offshore fishing includes the often-productive banks east of Culburra Beach. Try 34.566.54/150.56.41 for kingfish and tuna in season.
Further south, the 22sq km Jervis Bay is surrounded by national parks and pristine beaches and is renowned for its crystal-clear waters and excellent fishing and diving. The bay is also home to several sheltered bays and coves, making it a popular destination for overnight boating trips. Much of the area is marine park, and there’s a naval base, so get acquainted with the park maps to learn the restrictions. Towering cliffs at the north head are worth a cruise for the stunning scenery.
The coastal lakes south of Nowra offer further destinations for cruising and fishing. St Georges Basin is approximately 41sq km in size and flows out to sea along a narrow 6.5km channel to Sussex Inlet. Estuary fishing is excellent. The list of navigable lakes goes on. Lake Conjola and Burrill Lake near Ulladulla are both scenic and more peaceful than the waterways further north. Ulladulla has a commercial fishing fleet and a ramp with access to the ocean.
The Eurobodalla
As we move further south from Sydney, the population is smaller, with less demand for development. Batemans Bay is the principal town in the Eurobodalla coast, although Moruya is the centre of local government. The BayBay attracts visitors and holiday homeowners from the ACT, which is a three-hour drive away up the twisting Clyde Mountain. If you tow a boat down the escarpment, take care of the twisty bits.
The Clyde River is navigable for many miles, and the run through the hills to Nelligan is a popular and scenic fishing, and water-skiing run. The Clyde opens to the sea on either side of the Tollgate Islands. The Moruya River is also a fishing hotspot, but the opening through the break wall can be dangerous on a runout tide.
Tuross Lakes is a well-kept secret spot for a few locals who relish the pristine waters and the temperate climate.. Fishing guru Steve Starling resides by the lake and is wealth of knowledge on fishing the flats. Check out Starlo Gets Reel on YouTube to improve your catch. Upper reaches of the Tuross River can be accessed from a ramp where the highway crosses, and apart from incredible scenery and camping, there are angry bass waiting in ambush. The Tuross is kayaking heaven.
Narooma sits beside another memorable lake with a picture-perfect backdrop to Gulaga – Mt Dromedary. Cruising and fishing are a must here if you are passing with a trailer boat. Accommodation is plentiful in the off-season, and the lake has lots to offer for a couple of relaxing days. Montague Island is nine kilometres offshore, and if you can't find a kingy or a snapper here, then you aren't trying. The Narooma Bar can be nasty in an easterly swell, so launching from Bermagui can sometimes be safer. Ask a local for the best advice.
The Sapphire Coast
We have saved the best till last, but bias may be involved, as this is my backyard. This stretch of coast takes in Bermagui, Merimbula and Eden, all iconic game fishing and bottom-bouncing destinations. American angler and storyteller Zane Grey made Bermagui famous in the 1930s, and his legacy lingers.
Pro and game boats tug at their moorings on the docks in the harbour, and every year hundreds of Victorians flock here for the marlin and tuna season. The continental shelf is only 20km away at the 12 Mile, so it can be a relatively short run to get amongst the action. This year's marlin competition saw 260 anglers in 64 vessels tag 91 marlin over the event, so the fish stocks are building.
Bermagui is blessed with estuary escapes as well. Wallaga Lake and the Bermagui River can turn on breathtaking reflections of the nearby mountains and hold their own with metre-size tag and release flathead and feisty silver bream.
Visit Tathra in mid-year, and it might be cooler, but the crowds have dispersed to leave space and serenity on the Bega River. Think flathead and bream and the sound of bellbirds echoing across the silent water. The Kianinny ocean ramp is the best launching place on the NSW coast, and there are flathead waiting 200m offshore. Cruise around to the 18th-century steamer wharf for your serving of history and head up to the lately gentrified pub, sorry, hotel, later for a craft beer and memorable sunset over Biamanga- Mumbulla Mountain.
Merimbula is also blessed with a lake and estuary for fishing, cruising, and safe sea access over the sheltered bar. Nearby Pambula Lake can fire up for bream around the oyster leases, which, by the way, supply the best oysters in the world.
By the time you get to Eden, if you are heading south, you have found the most southern town in NSW; although the sleepy village at Wonboyn Lake is closer to the border, it's a sleepy spot with a friendly caravan park. The lake is surrounded by rolling hills, forests, and farmland, making it a picturesque location for boating and fishing. Several boat ramps are located around the lake, and the calm waters are ideal for a range of boating activities, including fishing, cruising, and water sports. The lake is also a popular destination for birdwatching, with several species of waterbirds, including pelicans and herons, making their home in the surrounding wetlands. You could easily stay for a week and gorge on the serenity and fishy delights.
But don’t miss Eden. It boasts what's arguably the best harbour in the world, with a bay that's a safe fishing haven. An ocean cruise south of the bay takes you to Green Cape Lighthouse, where seals frolic year-round and fight you for any kingfish you hook.
If you are travelling from the south, you have a treat in store. The drive through miles of forest from Victoria opens to a 300km long boating playground without a match for variety and quality. If you have come down from the north, turn around and do it again. You are bound to have missed something.
For more information on the safety aspects of boating, you can also check out the following Trade a Boat articles: