Travel Agent Ringwood North

Luckily for us, our children have always been good travellers – a few trips to the UK have made sure of that. So for the past 6 years we’ve done a long but easy 10 hour drive from Melbourne to Southern New South Wales. The coast line is amazing with some of the most spectacular and cleanest beaches in the country.
Last month we headed to Seven Mile Beach for the second time. We stayed on a great campsite in the small (population 500) town of Gerroa. The next town up of Gerringong is a bit more populated with shops, petrol stations and a few restaurants. We can personally recommend “Zoobs” for their great pizzas!

Seven Mile Beach, part of which is also a National Park, is a pristine stretch of sand that was used in 1933 by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith as his airstrip when he took the first fare-paying passengers to New Zealand. Leaving the beach at 2:50 am, the locals lit the beach with their car headlights to give him a runway! This flight led to the Trans-Tasman Air Mail Service.

The campsite sits at the start of where Crooked River runs into the ocean. So there are lots of options – surfing and body boarding, kite surfing, snorkelling in the river and exploring rock pools. The beach is patrolled by Lifesavers from mid December onwards. A few streets away, there is also a semi natural/ semi manmade rock pool to swim in. It is safe, but also great for snorkelling due to the corals and sea life. Reef shoes are recommended.

The area also boasts some great things to do if the beach is not your thing. About 30 minutes drive inland you have the Illawarra Fly Tree top Walk. It costs around $50 for a family of 4 to enter and this gives you access to an amazing walkway 25 meters up in the forest canopy. The brave among you can also climb the spiral staircase which takes you to the viewing tower a total of 45 meters above the forest floor. From anywhere on this amazing walk, you’ll be able to take in amazing views of Lake Illawarra and the South Pacific Ocean.

Kiama is approximately 15 minutes North and very easy to get to. Here you can visit the famous blowhole which is amazing if you get it on a good day. Over time, the rock has eroded to create a hole and when the conditions are right, you can witness the huge waterspout and loud ‘ooomph’ sound as the ocean is pushed through and out of the hole. Sometimes it gets as high as the lighthouse just in front of it.

Another great day out is Jamberoo Action Park. New South Wales’ largest theme park is not far from Kiama and is very easy to get to. It will cost around $130.00 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children. Rides are free all day and include some great waterslides, children’s swimming and play area, go karts and mini-golf. There’s something for everyone here.

If golf is your thing, Gerroa surely has one of the most scenic courses you'll find and overlooks Walkers Beach. Just view the photos to see what I mean. I hired a buggy just for the fun of it while my Husband played a round of 9.

So whether you’re looking for a camping trip or something a bit more luxurious, there is something to suit everyone in this region of New South Wales. If you’d like more information or details of where to stay, why not call me for a chat? I’d love to hear from you.