Things to See and Do in Bermagui

what to see and do

Beaches – Horseshoe Bay off Lamont Street is sheltered and ideal for children. Beares Beach – off Scenic Drive is a surf beach. Mooreheads Beach – at the end of Wapengo Street on the northern side of the harbour is an excellent surf beach. Haywards Beach – enter from southern or northern branches of the old highway (no through road) is a good surf beach. Cuttagee Beach – south of town is a good, uncrowded surf beach. Camel Rock Beach – north of town is an excellent surfing beach.

Bermagui Fishermen's Wharf complex - Phone (02) 6493 4575, Fax (02) 6493 4848 www.bermaguifishermenswharf.com.au

Blue Pool – off Scenic Drive, watch for sign on ocean side – is a large ocean rock pool, good for snorkeling.

Bruce Steer Pool - at entrance to harbour just past the boat launching ramp, has shark proof net and good for snorkeling.

Bermagui Harbour - fishing fleet, fish shops, boat launching ramp and trailer parking, fish cleaning tables, weigh-in gantry for game fish.

Bermagui River Park – just upstream from the bridge. Boat launching ramp and trailer parking, picnic area and toilets.

Craft Activities and Sporting Facilities - Bermagui Country Club hosts the amateur Art & Craft Society, with different activities each morning. A magnificent 18 hole golf course, lawn bowling rinks and all weather tennis courts are also available at the club. Call 6493 3445 for more info, visitors and new members are welcome.

Bermagui Indoor Sports Stadium - for Badminton, Karate, Netball, Basketball, Table Tennis, call 6493 4834

Fishing Spots – Haywards Beach, Mooreheads Beach, Camel Rock, and Cuttagee Beach are good for salmon and tailor. Bermagui Headlands, Wallaga Lake mouth and headlands south into Mimosa Rocks National Park are popular rock fishing spots. Estuary fishing in the Bermagui River and Wallaga Lake can be very rewarding. Ask for local advice at the bait and tackle shops.

Game Fishing - Bermagui is an internationally fabulous deep sea fishing and anglers paradise, with an abundance of species and fishing competitions. Charter Boats for deep sea and game fishing trips are available daily. Enquire at Bermagui Visitors Info Centre.

Scenic Forest Drives – north of town watch for sign posts. Spotted gum and Burrawang palms with picnic area beside backwaters of Wallaga Lake.

Camel Rock – just off Wallaga Lake Road, 8klms north of Bermagui sits the lifelike Camel Rock – great for swimming, fishing, and picnic area.

Montreal Goldfields - The Montreal Goldfields is situated about 7kms north of Bermagui on the Wallaga Lake Road. It is the only goldfield in Australia that extends into the sea.Gold was discovered on the beach in September 1880 and a real gold rush soon occurred with miners mainly travelling from Sydney on the cargo boats. A portion of the goldfield has been preserved as a community project and the tour by trained volunteer guides offers the visitors a unique experience. Tales of history, geology and an unsolved mystery stirs the imagination as you wander through the beautiful tree fern and bloodwood forest that covers the site today.

Admission to the site is by guided tour only for safety reasons and so the guides can tell the Montreal story. A tour leaves at 2.00pm each day takes about 1 1/4 hrs. For more information and group bookings contact the Bermagui Visitor Information Centre on (02) 64933054 or 1800 645 808

Guided Walks - in Mimosa Rocks National Parks through a variety of coastal environments and through the historic village of Central Tilba.

Wallaga Lake - situated 10km north of Bermagui. Top spot for swimming, sailing, fishing, prawning and water skiing too. Picnic area and toilets are located just south of Wallaga Lake Bridge.

Heritage Villages - 20 minutes to the north of Bermagui is the turn-of-the-century village Central Tilba, which has been classified by the National Trust. Just 15 minutes drive to the west of Bermagui is the working village of Cobargo, with wonderful old stores to browse through, antiques and tea rooms.

National Parks - Drive 18 km south of Bermagui to Aragunnu in the Mimosa Rocks National Park. The coastal scenery is spectacular with abundant rock pools, boardwalks to boulder beaches, wildflowers, great fishing and camping.

Walks – A scenic coastal walking track can be found from Paynes Island (Wallaga Lake bridge) to the Blue Pool via Murunna Point, Camel Rock, Haywards Beach, Mooreheads Beach, Horseshoe Bay and Point Dickinson. Several entry/exit points allow for shorter walks or the fit can try the whole 9km and enjoy the bird hides along the way.

Heritage Drive - Grab a drive guide from the Bermagui Visitor Info Centre and take a look at the historic buildings and sites of the area.

Ivy Hill Gallery - coast road 26 kms south of Bermagui. Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday 10 to 5 October to June. Showcasing regional artists with a new exhibition each month. www.ivyhill.com.au for more information, including catalogues of past exhibitions.

Open Gardens - see our "whats on" page for dates and directions.

Clothes Optional Beach - Armands Beach, Drive 10kms south to Barragga Bay. Turn left into Kullaroo Road, follow the walking track to the beach.

Bermagui Mountain Bike Track - Bermagui Dirtsurfers Mountain Bike Club was established in July 2006 by several enthusiastic mountain bike riders in the township of Bermagui on the far south coast of New South Wales, Australia. Several riders have put years of effort into building the Bermagui mountain bike track, a single line x-country track in a forest on the edge of town. With permission from State Forests NSW, guidelines and agreements have been put in place to serve this recreational sport in Bermagui. All care is taken to preserve the natural habitat, prevent erosion and make mountain biking safe and fun for all.

Click here to view a map of the track.

For information about the next Race Day on Saturday 13th June 2009 click here.

Check their website for news and upcoming events. If you have any feedback or suggestions about the track – email committee1@bermagui-dirtsurfers.org

Events not to be missed!

Bermagui Seaside Fair - Held on the 2nd Saturday in March each year, the Bermagui Seaside Fair is a multi award winning tourism event attracting around 10,000 people. It includes a traditional Blessing of the Fleet ceremony, fancy dress street parade, over 100 market stalls, carnival, sandcastle competition, helicopter joy flights over the scenic coastline, music and entertainment on two stages, quality arts and crafts and photographic exhibitions, pet pageant, kid's novelty events, fireworks spectacular and more. Visit our website for more information.

Four Winds Festival - A feast of contemporary and classical music in a beautiful natural ampitheatre on alternate Easter weekends.

Cobargo Folk Festival - Musicians, singers, dancers and poets at the historic and picturesque village of Cobargo, February - March each year.

Bermagui Markets - held on the last Sunday of each month in Dickinson Park from 8.30 -12.30

Whale Watching - from October to November. Enquire at Bermagui Visitors Info Centre.

Click here to visit the Sapphire Coast Tourism website