SOUTH COAST WALK

THE SOUTH COAST OF NEW SOUTH WALES offers some of Australia’s finest coastal scenery. Few sections are better, however, than that along the route of NSW’s newest ‘Great Walk’, which opened only in April 2023: The Murramarang South Coast Walk (SCW). It’s a fabulous hike of 34km through Yuin Country down a stunning section of crinkle-cut coastline, with a seemingly endless string of jewelled, secluded beaches studded by rocky headlands. In fine weather, there are more shades of blue here than there are shades of green in Ireland.

It’s not only the coastline that’s beautiful, though; impressive forests of tall spotted gum with thick understoreys of burrawang cycads lie along the route. And the fauna is a major attraction. It’s almost guaranteed you’ll see hundreds of ‘roos, but sightings of wallabies, pademelons, possums, sea eagles, lyrebirds, wonga pigeons, seals and dolphins are all common, plus whales at the right time of year.

Another beauty of the Murramarang SCW is its many options. Although the walk will largely be promoted as being a north-to-south three-dayer, alternatives abound. With the numerous villages and campgrounds along the way, you can stay in tents, cabins or AirBnbs; coupled with the walk’s many access points, you can choose an itinerary that best suits you. The walk is far from entirely new, though; bushwalkers (and indeed the Yuin People) have long walked this stretch of coast. But large sections of old track have been upgraded, and in some areas, entirely new track has been constructed. By formalising these tracks into a ‘Great Walk’, the NPWS has created a route that will surely become one of the state’s favourite walks.

Activity: Multi-day hiking

Location: NSW South Coast

Distance: 34km one way

Duration: 3 days (as described, but can be done in less)

When to go: Year-round

Difficulty: Medium (Grade 4)

Permits required: Necessary if staying in NPWS campgrounds

Car shuttle required: Yes

Navigation: Best done by the NPWS phone app

CLIMATE: BATEMANS BAY

With its mild climate, the Murramarang South Coast Walk is suitable year round. That said, there are some advantages to doing it between April and November, when the campgrounds aren’t as full, and the coast in general is quieter.

Cars are the only realistic option for getting to either end of the track, either to Pretty Beach in the north, or, if you’re starting from the track’s southern end, Maloneys Beach. Whichever end you start at, given the walk isn’t a loop, you’ll also need to find a way back to your vehicle. The NPWS offers a shuttle (see ‘Fees’).

The walk is described here as a 34km three-day, north-to-south trip, starting at Pretty Beach and ending at Maloneys Beach, camping at Depot Beach and Oaky Beach along the way; this is also the way the NPWS promotes it. But one of the beauties of the Murramarang SCW is the sheer number of variants available to you. For starters, it can be done in either direction. But another really good option is to do what we did, which is to do the walk in both directions over three days, starting from the southern end and base camping each night at Depot Beach, the big advantage being that you don’t have to worry about doing a shuffle to get back to your car. You walk 24km north from Maloneys Beach to Depot Beach on Day One; 22km from Depot Beach to Pretty Beach, then back to Depot on Day Two; then 24km back to Maloneys on Day Three. As your overnight gear is at Depot Beach, you’ll only be carrying a daypack, making these distances all the more achievable. For some people, given the short daily distances of the ‘official’ route, the longer days of this option are a plus. Others, though, will want to linger and take their time.

But there are many other options. You can do the walk in two days, camping at South Durras in one of the caravan parks (Lakesea, Big4, and NRMA Murramarang). There are NPWS campgrounds at Pebbly Beach and North Head, too. And according to the NPWS’s Murramarang Plan of Management, bush camping is permitted as long as it’s at least 100m from a track, road or coastline, or 500m from villages, picnic grounds or camping areas, so it’s possible to create a bespoke itinerary. You could also, if you’re a sufficiently fit trail runner, polish off the whole track in a day. There’s even the option of extending the walk up to Kioloa, Bawley Point, or, if you’re super keen, all the way to Ulladulla.

Lastly, you don’t even need to camp at all; the NPWS offers a cabin-based itinerary. You can also—given there’s private accommodation at Pebbly Beach, Depot Beach, North Durras and South Durras—organise your own ‘luxury’ digs along the way.

If you do the walk as the NPWS promotes it, it’s $55 to camp if you do it independently, or $929 to stay in cabins. There’s also a $230 option available on weekends where they’ll shuttle you back to your car at the start: nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/ things-to-do/experiences/murramarang-south-coast-walk