2. SHOALHAVEN CITY AS A DESTINATION This Chapter provides an overview of the Shoalhaven as a tourist destination. More detailed information on visitation to the City and the tourism infrastructure available is provided in Chapters 3 - 7.
2.1
Location and Description
Located approximately 160 – 250 kilometres south of Sydney, the Shoalhaven is a well established, highly recognised tourism destination. The area is perceived to be the start of the South Coast – an area known for its spectacular coastline, lakes and rivers, rich dairy country and extensive National Parks and State Forests. Shoalhaven City covers an area of approximately 4,660 square kilometres, extending along the coast from Seven Mile Beach in the north, south to North Durras near Bateman’s Bay and inland to the escarpment. The western border of the Shoalhaven is marked by the escarpment, with deep gorges and steep, forested cliffs. Much of this area is included in National Parks and State Forests, with these areas forming part of the attraction base of the City. The central spine of the City consists of a series of small river valleys, with rich pastoral land interspersed with forested ridges. The coastline is a series of beaches, estuaries and lakes, with numerous high profile areas including Jervis Bay, St Georges Basin, Mollymook, Shoalhaven River and Seven Mile Beach. There are 109 beaches within the Shoalhaven, many of which are surrounded by National Park and State Forest. The Shoalhaven was settled in the early 19th century, with timber and maritime industries establishing initially, followed by pastoral activities. Historic towns and villages are found throughout the City, with Berry, Kangaroo Valley and Milton being the most well known. Shoalhaven City has an estimated population of 85,000 residents with population growing at around 2.4% pa. There are 49 towns and villages within the City, with Nowra, located on the Shoalhaven River in the north, being the main retail, commercial and administrative centre. Nowra has a population of around 27,000 people and services a primary catchment area of around 60,000 people. Ulladulla, located approximately 60 kilometres south of Nowra, is the other major town in the Shoalhaven. Ulladulla services a population of around 25,000 people. Other well-known towns and villages include Shoalhaven Heads, Berry, Kangaroo Valley, Culburra, Huskisson, Vincentia, St Georges Basin, Sussex Inlet, Milton and Mollymook. Today, the main industries within the Shoalhaven are tourism, defence and defence related contracts, dairy farming and dairy goods processing, paper production, manufacture of building materials, fishing and light manufacturing. There is a combined TAFE and University of Wollongong campus at Nowra, with the Illawarra Institute of Technology having campuses at Nowra and Milton. There are two major defence establishments in the City – HMAS Albatross at Nowra and HMAS Creswell at Jervis Bay. A technology park has been developed adjacent to the Albatross base, with this Park emerging as a centre for the aviation and avionics industries. Dain Simpson Associates February 2002
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