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Batemans Bay

"Great beaches, nice pubs and some lovely villages close by!"

Batemans Bay is a classic stop off destination for anyone on a Sydney to Melbourne Road Trip. Situated right on an estuary, it offers travellers fantastic beaches and water views.

The town itself is nice enough with some lovely pubs too. The surrounding area also offers some great scenery and of course, the famous Pebbly beach is not too far away.

This is where you can watch kangaroos hop right on the beach. It makes for a beautiful photo when the sky is a perfect blue!

Where is Batemans Bay?

You'll find this town 280km south of Sydney (about 4 hours driving time) or about 10 hours drive from Melbourne on the scenic coastal route. (just off princes highway)

Given its location, best time to visit is during the summer or shoulder season (November to February). You can visit outside of these months but you probably won't be able to take a dip in its brilliantly clean waters.

What To Do And See

In Batemans Bay itself:

Take a cruise on the Clyde River - some of the cleanest waters in Australia.

Enjoy some downtime on the beaches - Broulee Beach is great for a surf or a jog!

Go Reef fishing - heavy handline techniques to get to the bottom of the reef. You get some pretty impressive fish as a result

Enjoy a drink and enjoy the views in the many cafes and pubs. Try Mariners on the Waterfront. Their beer garden offers good views as they are situated right on the water.

Probably the best bit about staying here is exploring the nearby villages and beaches which have great charm. Here are my favourites:

Tilba - This town is favourite for its olde worldy cheese factory. The village itself is protected by the national trust so all the buildings are picture perfect. There is a nice garden here too that you can look around (Foxglove Spires) if you are into that sort of thing. It is well worth a trip out to this town (or a stop off on your way down to Melbourne)

Mogo - This is an old gold rush town with the entire village made from old style wood. There are plenty of craft shops and antique shops to browse around too. I still remember my scones and cream that we had here - delicious!

Pebbly Beach - Perhaps the classic quintessentially Australian photo opportunity - kangaroos on the beach! There are lots of them hopping around and it really is a lovely site to see. It's just outside of Batemans Bay.

For more opportunities to see Kangaroos up close, head to Murramarang National Park. There are some great walking tracks and plenty of sitings of Kangaroos.

Another great town is Nelligen, which is about 12km from Batemans Bay. We enjoyed a very peaceful and pretty canoe ride here.

Montague Island is just off the coast here and features in my "hidden gems" pages - This island is a nature reserve island and tours allow you to see seals, penguins and even whales. Find out more by subscribing to my "really useful travel tips" and I'll give you the password to unlock my secret gems page. (See navigation bar on the left)

Where To Stay?

Chalet Swisse Spa Retreat -set in the trees and has quite a european feel to it. Go for the more expensive rooms (the cheap rooms need some renovating)

Beach Drive Motel - right on the beach so try to get a room with an ocean view. A good value option.

I have heard that the cabins at the Batemans Bay Beach Resort (a caravan site) are pretty good too and might be a good option.

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