In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Batemans Bay via the kangaroo beaches of Murramarang National Park, Moruya and Narooma, beneath the sacred mountain Gulaga to Bermagui, Tathra and Merimbula, on to Eden, the Green Cape lighthouse and the quiet Wonboyn Lake: around 440 km in short stages where tides, whale migration and fire danger set the pace.
The spirit of the route
South of Batemans Bay the coast grows quieter. The Princes Highway runs through tall spotted gums and stringybark forest, and again and again a side road opens onto a bay where only a handful of campers are parked. In the morning eastern grey kangaroos graze between the tents and on the sand at Pebbly Beach, at midday Narooma smells of oysters and salt water, and in the evening the sun turns the lichen on the granite boulders orange-red. From the open sliding door you watch sea eagles circling over the lagoon, in spring humpback whales blow off Twofold Bay, and behind Central Tilba rises the forested Gulaga, the mother mountain of the Yuin. This is not a route for eating up kilometres: the national park campgrounds have no drinking water and usually no power, the access roads to Green Cape are gravel, and in summer the fire danger rating dictates the day. In return you get quiet, wildlife and a coast that has turned green again after the big fires.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Batemans Bay to Depot Beach (Murramarang National Park) (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- From Batemans Bay first around 10 km south on the Princes Highway (A1) to Mogo, then back north over the bridge across the Clyde River. Just past the village of East Lynne, Mount Agony Road branches off to the right; according to NSW National Parks it is sealed as far as the fork, where you turn right along North Durras Road to Depot Beach or left towards Pebbly Beach, whose final section (Pebbly Beach Road) is unsealed but passable for ordinary vehicles in all weather. Dense coastal forest of spotted gums, narrow carriageway, few passing places. Pure driving time around 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Pebbly Beach: eastern grey kangaroos graze on the grass behind the beach and often right at the water’s edge – quietest early in the morning and shortly before sunset. Keep your distance and never feed them: feeding wildlife is prohibited in NSW national parks and makes the animals sick and pushy.
- Durras Mountain Walk or the coastal track between Depot Beach and Pebbly Beach: rock platforms, rock pools and views of the offshore islands; walk it at low tide.
- Mogo: old gold-mining settlement with timber houses, galleries and cafés along the main street, plus Mogo Wildlife Park on the edge of town – rebuilt after the big fires that hit the village hard.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Depot Beach Campground, run by NSW National Parks: the only site in the park with powered sites, plus unpowered sites and tent-only areas; suitable for caravans, camper trailers and campervans; flush toilets, hot showers, sheltered gas barbecues, fire rings. The office sells firewood, ice and swap-and-go gas bottles. The tank water is not drinking water. Book online through NSW National Parks, in the school holidays weeks to months ahead. Alternative: Pebbly Beach Campground right by the kangaroo beach – unpowered, no mobile reception and only a few sites for small caravans under around 4.5 m long.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Murramarang National Park overnight stays are only permitted on the booked campgrounds; the day-use car parks at Pebbly Beach, Pretty Beach and Depot Beach are patrolled. In Batemans Bay and on the beaches of Eurobodalla Shire there are no official free-camping areas either; camping outside approved sites is not allowed. Generators are not permitted in the park’s car parks and campgrounds.
- Insider tip for campers
- A vehicle day-entry fee applies in the park; pay at the machine or online. If you are visiting several NSW parks (Murramarang, the Green Cape area of Beowa), weigh up an annual pass. Stock up on drinking water for two or three days in Batemans Bay beforehand – the park only has untreated tank water. The classic overview of this coast between Sydney and Melbourne is in the CampingSpirit guide “Bays, bush and penguins – along the Princes Highway from Sydney to Melbourne by camper”; this route goes south of Batemans Bay more slowly and deeper into the parks.
2Stage 2: Depot Beach to Moruya / Congo (Eurobodalla National Park) (approx. 75 km)
- The drive
- Back along Mount Agony Road to the highway and through Batemans Bay, then not on the A1 but from the town centre along George Bass Drive following the coast via Surf Beach, Malua Bay, Broulee and Mossy Point to Moruya. Winding, many built-up areas at 50 km/h and pedestrians in summer. From Moruya head towards Moruya Heads and take Congo Road to the campground; the last few kilometres are gravel. Pure driving time just under 2 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Gardens on the A1 south of Batemans Bay: plants of the south coast from rainforest gully to heath, short loop walks, café; free entry, donation requested. Check opening hours beforehand.
- Broulee Island: reachable on foot across the sandbar at low tide, short loop over rocks and shell beaches – watch the tides or you will be stranded.
- Moruya: the granite quarries on the north bank of the Moruya River supplied the stone cladding for the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge; at the river mouth near Moruya Heads, Toragy Point lookout overlooks river, bar and sea.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Congo Campground in Eurobodalla National Park: basic sites in coastal forest between Congo Creek and the beach, unpowered, with toilets, bookings through NSW National Parks; not really suitable for large caravans, access via gravel. If you need power and showers, there are holiday parks at Moruya Heads and at the river mouth, some with a dump point for guests.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Eurobodalla Shire designates no official free-camping areas; camping on council and Crown land – for instance in Riverside Park in Moruya or at the beach car parks along George Bass Drive – is not allowed, and rangers can move you on and issue fines. In the state forests of the hinterland, camping is often possible without booking under the rules of Forestry Corporation, provided the area is not closed or signed otherwise – but the access roads are forest tracks and are closed during fire danger or logging.
- Insider tip for campers
- A bypass west of Moruya is planned but not yet built; the highway still crosses the river bridge and passes through the traffic lights of the town centre – allow for queues at peak times and in the holidays, and check roadworks and closures on Live Traffic NSW. On Saturday mornings there is a large market on the riverbank in Moruya; with a camper, park at the edge of the town centre rather than in the tight parking rows of the main street.
3Stage 3: Congo to Narooma (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- Back to Moruya and south on the Princes Highway through pasture and eucalypt forest to Bodalla; from there the detour to the coast at Tuross Head between two lakes is worthwhile. Then on along the highway, finally descending to Wagonga Inlet and over the bridge into Narooma. Wide, well-built road with overtaking lanes. Pure driving time around 1 hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Tuross Head: peninsula between Tuross Lake and Coila Lake, foreshore path with views of the river mouth and beach, good for paddling on calm water.
- Bodalla: the dairy village by the Bodalla bridge, with cheese and ice cream from the region – dairying has shaped the river flats here since the 19th century.
- Narooma Bar Rock Lookout and the breakwall walk on Wagonga Inlet: Australia Rock, a hole in the rock shaped like the continent, and fur seals lying on the breakwater blocks – keep your distance.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Narooma several holiday parks lie on Wagonga Inlet and at Surf Beach, with powered sites, amenities and waste disposal for guests; book early for the summer holidays. For simpler sites on the coast south of Narooma, check facilities and booking requirements beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Narooma still belongs to Eurobodalla Shire: camping on the shores of the inlet, at the boat ramps and on the beachfront is not allowed; observe the parking signs. Rest areas on the highway are intended for a fatigue break; where there is no prohibition sign, a short night’s rest is tolerated, but camp chairs, awning and multi-day stays are not.
- Insider tip for campers
- Book Montague Island (Barunguba) for the next morning: you can only land on the island on guided tours that NSW National Parks offers together with licensed boat operators from Narooma harbour; in rough seas on the bar, trips are cancelled. Take seasickness tablets beforehand – the passage over the bar is often rough.
4Stage 4: Narooma to Bermagui (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- Boat trip in the morning, then around 15 km south on the highway and off onto the Tilba loop: through Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba at the foot of Gulaga, then past Wallaga Lake on the coast road to Bermagui. Narrow, hilly, very tight in the village of Central Tilba and parked up at weekends. Pure driving time around 45 minutes.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Montague Island (Barunguba): granite lighthouse, colonies of Australian and New Zealand fur seals, little penguins and seabirds; between roughly September and November humpback whales with calves pass close to the island.
- Central Tilba: heritage-listed village of timber houses with a cheese factory, leather workshop and bakeries.
- Gulaga: climb from Tilba Tilba along the old gold-miners’ track through rainforest to the granite tors below the summit, steep, allow a full day with several hours of walking. The mountain is a sacred place for the Yuin and has been returned to them; respect signs, requests for restraint and closures.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Bermagui there are holiday parks near the centre and Horseshoe Bay, among them Reflections Bermagui Holiday Park on Lamont Street, with powered sites; names and operators have changed several times on this coast, so check the current position before booking. For a night right by the water: the campgrounds in Mimosa Rocks National Park the next day.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): From Wallaga Lake onwards you are in Bega Valley Shire; no official free-camping areas on the coast are known; do not stay overnight at the harbour, the Blue Pool or the beach car parks, and observe the parking signs. Gulaga National Park has no camping areas for vehicles.
- Insider tip for campers
- Do not drive through Central Tilba with a large rig: at the entrance to the village a car park for longer vehicles is signposted; walk into the village. Start early for the Gulaga climb, take plenty of water and in high fire danger or after heavy rain check the status with NSW National Parks – the track is washed out and may be closed.
5Stage 5: Bermagui to Mimosa Rocks National Park / Tathra (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- From Bermagui south on the Tathra-Bermagui Road, through forest and over creeks with a few narrow bridges; the access roads to the bays of Mimosa Rocks National Park (Aragunnu, Picnic Point, Gillards Beach) branch off east as gravel roads. Hardly any traffic, but log trucks and wildlife crossing. At the end, down into Tathra. Pure driving time around 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Blue Pool in Bermagui: rock pool of sea water beneath the cliffs, in a big swell the surf splashes in; calmest in the morning.
- Aragunnu: short walk to the volcanic rock stacks offshore that give the park its name, plus a loop walk to a Yuin shell midden – a site that must not be entered or disturbed.
- Tathra Wharf: the 19th-century timber steamer wharf where ships once loaded butter and cattle, today a fishing spot and lookout; next door the sheltered Kianinny Bay for snorkelling.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Mimosa Rocks National Park: campgrounds such as Gillards Beach, Picnic Point and Aragunnu, basic sites in coastal forest without power, with toilets, water at best from tanks (boil it); bookings through NSW National Parks. The access roads are gravel and slippery after rain – with a large motorhome or long caravan, check the site description with NSW National Parks beforehand; Picnic Point is not really suitable for caravans. In Tathra, holiday parks on the beach with power and amenities.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Bega Valley: no free camping on the coast, not even at the Tathra Wharf car parks or in Bermagui; in Mimosa Rocks National Park only on the booked campgrounds. Ask the council or the visitor centre whether designated areas for self-contained vehicles exist in the hinterland.
- Insider tip for campers
- On days of high fire danger avoid this forest road and the park campgrounds: in a fire there are few escape routes. Check the warnings and the fire danger rating for the district beforehand in the Hazards Near Me app. Drive slowly on the gravel access roads after rain – the bends over the creeks are tight and have soft edges.
6Stage 6: Tathra to Eden (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- From Tathra along the coast on Sapphire Coast Drive, through Bournda National Park and past Tura Beach to Merimbula, then across the lagoon to Pambula and on the Princes Highway to Eden. Well built, in Merimbula dense town traffic and several roundabouts – driven clockwise, traffic already on the roundabout has right of way. Pure driving time around 1 hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Bournda National Park: Wallagoot Lake and the Hobart Beach area, coastal walks between rocky coves and lagoon, often with kangaroos on the grass.
- Merimbula Boardwalk: timber walkway along the shore of Merimbula Lake between mangroves and oyster leases, good for an hour in the late afternoon; in Pambula, oysters straight from the farms on the river.
- Eden Killer Whale Museum: skeleton of the orca “Old Tom”, who for decades, together with his pod, drove humpback whales into Twofold Bay and so helped the whalers – one of the strangest partnerships between humans and animals. Views over the bay from the museum.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Hobart Beach Campground in Bournda National Park on Wallagoot Lake as a stopover: in forest, unpowered and without water, with toilets and showers, bookings through NSW National Parks; plus a park fee per vehicle by self-registration (correct cash). In Eden itself several holiday parks, for instance at Aslings Beach north of the centre and on the shore of Twofold Bay, with powered sites, amenities and a dump point for guests. Around the whale festival in spring the sites book out early.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Neither in Merimbula nor in Eden is overnighting allowed in beach, harbour or lookout car parks; Bega Valley Shire patrols especially in the holidays. The northern part of Beowa National Park (Pambula, Haycock Point, The Pinnacles) has no campgrounds – day visits only there.
- Insider tip for campers
- Fill up on all supplies in Merimbula or Eden: drinking water for the Beowa campgrounds (only rainwater to be boiled there), fuel, gas. The big supermarkets are in Merimbula. The Pinnacles north of Eden – red and white sediment layers in an erosion gully – are reached from the highway via Haycock Road on a short loop walk.
7Stage 7: Eden to Green Cape (Beowa National Park) (approx. 50 km)
- The drive
- Around 18 km south on the Princes Highway, then left into Edrom Road and after about 6 km right onto Green Cape Road, which runs around 15 km through heath and low coastal forest to the cape. From Edrom Road onwards mostly gravel, according to NSW National Parks suitable for ordinary vehicles but slippery after rain; in extreme rain the roads are closed. Detours to Boyds Tower and the Davidson Whaling Station on Twofold Bay. Pure driving time around 1.5 hours.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Green Cape Lightstation: lighthouse from 1883, one of the first in Australia built of concrete, on a headland of heath and surf-washed rocks; nearby the graves of victims of the “Ly-ee-Moon” steamer disaster. Check beforehand whether and when tours run.
- Boyds Tower: unfinished sandstone tower of the entrepreneur Benjamin Boyd above Twofold Bay, starting point of the multi-day Light to Light Walk to Green Cape; in spring a front-row seat for migrating whales.
- Davidson Whaling Station Historic Site on Kiah Inlet: remains of the Davidson family’s whaling station, which worked together with the orcas of Eden – the complement to the previous day’s museum.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Bittangabee Campground in a sheltered bay south of the cape or Saltwater Creek Campground at a creek mouth with beach: marked unpowered sites, pit toilets, gas and wood barbecues (bring your own firewood), rainwater tank – drink only boiled or filtered. Generators, pets and smoking prohibited, bookings through NSW National Parks. For longer rigs, check the site sizes when booking.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Beowa National Park camping is only permitted on the booked campgrounds; Mowarry is reachable only by 4WD to the car park and then around 600 m on foot, North Head only by 4WD – off limits for hire campervans. The car park at the Lightstation is for day visitors only.
- Insider tip for campers
- A vehicle day-entry fee is charged for the Green Cape area south of Eden; the area north of Eden is free. There is hardly any mobile reception – download the Emergency Plus app beforehand, which transmits your location in an emergency call, and save maps offline. Parts of the park are closed at times for works or fire-management measures; read the current alerts on the park page.
8Stage 8: Green Cape to Wonboyn (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- Along Green Cape Road and Edrom Road back to the Princes Highway, then a few kilometres south through forest to the turn-off for Wonboyn Road (around 23 km south of Eden) and along it a good 10 km east to Wonboyn on the lake. Narrow forest road, drive slowly after rain. Pure driving time around 1 hour. If you would rather head for the high country than the water, drive from Eden back to Pambula and up the escarpment on Mount Darragh Road via Wyndham and Cathcart to Bombala on the Monaro: a good 100 km, a long, steep climb with tight bends – spare the brakes, low gears downhill.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Wonboyn Lake: quiet estuary lake between Beowa and Nadgee Nature Reserve, good for paddling, fishing and watching sea eagles; at the mouth, dunes and a surf beach.
- Nadgee Nature Reserve: one of the wildest coastal reserves in NSW with dunes, heath and untouched beaches; walks on foot only, multi-day hikes by permit, vehicles stay outside.
- Alternative Bombala: Platypus Reserve on the Bombala River on the edge of town – with patience, platypuses at dusk, plus the open expanse of the Monaro high country with basalt hills and sheep pastures.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Wonboyn, the Wonboyn Cabins & Caravan Park around 300 m from the lake, with cabins, powered sites, amenities, camp kitchen and a small shop with café; sites for large motorhomes are scarce, so book ahead. In Bombala a small caravan park with power and amenities – phone ahead. Both places are small – do not rely on finding a site on the spur of the moment in the holidays.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Around Wonboyn almost everything is national park or nature reserve – overnight only on campgrounds. On the Monaro the councils are in part more generous with designated sites for self-contained vehicles; check location and maximum stay with the visitor centre or on WikiCamps, and do not use grazing land or travelling stock reserves without permission.
- Insider tip for campers
- Fill up in Eden before Wonboyn – fuel in the village is not guaranteed. If you are heading for the Monaro, fill up in Pambula and expect frost: Bombala lies at around 700 m, and nights are cold even in spring. From the Victorian border the CampingSpirit guide “Bays, bush and penguins – along the Princes Highway from Sydney to Melbourne by camper” carries on; if you want another trip into the high country to the north, you will find wombats and cloud forest in the guide “Cloud forest, sandstone gorges and wombats on the riverbank – through the Southern Highlands to Kangaroo Valley by camper”.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- New South Wales has no general right to free camp. Responsibility lies with NSW National Parks for the parks, Forestry Corporation for state forests and the councils for council land – on this route Eurobodalla (Batemans Bay to Narooma) and Bega Valley (Wallaga Lake to the Victorian border). Neither designates official free-camping areas; camping on council land outside approved sites is not allowed, and at beaches, harbours and lookouts rangers can move you on and issue fines. Sleeping in a correctly parked vehicle is not in itself prohibited under NSW road rules, but councils can restrict overnight parking by signage.
- National parks (Murramarang, Eurobodalla, Mimosa Rocks, Bournda, Beowa): camping only on the campgrounds booked online. In addition, many parks charge a vehicle day-entry fee – in Murramarang and the Green Cape area of Beowa at a machine or online; an NSW annual pass pays off for several parks. Pets and generators are prohibited on most campgrounds, and collecting firewood is not allowed.
- Rest areas on the Princes Highway are for fatigue breaks. Where no prohibition is signed, one night is tolerated; awning, table and chairs count as camping behaviour, and truck-only bays remain reserved for trucks.
- Bushfires: during the Fire Danger Period (usually around October to March, earlier or later depending on the district) permits are required for fires, and on Total Fire Ban days all open fires and wood barbecues are prohibited. The fire danger ratings run from Moderate through High and Extreme to Catastrophic; from Extreme upwards avoid national parks and forest roads, and at Catastrophic stay in a larger town – parks are then often closed completely. The Hazards Near Me app shows fires, warnings and closures in real time.
- Apps and sources: WikiCamps and CamperMate for sites, water, dump points and user notes on patrols; Live Traffic NSW for roadworks and closures; the NSW National Parks park pages for alerts and bookings. Many bays have no mobile reception – save confirmations and maps offline.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Dump points: almost all holiday parks have disposal stations for guests; public stations exist only in a few towns – check current locations on WikiCamps. On the national park campgrounds, chemical toilets must not be emptied into the park toilets; empty the cassette at a holiday park beforehand.
- Water: tap water in the towns is drinkable. On all national park campgrounds on this route there is only tank or rainwater, which according to NSW National Parks must be boiled or filtered – carry at least 20 to 40 litres of drinking water in the vehicle.
- Gas: Australian bottles today mostly have an LCC27 valve, older ones a POL fitting. Swap bottles are available at petrol stations, hardware stores and some park offices (such as Depot Beach), refills at gas stations provided the test date is valid. European bottles are not refilled, and adapters do not solve the problem reliably.
- Fuel: dense network along the highway between Batemans Bay, Moruya, Narooma, Bega, Merimbula and Eden; practically none in the parks, at Green Cape and in Wonboyn. South of Eden to Cann River in Victoria the distances are long. Compare prices with the NSW Government’s FuelCheck app.
- Shopping: large supermarkets in Batemans Bay, Moruya, Narooma, Bega and Merimbula; smaller shops in Tilba, Bermagui, Tathra and Eden. Oysters, cheese and fish direct from producers along the route.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Driving on the left: overtake on the right, and when turning right watch for oncoming traffic. Roundabouts are driven clockwise, traffic already on the roundabout has right of way. After every stop at a bay or car park, consciously pull out onto the left – on lonely side roads this is where the mistake happens most often.
- Speed: 50 km/h in built-up areas, mostly 100 km/h outside, sections of the Princes Highway 80 or 90 km/h, 110 km/h only where signed. In school zones on school days 40 km/h at the displayed times. Slow to 40 km/h past stationary emergency and breakdown vehicles with flashing lights. Many speed and mobile phone cameras; phone only in a fixed cradle.
- Tolls: there are no toll roads on the route itself; the Princes Highway is toll-free. If you arrive via Sydney, you pay there cashlessly by tag or afterwards within 72 hours; since July 2026 another driver can no longer be nominated in NSW, the bill goes to the registered owner and for hire vehicles is passed on with a surcharge.
- Wildlife: kangaroos, wallabies and wombats cross at dusk and at night, especially along forest edges between Batemans Bay and Eden and on all park roads; on the Monaro also cattle and sheep. Do not swerve into oncoming traffic for animals; brake in a controlled way. Report injured animals to wildlife rescue (WIRES or regional groups).
- Hire campervans and gravel: many hire contracts exclude unsealed roads or allow only short access roads to campsites; the gravel roads at Green Cape and in Mimosa Rocks often fall into a grey area. Clarify in writing beforehand what is insured – underbody, glass and tyre damage are frequently excluded, and night driving outside towns is sometimes restricted.
- Driving licence and alcohol: a German driving licence is not in English, so carry an International Driving Permit or a recognised translation. Blood alcohol limit 0.05 BAC, 0.0 for learner and provisional drivers; mobile breath testing is common on the coast, especially at weekends.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Water filter or purification tablets and two 20-litre containers: no national park campground on this route has drinking water, only tank or rainwater.
- Binoculars: humpback whales off Montague Island, Boyds Tower and Green Cape, sea eagles over the lagoons and fur seals on the breakwater at Narooma.
- Your own firewood from the shop or park office and a gas stove as backup: collecting is prohibited in the parks, and on Total Fire Ban days only gas is left – and only under conditions.
- Tide table as an app and non-slip water shoes: for rock platforms, rock pools, the Blue Pool and the crossing to Broulee Island.
- Mosquito repellent and insect screens: at lagoons and estuaries such as Wallagoot, Saltwater Creek and Wonboyn, mosquitoes and sandflies bite in the evening.
- Warm layer and sleeping bag for cold nights: even in spring it can get chilly by the sea at night, and on the Monaro around Bombala there is frost.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
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