Uncovering The Lesser Known South Coast Of New South Wales

The south coast of New South Wales lives under the shadow of the more popular tourist destinations outside of Sydney. One writer embarks on a road trip to uncover its often overlooked charms.

- Kames Narayanan

“The story of the south coast writes itself,” quips Georgia Wilson, my chaperone from Destination New South Wales, as we tucked into grilled salmon on the fourth night of my six-day road trip down the southern coast of New South Wales.

At this point of the trip, I had seen and experienced more than enough to understand exactly what Georgia’s poetic effusion meant. The New South Whale (NSW) coastline, the stretch that runs south of Sydney, holds a quiet allure as a lesser-known destination. Most travellers, who venture out into the city’s periphery, generally plan their trip along well-trodden paths like the Blue Mountain range.

The reputation of the southern coast is one of a land untouched, which has proven to be a double-edged sword for tourism in the area. On the optimistic end, the elusive slant piques the curiosity of travellers who increasingly seek out obscure destinations to add to their travel portfolio. Yet, the general impression of vast expanses of barren land outweighs as a deterrent to the uninitiated who perceive a lack of activity in the region. Prior to embarking on the road trip, my thoughts echoed a similar sentiment: What could possibly lie along the endless stretch of sandy beaches and the rolling waves beyond?

During the approximately two-hour long drive from Sydney Airport to the quaint town, Kiama, for the first time as far as my memory served me, I was surrounded by more animals than humans, and more nature than the man-made. My body pushed forward against the resistance of the seat belt, I oohed and ahead at every passing cattle and horse farm, craning my neck to catch the last of glimpses — tempted more than once to hop out of the car mid-traffic to immortalise the sights in photograph.