Top 10 Icons of the Sapphire Coast

OUr BEST Must-Visit spots

Here is your guide to our top ten favourite 'must-see' icons of the Sapphire Coast. From pristine estuaries to historical landmarks and stunning ocean pools, these spots combine the best of natural beauty with intriguing history and heritage. Some sites are hidden within our national parks, while others can be found right in the heart of our coastal towns.

Whether you're a photographer, nature lover or history buff - there is something for everyone on this list. We wish you luck in ticking them off, and don't forget to tag us on Facebook and Instagram! #SapphireCoastNSW @SapphireCoastNSW

Pambula River MOUTH

With vibrant turquoise water and beautiful natural surroundings, Pambula River Mouth is one of the most stunning locations on the NSW south coast. Surrounded by the native forests of Beowa National Park,  its pristine waters are an ever-changing palette of crystal clear blue and green. A local's favourite spot for kayaking, SUPing, swimming and fishing, there's always a patch of sand to claim all to yourself. Wander the sandy shores upriver, or follow the 1km return elevated Pambula River walking track, meandering along the riverbank to a scenic lookout point to Severs Beach.

Some of the best-preserved Aboriginal mounded middens on the east coast of Australia are found along the Pambula River. Estimated to be more than 3000 years old, the middens contain the shells of oysters, mussels and bones of sea and land mammals, collected by Aboriginal people along the coastline.

Pambula River Mouth is a only a five minute drive from Pambula Village, with car parking and amenities available.

HORSE HEAD ROCK

A must-visit for any aspiring landscape photographer, Horse Head Rock is unmistakable for its sheer size, as well as its horse-like resemblance. Believed to be approximately 500 million years old, it is among the oldest rocks in NSW. Although barely known beyond the Sapphire Coast until recent times, Horse Head Rock has become a mecca for photographers and nature lovers. The easiest way to see Horse Head Rock is by following the 1.5km (one way) walking track, starting at Camel Rock Surf Beach (north Haywards Beach), which leads you to an elevated viewing platform along the headland. The walk also provides stunning views to iconic Camel Rock, Gulaga (Mount Dromedary) and Wallaga Lake, all part of a stunning landscape that is highly culturally significant to the Yuin people. 

Horse Head Rock walking track is located a 10-minute drive from Bermagui, with parking available at Camel Rock Surf Beach. For those who want to set out around the rocks from Camel Rock Surf Beach, be aware that it is only accessible during low tide and calm seas and can be difficult climbing.

TATHRA WHARF

Heritage-listed Tathra Wharf is Tathra's main landmark, sitting like a pink sapphire overlooking the bay. It is the only surviving wharf and building combination on the eastern seaboard of Australia from the period of the coastal shipping trade dating to the 1860s. The current structures retain most of their original setting and and can be viewed in the same way as when the wharf was operating more than 150 years ago.

The wharf grew from a simple jetty built in 1860-61 to a major facility, which could accommodate livestock. From the late 1800s to mid 1900s, cargo, produce, livestock and people boarded steamers from the Tathra Wharf, usually on route to Sydney. A taste of the times is captured in the Tathra Wharf Museum, where a quote from one observer is on display: "I would watch as people boarded the steamer...women in laced up boots, long dresses with their funny bonnets and hats...Twice a week when the boats came in, it was like a carnival."

The Tathra Wharf Museum is open on weekends, showcasing Tathra's rich maritime history. You can enjoy a coffee and meal at The Wharf Local, or stroll the all-abilities Tathra Headland Walk which links the wharf to the headland. The wharf is known as one of the best deep sea fishing wharves in Australia, and it is also a popular diving spot. In the spring, Tathra Wharf is a great whale watching spot, with humpback whales known to come right in close to the wharf as they rest in the sheltered waters of the bay.

THE PINNACLES

The Pinnacles is a spectacular erosion feature consisting of pure white sands capped with a layer of vibrant red clay. It was deposited during the Tertiary geological period, up to 65 million years ago. A 10-minute drive from Eden or Pambula, the Pinnacles is located within northern Beowa National Park. Follow the easy 1.1km Pinnacles loop walking track, meandering through woodland and heath to two lookout points, offering great photo opportunities.

The rusty red colour of the sandstones at the Pinnacles is due to iron oxides which provide a clue to the climate of the Neogene (Tertiary) age: warm, with high rainfall, interspersed with arid periods. The sandstones were deposited in creeks and rivers in a coastal hinterland, with vegetation being warm temperate to tropical rainforest.  The sandstones have remained soft and easily eroded, allowing a small stream to cut through them exposing this slice of geological history. Erosion continues today, forming small gullies that give the outcrop its name, the Pinnacles.

BLUE POOL

Arguably the most famous of all ocean pools on the NSW south coast, Bermagui's Blue Pool is a must-swim location. Locals flock here in the summer to cool down in its pristine waters, which are regularly refreshed with pristine seawater. It has been rated six out of eight of the best ocean rock pools in the world and was inducted into the TripAdvisor Hall of Fame in 2019!

In the early 1930s, Blue Pool was known as 'Blue Hole' and was less than half of its current size. Works were undertaken in 1937 to expand the natural pool into a larger sized ocean pool that could be used for training and competition swimming, with works completed in 1939.

Blue Pool is located at the base of a dramatic rocky cliff, with well-formed steps down to the pool as well as amenities. The pool is approximately 50 metres in length, with a smaller children's wading pool close by. The car parking area is located off Pacific Drive, less than 5 minutes drive from Bermagui township.

GREEN CAPE LIGHTHOUSE

Take in heritage architecture and spectacular ocean views at wild and windy Green Cape in southern Beowa National Park. Located around 45 minutes from Eden, it is the southernmost lighthouse in NSW, and is steeped in seafaring history. You can wander the scenic precinct, with views south to Nadgee wilderness which stretches all the way to Victoria. Learn about disasters and survival, like the passenger ship Ly-ee-Moon, mysteriously wrecked below the lighthouse in 1886. Tombstones of those shipwrecked lie among the rolling green hills at the foot of the lighthouse.

The lighthouse was the first cast concrete lighthouse tower in Australia and at 29 metres it is the state's second tallest light. The original Chance Brothers revolving lantern was fuelled by kerosene and mantle, and produced 100,000 candelas for a radius of 34 kilometres. The light was electrified in 1962 and upgraded to 1,000,000 candelas in 1967. The tower has since been replaced by the latest automated steel lattice skeleton tower with a solar powered light and is still lit on special anniversaries.

To enter the lighthouse, join a tour and climb its stairs for panoramic views of Disaster Bay. Guided Lighthouse Heritage Tours are available on request. Fees apply and bookings are required. To book, email NPWS Merimbula or call 02 6495 5000. Access is via unsealed road and a four wheel drive may be required in wet weather.

MERIMBULA WHARF

Throw in a line at historic Merimbula Wharf, a prominent port in the coastal shipping trade along the east coast in the late 1800s - mid 1900s. The wharf is home to the Merimbula Wharf Restaurant and an aquarium, and is popular for wharf fishing, spearfishing and diving. The wharf is frequented by large stingrays that cruise the sandy-bottomed ocean floor scouring for fishermen's scraps, and is great for dolphin-spotting year round.

Merimbula Wharf marks the start of the Wharf to Wharf Walk, which stretches 27km to Tathra Wharf, through Bournda National Park and the ancient lands of the Yuin people. For a shorter stroll, you can walk from Merimbula Wharf to Bar Beach, which is a Merimbula local's favourite in the summer months.

The iconic red rocks surrounding Merimbula Wharf are a significant geological feature known as the 'Red Beds'. They were formed in the Devonian era approximately 370 millions years ago - before dinosaurs roamed the earth. The red mudstone and pink sandstone represent ancient floodplains and sandy river channels, and contain world-class fish fossil sites. To access the rock platform, look for the walkway to the left of the wharf near the car park.

EDEN KILLER WHALE MUSUEM

Discover the most incredible human and killer whale partnership ever witnessed on the planet at Eden Killer Whale Museum. The musuem was founded in 1931 to be the final resting place for the most famous and beloved killer whale of Eden, Old Tom - a legendary hunter, pod leader and friend of the whalers.

In the 1840s there were reportedly around 50 killer whales spread through three main pods in Eden. For over 100 years, crews of European and Indigenous whalers would work with the orca to hunt migrating whales, each using little more than long boats and a harpoon. The museum has records of 21 killer whales that were recognisable and known by name. Discover them, along with Old Tom's skeleton, and artefacts from our maritime, Aboriginal and pioneering heritage.

The building itself is striking, with a replica lighthouse and a 90 year history of considered curatorship. The huge viewing deck overlooks the the northern section of Twofold Bay where, in season, whales may be spotted. The museum has its own whale siren, and its long wail is a well known signal to down tools and go to the shore to look for whales, just as the town has done for hundreds of years.

Keen history buffs can continue on the Killer Whale Trail, which is a self-drive day trip around the intriguing historical sites in Eden and Twofold Bay.

BOYDS TOWER

The imposing Boyds Tower stands at 23 metres and is built from Pyrmont sandstone blocks imported from Sydney. One of many grand schemes initiated by the notorious Benjamin Boyd, the tower was never commissioned as a lighthouse as originally intended. Designed principally as a landmark at the entrance of Twofold Bay, the inscription of Boyd’s name in bold letters at the top of the tower and the care taken over its construction indicates that it was meant to stand as much a symbol of power at the gateway of his empire as a guiding navigational light

Construction began in 1845, but like so many of Boyd's undertakings, the structure was still incomplete when work on the lighthouse ground to a halt towards the end of 1847. It was taken over by whaling crews who began using it for whale spotting, and in the 1870s the Davidson family used it in conjunction with their whaling station at Kiah.

Follow the gentle 800m return walking track to the tower, and see if you can spot the missing section displaced by lightning. Nearby, you can visit two lookouts to see superb views - one over the Pacific Ocean and the other over Twofold Bay. It's a great whale watching spot in the spring. Boyds Tower is also the starting point for the iconic 30km multi-day Light to Light walk through Beowa National Park.

ASLINGS BEACH ROCK POOL

Still considered a hidden gem among locals and visitors, Aslings Beach Rock Pool can be found at the southern end of Aslings Beach in Eden. It is located at the base of a spectacular pink and white cliff, with fluctuating depth depending on the tides and movement of sand.

In the mid 1900s, residents of Eden had spent 25 years looking for an alternative to the town's original ocean baths at Thompson's Point. The pool was finally constructed in 1961, measuring at 25 metres by 20 metres and almost a metre and a half deep. The pool was used for formal swimming lessons and training activities, as well as being a popular spot for children in the summer months.

Today, it's a popular location for both swimmers and photographers, and perfect for small children when the water levels are low. The nearby rocky ledges also provide excellent rock fishing. There are amenities and car parking located approximately 200m away.