Sapphire Coast

The Sapphire Coast is the southernmost coastal region on the east coast of Australia. Nestled in southeastern New South Wales, it's also known as Bega Valley Shire. As of 2020, it had a population of 34,727.

Cities and towns

 * – famous for cheese.
 * – gateway to SE Forest and Wadbilliga National Parks.
 * – fishing, surfing and the Blue Pool.
 * – quaint coastal town, one of the few that have survived the wave of gentrification.
 * – home to the region's primary airport.
 * – near Beowa National Park.
 * – home of the Killer Whale Museum.

Other destinations

 * – NSW's southernmost park contains some excellent unspoiled coastal scenery.
 * – an important sacred Aboriginal cultural site.
 * – an important nesting area for swift parrots within a stone's throw from Merimbula.
 * – runs along the northern end of Tathra Beach.
 * – home to Balawan.
 * – large patches of wet wilderness forests in the region, and one of the last in the area.
 * – valleys, rugged gorges and gullies make up one of the few remaining near-untouched national parks in the state.

Understand
The Sapphire Coast is known for having hundreds of kilometres of unspoilt beaches, with some of them attracting one visitor every three days. It's particularly a common spot for Victorians for their summer and easter holidays but attracts tourists from other regions too. The region is also known for its dairy, including the cheese capital of Bega.

Visitor information

 * Official tourism website

By plane
Merimbula has flights from Sydney and Melbourne on Qantas and Rex.

By bus
Premier Motor Service runs one bus per daily from Sydney to Eden (10 hours, $81), stopping at all towns along the way.

NSW Trainlink has coach services from Canberra (near Kingston) via Cooma towards Eden with stops within the Sapphire Coast being Eden, Meribula and Pambula. A trip end-to-end costs A$35.69 one way for an adult.

V/line has similar style of coach services from Bairnsdale towards Batemans Bay, stopping at several towns in the Sapphire Coast.

By car
From Sydney, take the Princes Motorway and Highway south (M1/A1). Alternatively, you could go through the Hume (M31), Federal (M23), Monaro (B23) and Snowy Mountains Hwy (B72) however, this road can be hard to drive during the winter months of May to July. Generally, most travellers from Sydney use the M1/A1 while navigation apps tells you to go through the Hume, Federal etc. route. Both take around 6 hours.

From Canberra, simply take the Monaro and Snowy Mountain Highways (B23 and B72) via Nimmitabel.

From Melbourne, take the Princes Freeway and Highway east until the NSW border. This too takes around 6 hours.

By car
You can use either the A1 or Tourist Drive 9 or 11 to navigate most of the Sapphire Coast. A1 preferable as it's a national route.

By bus
Refer to above – the NSW Trainlink and V/line services are both usable for getting between towns.

See
The Sapphire Coast is well known for Bega's cheese factory and the beaches all over the region. Usually, it's hard for someone to believe that you went to the Sapphire Coast but did not go to the Cheese Factory in Bega, the Killer Whale Museum in Eden and some of the Merimbula Beaches.

Do
You can never run out of options in the Sapphire Coast. There are an ample amount of walking tracks, almost everywhere, with varied scenery.

If hiking isn't your cup of tea, swim at the plenty of white unspoilt beaches, or get your surfboard, and surf! Keep in mind that most beaches are unpatrolled, so you must assess the water conditions and get in at your own risk.

Sleep
Unless you are going here in summer, it is best to sleep in a motel, which tend to be rather on the cheaper side at least compared to some of the towns further north or west. It goes without saying that the motels closer to the coast are more expensive.

Camping can be an alternate inexpensive option, especially during the peak summer season. Bournda National Park and Beowa National Park have some good options near Merimbula or Eden. If you are willing to go inland, SE Forest National Park has a few less crowded campgrounds available.

Go next

 * Eurobodalla is to the north, but is slightly more crowded
 * Mallacoota is the eastern most Victorian town and very similar in nature to the Sapphire Coast
 * Explore the Gippsland region, including some Snowy River towns like Orbost
 * The Snowy Mountains are just to the west