​​Inspiration for your next holiday

They say that “absence makes the heart grow fonder”. Well, if that’s true, the Shoalhaven’s heart is practically bursting to welcome you back again very soon. We’re a region that loves visitors, and we know that you’ll be back supporting our local South Coast businesses very soon. Here’s a small sample of what will be waiting for you when you do…

Food, glorious food

Fresh produce, tasty gourmet delights, succulent seafood and all the local goodness of a farm gate honesty box are waiting for you and your tastebuds to return.

With “shoal” in our name, we’ll never disappoint on serving up the ocean’s finest, with quality seafood crammed into menus up and down the Shoalhaven. Be sure to head to Crookhaven River to enjoy Jim Wild’s Oysters or Rick Stein at Bannisters, Mollymook for that special seafood occasion. Or if it’s award-winning fresh fish’n’chips, you’ll want Pelican Rocks Cafe at Greenwell Point or The Fish Shop in Burrill Lake. That’s just to name a few – there are plenty more fish in the sea!

Local produce will abound whenever you bite into something fresh in these parts, but if you want to get to the source, bring your basket to the weekly Milton or Berry Produce Markets for delicious fruit, vegetables, artisan bread, olives, dairy and even chocolate. Free-range, sustainable meat can be found at Vincentia Craft Butchery & Providores, along with a selection of sauces, spices and seasonal organic treats.

If you’d rather someone do the foraging for you, book a spot on a Foodscape Tour or enjoy lunch at 2020-opened The Growers in Worrigee for a true taste of the region. Bon Appetit!

Family fun

Okay, you can’t spend the whole time eating. So, once you’re done with the myriad menu options on offer, roll yourself to some fun attractions fit for the whole family. Are we there yet?

First stop, Nowra’s Shoalhaven Zoo – where the natural setting and array of native and exotic animals form the perfect backdrop for a few hours’ of fun. Here, you can view the koalas or be just like one by enjoying the trees adventure park on site!

Horse riding for all ages is a must do at Falls Creek’s Valhalla. Or trade four legs with two wheels to enjoy some great mountain biking tracks in the Currambine State Forest, just 15 minutes from Nowra.

Or, if water fun is more your cup of tea, bounce your way to Kangaroo Valley Safaris to hire kayaks and canoes, try out paddle boarding at Ulladulla or head out to sea for a whale watch boat or dolphin cruise. Rather be under the water than on it? Explore Jervis Bay’s underwater wildlife firsthand with a snorkelling safari or diving adventure. Let us know if you find Nemo…

Indulgence

All adventured out? Then sit back (or lie down) and relax into some serious indulgence. This is a holiday, after all – and nothing says vacation like treating yourself.

Of course, everyone has a different idea of indulging. For you, it might be a glorious few hours browsing the boutiques in picturesque Berry or enjoying a movie at the historic Huskisson Pictures. Perhaps it’s enjoying a day spa treatment in Milton. Or it could be enjoying a tour of the local wineries in the region, as you sip your way from cellar door to cellar door.

Your idea of indulging might mean exploring a passion of yours – such as museum exhibits and memorabilia at Tabourie Lake Museum, HMAS Albatross Nowra’s Fleet Air Arm Museum or taking an art class. Whatever your pleasure, you’ll find it at your leisure right here!

Relaxation

With all these activities, we’re still missing one of the most blissful reasons that you’re looking forward to getting back to the Shoalhaven. And that’s for the simple pleasures of “getting away from it all” – whether it’s enjoying one of our 100 beaches to climbing a mountain peak, and everything in between!

So, pull up a picnic blanket and good book, grab those swimmers, surfboard or bucket & spade. Load the bike on the back or pack your walking shoes, camera and tripod. And most important of all, start making YOUR own list of things you’ll do when you get here. We can’t wait to welcome you back!