Holiday houses in Shoalhaven Heads

At the mouth of the Shoalhaven River, tucked between Mount Coolangatta and Seven Mile Beach, Shoalhaven Heads is a peaceful coastal village in the Shoalhaven region of the New South Wales South Coast. Stretching 12.5 kilometres north to Gerroa, and backed by the lush Bangalay sand forest of Seven Mile Beach National Park, Seven Mile Beach is great for swimming, kite-surfing, horse riding, and fishing. There are also two walking tracks and several picnic spots in the national park.

Shoalhaven Heads also makes the perfect base for visiting wineries, with three cellar doors located within 10 minutes’ drive of the town centre. Just across the Shoalhaven River, Comerong Island has a protected nature reserve that is home to an internationally recognised shorebird population — take the car ferry across Berry’s Canal to explore the island at your own pace. Just south of here, Greenwell Point is a top spot to sample freshly shucked oysters farmed in the estuary linking the Shoalhaven and Crookhaven rivers.

The coastal towns of the Shoalhaven region are at their busiest during the warmer summer months, but the area draws visitors year-round with its packed calendar of markets, festivals, and other events. The spring months are particularly lively, with key events including Shoalhaven Heads’ Bird Haven Festival celebrating the diversity and importance of local birds; Nowra’s Shoalhaven River Festival, a two-day celebration of life in the region; and the South Coast Food and Wine Festival, which bounces around the region from year to year.

Held on the first Sunday of the month at Berry Showground, the Berry Markets are a great place to pick up collectables, handmade goods, and fresh produce. Berry also plays host to the popular Fairgrounds music festival each December. As the weather cools in May, nearby Jervis Bay’s whale-watching season takes off.

Food and wine

The three scenic wineries located within several kilometres of Shoalhaven Heads each have a restaurant and a cellar door, with advance booking recommended. There’s also a dining standout in town next to Seven Mile Beach in the form of a native-ingredient-inspired restaurant widely considered to be among the South Coast’s top tables.

Berry

Just a short hop northwest of Shoalhaven Heads, the charming town of Berry has long been a popular weekend escape from Sydney. Avoid the crowds by heading here on a weekday to stroll Berry’s elegant main street lined with boutiques, artisan producers, cafes, and restaurants, and to visit its nearby wineries.

Gerringong

Less than 20 minutes’ drive north of Shoalhaven Heads, the seaside town of Gerringong is one of the South Coast’s lesser-known gems, with great surf, an ocean pool, and a relaxed hilltop village where you’ll find boutiques, galleries, cafes and restaurants, and even a microbrewery. Gerringong is also the southern entry to the Kiama Coast Walk, a beautiful, well-maintained 20-kilometre coastal trail.