Barlings Beach, NSW: Is this the best Tomakin beach?
Tomakin near Batemans Bay on the New South Wales South Coast has three good beach options. Tomakin Beach is better for fishing, but Barlings Beach has the holiday park and Tomakin Cove the safest swimming.
Tomakin is one of those sleepy little beach villages that the New South Wales South Coast does so well. Just to the south of Batemans Bay, Tomakin stretches out along the Tomaga River, then the Pacific Ocean.
Tomakin Cove and Barlings Beach, NSW
There are three main beaches of interest in Tomakin, with the south-facing Barlings Beach being the best known. Barlings Beach is about 1km long, backed by a vegetated dune system and looking out over Barlings Island. The Barlings Beach Holiday Park is pretty much on the sand.
There are plenty of rips along the beach, and no lifeguard patrols, so be wary. Swimming tends to be better at the eastern end and surfing better at the western end.
The next beach along is Tomakin Cove, which is pretty tiny, but better for swimming. Reefs just offshore from the beach create a lagoon effect, and the big waves break up before they hit the lagoon.
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Things to do in Tomakin, NSW: Tomaga River fishing
The third option is Tomakin Beach, which occupies a vegetated sandy spit stretching to the mouth of the Tomaga River. Mossy Point on the other side of the river mouth provides protection from the swells, although beware the rips in the centre of the beach.
It’s the river that makes Tomakin Beach arguably more interesting than Barlings Beach. At one point, the sandy spit is only about ten metres wide, so it’s easy to flit between river and beach.
If you’re into fishing, then the river mouth is a fruitful spot, but it’s arguably better accessed from Mossy Point. On the opposite bank, Mossy Point hosts the boat ramp, Region X Kayak Hire and the Mossy Point Lookout.
Tomakin accommodation: Barlings Beach Holiday Park?
Whichever beach you pick, there is plenty of Tomakin accommodation to choose from. There are three caravan parks in Tomakin, of which the River Haven Tourist Park is least conveniently located.
The River Haven Tourist Park is further upstream on the river, and frankly not anywhere near the beach. Ingenia Holidays Tomakin is more central, but the Barlings Beach Holiday Park is clearly in the best spot.
As the name suggests, the Barlings Beach Holiday Park is just behind the beach.
Other Tomakin accommodation options include holiday lets and the four star but somewhat dog-eared Moorings Resort. There are more options in neighbouring Mossy Point and Broulee, both of which are easily reachable on the drive from Batemans Bay to Narooma.
More great Australian beach hangouts
Kayaking tours from Rapid Bay on the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia.
Fishing at Lake Tyers in East Gippsland, Victoria
Washerwomans Beach in Bendalong, NSW.
White sand beaches in Orford, Tasmania.
The Pullman Bunker Bay Resort near Cape Naturaliste in Western Australia.