Things to do in Batemans Bay, NSW: Best attractions & activities

The best things to do in Batemans Bay, NSW, include Corrigans Beach, the Murramarang National Park, kayak tours and surfing lessons.

Where is Batemans Bay, NSW?

Batemans Bay, NSW, is one of the highlights of the New South Wales South Coast. Part of the Eurobodalla Shire, Batemans Bay is the closest beach town to Canberra – a two hour drive away.

Head this way for the best Batemans Bay accommodation deals.
…and loads of fun tours.

Beach town doesn’t quite describe Batemans Bay, however. It is more a collection of beach villages awkwardly bundled together under a flag of convenience. Those beaches, however, are the main reasons to visit.

The best things to do in Batemans Bay

The best things to do in Batemans Bay are…

Explore the beaches, from Corrigans Beach to Broulee Beach.
See kangaroos in Murramarang National Park.
The Batemans Bay Heritage Museum.
Clyde River cruises.
PADI learn-to-dive courses.
Fishing charters.
Surfing lessons in Broulee.

Batemans Bay beaches

The closest beach to central Batemans Bay is Corrigans Beach, about 4km to the south. There’s a grassy reserve and accessible children’s playground behind Corrigans Beach, which makes it a family-friendly option.

Caseys Beach comes next, just south of the Observation Point Lookout, and then come a succession of beach suburbs. Denhams Beach, Lilli Pilli Beach and Mckenzies Beach in Malua Bay. You can then keep going until you reach Barlings Beach in Tomakin, Mossy Point, the Tomaga River mouth and Broulee.

Mckenzies Beach in the Malua Bay area of Batemans Bay. Photo courtesy of Destination NSW.

All are appealing in their own way. But you can stay a week, pick a new one each day, and still have a big list to tick off. That’s the whole point of a Batemans Bay holiday.

Things to do in Batemans Bay, NSW: Murramarang National Park

On the northern side of the Batemans Bay Bridge towards Bawley Point, you’re very quickly into the Murramarang National Park. Here, highlights include Myrtle Beach and Pebbly Beach. There’s a campground at Pebbly Beach, and it’s a famously good spot for seeing kangaroos on the sand.

Things to do in Batemans Bay, NSW: Birdland Animal Park and Heritage Museum

Aside from the beaches, things to do in Batemans Bay include the Birdland Animal Park and Batemans Bay Heritage Museum. The Birdland Animal Park is a very basic wildlife park, focusing on native Australian creatures. You can see wombats, snakes and kangaroos, but the $26 entry fee is steep. To be honest, you’re better off driving a few kilometres inland to the Mogo Wildlife Park in Mogo, which is much better presented.

You’ll also see plenty of wildlife wandering and fluttering free in the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden. This botanic garden is to the south of town, just off the Princes Highway.

The Batemans Bay Heritage Museum inside the old courthouse is your classic low budget, well-meaning local history museum. Save it for a particularly rainy day…

Things to do in Batemans Bay, NSW: Boat tours and surf schools

Top activities in Batemans Bay include boat tours and surfing lessons. Merinda River Cruises offers a pleasant chug with commentary up the Clyde River from the Innes Boat Shed.

Batemans Bay Dive Adventures, meanwhile, offers PADI learn-to-dive courses that drop in at several dive spots in the area. These include Guerrilla Bay, Bubble Cave Reef and Dragon Rock Shark Gutter.

There are also several operators running fishing trips, including Batemans Bay Fishing Charters, while Bay and Beyond runs kayaking tours. These Batemans Bay kayaking tours head out on lakes, rivers or the ocean, depending on your preferences. Bay and Beyond also offers kayak rentals.

But perhaps top of the list of things to do in Batemans Bay is learning to surf. Surf The Bay offers surfing lessons and stand-up paddleboarding lessons suitable for beginners. A two hour lesson in Broulee costs $50.

Batemans Bay accommodation

Good Batemans Bay accommodation options include the apartment-style Corrigans Cove at Corrigans Beach and the Batemans Bay Marina Resort, which comes with a pool and tennis court. There’s also the luxurious Lincoln Downs Resort, set amongst lush gardens on a private lake.

Batemans Bay driving times

Canberra to Batemans Bay: Distance 148km, driving time 2h.

Batemans Bay to Merimbula: Distance 176km, driving time 2h12m.

Batemans Bay to Narooma: Distance 72km, driving time 57m.

Sydney to Batemans Bay: Distance 280km, driving time 3h38m.

Ulladulla to Batemans Bay: Distance 55km, driving time 42m.

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