Narooma is a quiet seaside town with a population of 8500 about 320 Km and 3 1/2 hours south of Sydney. It is at the southern end of the Eurobodalla Shire which includes Batemans Bay in the north and down to Tilba Tilba in the south.
Narooma is a great spot for fishing, water sports in general, photographers, artists, nature lovers and those that just want to relax.
Plenty of accommodation is to be found at the many motels or the two caravan parks. We stayed at the very economical Tree Motel at the southern end of town, just past the Narooma Plaza shopping complex. The Tree Motel is named after the estimated 350 year old Spotted Gum tree on the site. This would have been a large tree when Captain Cook came past in 1770. The motel also has a heated swimming pool and barbeque area which is very pleasant at the end of the day.
Narooma is located on the Wagonga Inlet and the water is so clean and blue that Narooma Blue is now a Ford car colour. In Narooma itself the shops are spread along the Princes Highway.
Just North of the bridge is the Boardwalk which takes you along the Wagonga Inlet to Apex Park, Bar Beach and the breakwall. Just South of the bridge you follow the inlet around to Quota Park picnic spot and the restaurants on the inlet. Take a cruise on the Wagonga Princess and learn some of the history of the area and sample the local oysters over a Devonshire Tea with the very funny master Charlie Bettini.
Continue your walk along the inlet to the marina at Forsters Bay. Here you can get a prepared lunch box of seafood at the Narooma Oyster Supplies and watch the sun go down. The road heads very steeply up Davidson Street to the Princes Highway again and comes out between the Plaza shopping centre and the Tree Motel.
If you head down Willcocks Avenue from the Narooma Plaza you arrive at the Narooma Beach adjacent the caravan park and Narooma Golf Course. The golf course follows the headland with spectacular views of the ocean. The golf clubhouse also provides quality meals and entertainment and has a courtesy bus as well.
Mystery Bay is about 10 Km south of Narooma and has a camping ground. There are some very interesting rock formations on the beach. The historic town of Central Tilba near Mt Dromedary has some very unusual boutique shops and a pub called the Dromedary Hotel with a beer garden. Check out also the Tilba Cheese. If you continue to follow the road you finish up on Tourist Road 6 which was the old Princes Highway. There are many homesteads, creeks and lakes to interest the landscape photographer. The road eventually brings you back to Narooma just south of the Tree Motel.
We spent a week at Narooma and enjoyed it. I hope you do too.
(Bob conducts Photography Studio Workshops in Sydney. Details at AspirationImages.com/workshops or click the Workshops link in the menu)