Bournda National Park

South Coast NSW

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The 2655-hectare Bournda National Park has empty surf beaches, rugged headlands and forested walking trails. Around 200 bird species flit around its forests and wade in its lagoons, and kangaroos are easy to spot. This fertile region has long been a place where Indigenous Australians made tools and gathered food.

Traces of European settler activity can still be seen; look for old anchor bolts and remnants of farm buildings on the coastal walking trails.

Bring coins for the pay-and-display ticket machines. Hobart Beach has bush camp sites along Wallagoot Lake.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

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  • Bega Cheese Heritage Centre

    Bega Cheese Heritage Centre

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    A supermarket mainstay in Australia, Bega cheese isn't the stuff of a gourmet detour, but the heritage centre devoted to the brand (established 1899) is…

  • Boyd's Tower

    Boyd's Tower

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  • Panboola

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  • Potoroo Palace

    Potoroo Palace

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    Warmly run Potoroo Palace, a not-for-profit animal sanctuary, has a menagerie including echidnas, dingoes, koalas and native birds. Keepers have an…

  • Tathra Wharf

    Tathra Wharf

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    Tathra Wharf is NSW's last remaining coastal steamship wharf; today it's a listed building and an attractive place to watch local life unfold, from…

  • Whale Lookout

    Whale Lookout

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    Between late September and late November, a good spot to look for whales is at the scenic lookout south of the wharf. This can also save you the time and…

  • Davidson Whaling Station

    Davidson Whaling Station

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    Eleven kilometres along Edrom Rd there’s a turn-off to the historic Davidson Whaling Station on Twofold Bay, last used in 1929. Have a picnic in the…

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6. Merimbula Aquarium

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