HOOKED ON TUROSS
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARG MCALISTER
Tuross Head, on the south coast of NSW, is the kind of place that people talk about in where-to-go-next talks around the caravan: “Mate, have I got a spot for you!” accompanied by a finger stabbing at a dog-eared travel guide. “Head down Tuross way and mark this one in your book…”
Experienced Aussie nomads know you can do some serious relaxing in this prime area of NSW and spend very little. Find Tuross Head on the map, and draw a half-circle from Moruya Heads in the north to Tilba Central in the south. That’s your little slice of paradise. We made it our mission not only to explore the immediate surrounds of Tuross, but to check out a variety of places you can stay. We opted to stay at Tuross Lakeside Tourist Park because of the easy access for our kayaks, but there’s a nice beachside park here too.
This place is fishing heaven: the anglers come here in droves. Long-time caravanners Pat and Norma (who have stayed on a lakefront site here every year for more than two decades) tell us that fishos like the place because they can keep their boats – car-toppers, boats on collapsible trailers, inflatables or Hobies – on the shore or close to the ramp. Dedicated anglers Bruce and Yvonne, who could be seen pushing their boat past our caravan every morning, vote it as one of their favourite places, for sheer convenience of access as well as for the fishing.
We watch while people swap lures and rib each other over fishing tales, or sometimes just throw a line in from the shore. Steve, on the next site, has his fishing well sorted. He has opted for a punt, rather than a V-nosed boat, for several reasons. One, it has such a shallow draft that it glides over water just a hand-span deep. Two, it is much more stable when he and his wife Anne are moving around in the boat. Three, he can nose it up onto a beach and Anne can walk straight off it.
Steve has customised his boat in several ways. It’s a car-topper, but he can slide on comfortable seats (kept in the car) and has detachable side panels that provide a handhold for getting in and out of the boat. He also showed me how he has carved up one of Anne’s breadboards (“She hasn’t noticed it’s missing yet!”) and fixed the parts to his roof racks to make it easier to slide the boat on and off. “Gotta be careful I don’t push too hard or it goes flying over the bonnet!” Caravanners are terrific at quick fixes.
Anne gets the job of cleaning the fish, and she’s lightning fast. I watched her gut, scale and fillet two bream in no time at all, absent-mindedly tossing the discards to the waiting seagulls. “At Tuross Head,” she says, her knife flying, “we’ve caught luderick, tailor, whiting, flathead and red bream – but flathead and black bream are the most common.”
We’ve been down this way several times before, and have enjoyed visiting the small country towns around: Mogo, Bodalla, Tilba as well as the larger centres of Bateman’s Bay, Narooma and Moruya. There’s plenty in the area to keep anyone busy without spending much at all… but this time, we decide to focus on laid-back camping and attractions, mooch-about shopping and scenic drives.
Tootling around Tuross
Tuross Head itself has a strip of shops only a few minutes’ drive from either caravan park with a newsagent, hardware, supermarket, and a few other outlets. Right on the water’s edge you’ll find the popular Tuross Boatshed and Café. It’s easy to while away some time here, washing down excellent fish and chips with good quality coffee while you watch the water craft or the birds skipping across the surface of the water. If you want a menu with more choice, the Country Club is not far away, with lunches at a reasonable price.
There are good cycle tracks, too. Steve, back from fishing, gives us a wave as he goes by on his bike, so we buttonhole him later to see what he thinks of the cycle track from the Coila Lake foreshore around to the Tuross boatsheds. “Bit longer than I thought,” he tells us with a grin, “but a good ride.”
We consult a map and decide to spread our explorations over several days, starting with the Beachcomber Family Park, about 2km along an unsealed road at Potato Point. This place is really different: the whole place is solar-powered, with an on-site waste disposal system. It has only four powered sites, but the amenities block is large and modern with flushing toilets and there are big fresh water tanks. Pick a spacious grassy site with trees as a backdrop or choose one overlooking the water.
Inquisitive kangaroos poke about, unconcerned about the humans sharing their habitat, and we can sniff the tantalising smell of a wood fire outside a tent. The tariff might appear high for unpowered sites ($17.50 per adult and $8.50 for a school child in the shoulder season) but it’s an appealing spot, and those staying here seem well pleased.
The next day we do a quick sortie into Moruya to stock up on groceries (note: there’s an inviting Top Tourist caravan park on the water’s edge at the bridge), but our main aim is to take a look at the nearby campground at Congo Eurobodalla National Park. Little wonder that this is such a popular campground, with its generously-sized, clean amenities (flushing toilets, handicapped stalls available) with lockable shower cubicles ready for you to set up your own bush shower.
We find Ken Garnett setting up his camp not far from the amenities block, with a backdrop of shady trees and a large canopy next to the caravan to provide a sheltered area to cook, read and relax. Next to that is a shower/toilet tent, with a nifty hand-held shower assembled by Ken, operated from a bucket of water with a pump. Add solar panels and the spare battery and generator in the car, and Ken and wife Wendy are all set to simply enjoy life. It is the third or fourth time they’ve been here, and he says they love it. Wife Wendy is nowhere to be seen, and we soon find out why – she is up to her waist in water in the nearby inlet catching Ken’s lunch!
No wood fires are permitted at any time of the year at Congo, and there’s no dump point – but there are several situated nearby, and clear instructions are posted on where to find them. Generators are permitted at limited times, but according to the caretaker, Kerry, an increasing number of people are opting for solar energy instead.
Tilba Central
Just driving around the Tilba Tilba area is a pleasure in itself, with rolling green paddocks and fat cows grazing contentedly, doing their part in keeping the local dairy industry moving along. Tilba Central is a gold-rush era town that is now protected under a National Heritage listing. The bakery has closed, but we deliberately time our visit to coincide with the Saturday morning markets where we buy some irresistible gluten-free fruit and nut loaf and a big bag of fresh beans for $2. Everyone who comes to Tilba Central enjoys a browse around the shops – you can buy everything from leather goods to hand-turned, high-quality wooden items.
We eat lunch at the corner café in Tilba Central, where local Kay suggests a couple of nice local drives. Following her advice, we cross the highway after leaving Tilba and take the road to the old cemetery, where she promises beautiful views from the hill above the beach. “You’ll go through a few gates, but it’s a public road,” she tells us. The cemetery has now been fenced to prevent damage from the ever-present dairy herds, and it’s here that Dame Zara Bates’ first husband Jeff rests, overlooking the sea.
Kay’s second suggestion (the real gold) is that we take a scenic drive back to Tuross along the Old Princes Highway, and call in to Tilba Valley Wines. We do so, and that is how we found something that is both unexpected and a huge bonus for RVers. Drum roll: Tilba Wines offers private budget camping for self-contained RVs for only $10 a night plus $2 per person. The short track to the pretty campground is immediately on your left after you turn into the grounds of the winery, so don’t plan on driving your RV up the winding road to the winery itself; turning around will be a challenge if there are cars in the small car park. You should phone ahead to check availability. How many campgrounds offer a winery and a quality restaurant a short walk from the RV, as well as swimming and fishing in beautiful Corunna Lake at the front door?
While we are there we book in for lunch and live music the next day – which we find to be pure relaxation. Put a winery meal on the agenda for the first or third Sunday of the month and enjoy whatever musical feast awaits you.
BEACHSIDE CAMPING GROUNDS
On the way back to Tuross we call in to the Dalmeny camping area, 5km from Narooma, after hearing about it from another caravanner back home – “Our family has been going there for years,” he told us. We could see why. The camping area rises from the road and overlooks Brou Beach, and behind the campground a row of shops will provide you with all of your incidental needs. This very popular campground is right next to the Dalmeny-Narooma Cycleway, and caretakers Annette and Craig recommend that you book ahead for peak season, or for powered sites at any time of the year. Caravanners Mary and Bill Robinson from Melbourne are relaxing in the sun when we visit, and tell us that this is their fifth visit. “We sit here watching the surfers, and at times we’ve seen dolphins catching the waves in with them,” says Bill. “And we like to watch the sea eagles gliding along the beach searching for fish in the late afternoons.”
Dalmeny is one of three council-operated camping areas in the region. The others are Mystery Bay and North Head, near Moruya Airport. Between the three camps, you should find one that suits you admirably. If you like the beach and shops close, and don’t mind RVs close together, Dalmeny will be perfect. If you prefer the serenity of the bush and more secluded sites, head off to Mystery Bay. This is the most spread out of the three camping areas, with cold showers, toilet blocks and fresh water taps spread throughout the campground. The campers I meet there are all enthusiastic about Mystery Bay – like Karen and Allan, who are three weeks into a planned 5-year adventure after selling their house. “The rangers have mown a coastal path so you can walk into Eurobodalla National Park, and into the Marine Park,” says Allan. “It’s an easy walk to the beach, and there are areas where fishing is permitted. At $68 for a week at pensioner rates, this place is fantastic.”
So there you have it. Bountiful fishing, friendly caravan parks, unique campgrounds and charming villages… all within 50km of Tuross Head. Little wonder that it’s popular with everyone from die-hard fishos to family groups who love the tree-lined campgrounds. Now I’m going to get out my trip planner and pencil in a stay at Tilba Valley Wines. See you there!
FISHING TIPS FROM BRUCE AND YVONNE
Be prepared to switch if your bait doesn’t work – from live bait to lures or back again.
Carry a pump and a sieve so you can get your own nippers (small crustaceans) and worms.
We’ve had great success with sliders (lures that look like a little grub) the colour of engine oil. Soft plastic lures wiggle and move with the current, and some have a tail that catches the attention of the fish.
Vary your lures to suit what you’re fishing for. Use different sizes; smaller ones for bream. And colour is significant!
FREEBIES & CHEAPIES
Use a pump to source your own bait, then fish all day!
Pedal along one of the many bicycle paths in Tuross Head and nearby areas
Relax in a shady spot at a campground and play your favourite board games like Peter and Margaret!
Wander along the street and browse at Central Tilba
CARAVAN PARKS
Tuross Lakeside Tourist Park
211 Hector McWilliam Drive
Tuross Head NSW 2537
P: (02) 4473 8181
E: holiday@turosslakeside.com.au
W: www.turosslakeside.com.au
Tuross Beach Holiday Park
83 Nelson Pde
Tuross Head, NSW, 2537
P: (02) 4473 8236
E: holiday@turossbeach.com.au
W: www.turossbeachholidaypark.com.au
CAMPGROUNDS
Tilba Valley Wines Private Camping Area
Signposted off the main highway, Tourist Drive No. 6, 12km south of Narooma, 5km north of Central Tilba. This delightful camping area is at the southern end of Corunna Lake. Easy lake access for fishing and boating. Quiet and secluded. Self-contained campervans, caravans & motorhomes.
$10 per night + $2 night/person
Contact: Peter Herrmann
P: (02) 4473 7308
E: enquiries@tilbavalleywines.com
W: https://www.youcamp.com/properties/115
Congo Campground
Situated in the Eurobodalla National Park. From Moruya, take South Head Road and turn right into Congo Road. Follow Congo Road all the way to the end. Large amenities with flush toilets and cubicles to hook up your bush shower. First come, first served – just turn up and find a site; the caretaker visits to collect fees. The 14km Bingi Dreaming walking track starts here and ends at Tuross Head.
Contact: (02) 4476 0800
Bush Camping by the Beach
There are three excellent council-run camping areas between Moruya and Central Tilba. Facilities at each vary:
North Head
Bruce Cameron Drive, Moruya
Caretaker: 0428 633 447
7 km from Moruya
Toilets, cold showers, tank and bore water.
Dalmeny
Mort Avenue, Dalmeny
Caretaker: 0428 635 641
5 km from Narooma
Toilets, hot showers, disabled, baby bath, dump point. 54 powered sites.
Mystery Bay
Mystery Bay Road, Mystery Bay
Caretaker: 0428 622 357
15km from Narooma, 7km from Tilba Central.
Pit toilets, cold showers, drinking water.