Tuross Head
Tuross Head is set on a low-lying headland perched between twin lakes fed by the Tuross River, with stunning ocean beaches stretching north and south.
Things to Do in Tuross head & Surrounds
Tuross Head is a place many visitors never want to leave. Spend time here and you are bound to meet someone who has done just that.
Set on a low-lying headland perched between twin lakes, and with stunning ocean beaches stretching north and south, the small village is surrounded by magnificent waterways.
The beach area to the north of the inlet is sublime, with the water ranging from crystal clear to deep blue as it alternates the sandy depths and shallows.
The beach here has a knack for attracting driftwood and it’s not unusual to find sun-bleached castaway-style shelters, or impromptu abstract art forms, crafted by other beachgoers.
A visit to this beautiful gem on the New South Wales south coast is easy by car, or fly in through Moruya airport, just south of Batemans Bay, and hire a car.
Explore
Across the narrow inlet to the south, the long tapering sandbar that protects the lake becomes a wide beach forming the gateway to Eurobodalla National Park. The National Park stretches north from Tuross Head up to Congo, the northern end of the Bingi Dreaming Track, and south to Dalmeny, near Narooma.
A swim or kayak across the sparkling water to the sandbar, and time spent wading with the rays, fish and birds, is a life-affirming pleasure that lingers with you long after.
Nearby Congo, in the Eurobodalla National Park, is a popular spot for a scenic drive or coastal walk.
Not far from the inlet, on the calm waters of Tuross Lake, is the small but enchanting waterfront café area. Once the working boat sheds and wharf for the commercial fishery, the original timber building and dock are largely unchanged. It’s a special place, and almost unique in allowing you to tie your kayak or boat up right next to your table, or cast a line while having a coffee. A meal here at sunset, watching the water, earth and sky shift through the spectrum of colours, is particularly fine.
Fishing and boating
Tuross Lake here is renowned for large and plentiful flathead. Fed by the Tuross River, a network of natural channels provides hidden fishing holes, unexpected islands and sheltered picnic spots. On the opposite side of the peninsula, the smaller shallower Coila Lake is famous for large bream and small greenback prawns. Prawning, in season, can be as simple as walking the shallows with a torch and scoop net, and is a relaxing and rewarding way to spend a summer evening with family and friends
History
Small coastal vessels carried timber and produce (particularly potatoes) from farms around Tuross Lake 1850s-1860s but attempts to make Tuross a recognised port were frustrated by its difficult entrance.
The Tuross peninsula (875 acres) was acquired by Patrick Mylott in 1870. He built Tuross House, overlooking Coila and Tuross Lakes. He farmed until 1883 when he moved to Sydney to ensure his young daughter Eva, born at Tuross, received appropriate training; she became an internationally acclaimed opera singer. A special plaque is in Eva Mylott Park in Jutland Ave.
Tuross Head was eventually developed as a tourist destination by landowner Hector McWilliam in the mid-1920s. He purchased the property from Mylott’s widow in 1925, subdivided it and advertised the lots for holiday houses. He established a nine-hole golf course and planted 200 Norfolk Island Pines around Tuross Head. These pines are McWilliam’s distinctive legacy.
Learn more about Tuross Head
Congo
Approximately 14kms north of Tuross Head, and just south of Moruya lie glorious beaches and rock fishing locations where the only footprints on the sand belong to you.
Things to see and do in Congo
The coastal hamlet of Congo, is the first of several localities within the Eurobodalla National Park that includes Meringo, Mullimburra Point and Bingie Bingie Point.
Congo and the coastline stretching southward to Tuross Head, boasts magnificent beaches, rugged and remote headlands and marks the northern end of the Bingi Dreaming Track. Congo is also home to renowned potter and artist Jim Simms and his Congo Crafts Gallery.
Bingi Dreaming Track
The Bingi Dreaming Track traces an important songline for the Yuin people, meandering along 14 kilometres of wind-swept yet life-giving coastline.
The Yuin ancestors have been coming here for tens of thousands of years.
Join a guided tour with an indigenous guide and learn a little about the wealth of Yuin knowledge that lives here.
