The Munjip Trail is NSW South Coast’s Freshest Hike & I Was One of the First to Walk It

Over two leisurely days, Explorers Mattie and Jon trekked over bushy headlands and across calm, quiet beaches while deepening their understanding of Yuin Country on the Munjip Trail.

We Are Explorers acknowledges that this adventure is located on the traditional Country of the Yuin people who have occupied and cared for the lands, waters, and their inhabitants for thousands of years. We pay our respects to them as the Traditional Custodians and recognise that sovereignty was never ceded.

Quick Overview

The Munjip Trail is a new 15km coastal headland walk in Eurobodalla, on the beautiful NSW South Coast. It’s a Grade 3 hike that can be completed in around five hours.

Quick Facts

Distance: 15km (18km if you include every lookout)
Duration: 5 hours
Elevation gain: 646m
Nearest town: Batemans Bay
Map: Alpaca Munjip Trail

About the Munjip Trail

There’s no better way to connect with an area than by walking through it, and this is particularly true for visitors to the Munjip Trail on the NSW South Coast. Munjip means ‘walking together, let’s go’ in the local Dhurga language.

While the trail traverses many stunning beaches and headlands, bushland and rock platforms, it also offers up artwork and stories from the Walbunja People, members of the oldest continuing culture in the world. At 15km long, the Munjip Trail could be walked (or trail run) in half a day, but if you really want to connect with the area, stop for a swim and read all the stories, I recommend taking much longer.

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History of the Munjip Trail

The Munjip Trail, scheduled to open in late May, has been in the works since 2010. Starting just south of Batemans Bay, in Batehaven, it continues along the coastline to McKenzies Beach. Throughout the trail, walkers can read and hear stories from the Walbunja People, learning about the art, culture, and history of the people and region. There’s a plethora of interpretive signage, audio posts, murals, and timber message poles to learn from along the way.

How to Get to the Munjip Trail

By Car

The trailhead at Batehaven is between 2-2.5 hours from Canberra and is an easy drive along the Kings Highway. Once you reach Batemans Bay, turn onto Beach Road, and it’s only a couple of kilometres to the car park and trailhead at Observation Point. From Sydney, the journey is between 3.5-5 hours and you can choose to take the coastal route along the Princes Highway (M1), or journey inland via Goulburn and Braidwood, joining up with the Kings Highway and the Canberra route.

We opted to do a car shuttle, driving to McKenzies Beach and leaving a car there while hiking. You could also grab an Uber/taxi back to the start, hike back, or catch a bus (make sure to check the schedule first).

Where to Stay Near the Munjip Trail

When hiking the Munjip Trail, the closest options to the trailhead in Batehaven are the NRMA Batemans Bay Holiday Resort and the Clyde View Holiday Park. Both offer a range of accommodation options, from villas to powered camping sites.

Skill Level

Beginner 

The Munjip Trail is rated as a Grade 3 trail, so it’s suitable for most ages and abilities, and I reckon that’s a pretty fair rating. However, there are some steeper and rougher sections of the track and areas where the trail is close to cliff edges, meaning some bushwalking experience and care come in handy. There are also sections with steep staircases. The trailhead at Observation Point has a wheelchair accessible viewing platform.

Essential Gear for Walking the Munjip Trail

Assuming you’re walking the Munjip Trail in a day and not carrying camping gear, the following gear list should see you comfortably through your walk. There are several opportunities to visit cafes along the route and several water bottle refill stations.

• Good walking shoes
• Water bottles
• Snacks
• Hat and sunscreen
• First aid kit
• Camera

Optional extras:

• Swimmers and towel
• Snorkel and mask

What It’s Like to Walk the Munjip Trail

Day 1

Observation Point to Sunshine Cove

Both Jon (my hiking buddy) and I thought we knew the Batemans Bay area of Eurobodalla pretty well. Jon lives further up the coast, and I live in Canberra, meaning we’ve visited the area many times on holidays, bike trips, and surf trips. However, walking the Munjip Trail showed us that we’ve barely scratched the surface, reminding me of a favourite quote attributed to the mountaineer Reinhold Messner: ‘Only where you have walked on foot have you really been’. So, let’s walk!

After dropping off a car at the trail’s end, McKenzies Beach, we started at the Observation Point Trailhead in Batehaven. We tackled the 15km route over two days to make the most of the trail and serenity!

A major theme of the Munjip Trail is the sharing of traditional stories, artwork, and culture of the Walbunja People. This is immediately apparent through murals painted onto the track and the trailhead signage, titled Two Sea Eagles, by local Indigenous artist Leanne Brook. The sea eagle image continued on the first timber message poles we came across, a collaboration between local students, elders, police, and health workers.

The views from Observation Point were panoramic, taking in the mountains of the Great Dividing Range to the west, north across the bay and up the coast, east to the Tollgate Islands, and south along the coastline and trail that we’d soon follow.

The autumn weather was pleasantly cool as we headed south to Caseys Beach. Brand new trail markers and signposts guide the way, and at the southern end of the beach, we encountered a large mural by Bronwen Smith and Gavin Chatfield. From there, we rounded the headland towards Sunshine Cove, gaining beautiful ocean views from the elevated vantage of the headland.

Read more: 7 Tips for Rainy Day Hiking

Walking along the sandy beach, we approached a large rock formation we affectionately nicknamed ‘The Chicken’ (although I’m not sure this title is officially recognised). However, as we looked back at the formation from the southern headland of Sunshine Cove, it appeared more like a giant’s face.

Sunshine Bay to Lilli Pilli

After another stretch of headland walking, we reached Denhams Beach. On a calm day, this’d be a great spot for snorkelling, especially in summer and autumn. But without our gear handy, we pushed on through native bushland along the cliff tops, until we dropped back into suburbia for morning tea at the Surf Beach Cafe.

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Following a morning tea of coffee and banana bread, watching the world go by, we continued along Surf Beach. At the southern end, we enjoyed rock hopping around the headland (there’s a high tide detour if this is impassable) to reach Wimbie Beach.

After stopping to pet a couple of dogs on a morning beach run, the trail led us to a small creek that we hopped across (again, there’s a signposted alternative high tide route), and we climbed up onto a small grassy reserve.

Here we found a yarning circle, a collaborative project with council, community groups, and elders, that’ll soon feature a mural designed by Walbunja Yuin artist Natalie Bateman. Yarning circles are important places in First Nations cultures as they’re a space for learning, sharing stories and songlines, knowledge, and connection.

Approaching the yarning circle, many language plates are installed with Dhurga translations for animals and native plants found in the area. Before the trail re-enters the bushland, more timber message poles feature the goanna or ‘burnaaga’ in the Dhurga language.

The next stretch felt particularly remote and was the most challenging, with steeper, looser terrain that felt quite wild. With the sun peeking through, we broke from the trail and swam at one of the most secluded beaches so far. The ocean was beautifully cool – the swimmers and towel are worth the extra weight!

It didn’t take long to heat up again post-swim, and it was a fun scramble back onto the main trail. I’m sure if we were hiking in summer we would’ve enjoyed more than one dip along the way.

Trekking through the lush bushland, we soon approached Bulday Gagurr / Grandfathers Gully. This beach features many layered rock walls showing a wealth of geological activity, a creek with a rich history, many scar trees, and a quarry that provides ochre for art and ceremonies.

From Grandfathers Gully, we crossed Circuit Beach before climbing up and over the headland to our final beach of the day and home for the night – Lilli Pilli.

Day 2

Lilli Pilli to Malua Bay

We spent a relaxing night at a holiday house in Lilli Pilli, which allowed us to take our time on the Munjip Trail, covering around 11km on day one and leaving us a shorter walk for day two. Staying overnight on the trail added to the feeling of adventure and turned a short walk into a short holiday.

We returned to Lilli Pilli Beach to resume our walk, before climbing onto the headland for a short spell of bushwalking.

The trail dropped down stairs to the edge of Mosquito Bay, where we rock hopped to the boat ramp at the centre of a small bay. We stopped in at the Three66 Espresso Bar for breakfast and a board game – I can confirm they brew a mean flat white.

As it was low tide at Mosquito Bay, we could stroll along the beach, past several herons, and climb a very steep ladder to join the trail along the headland (another high tide detour avoids the ladder). Next up was Garden Bay, which was exciting, as I’ve never come across it in all my visits to the South Coast!

The Munjip Trail led past more timber message poles and to a lookout with stunning coastline views south to Malua Bay. From here we could see beyond the sandy beach towards our final destination, the headland of Pretty Point reaching out to the ocean. Below, waves lapped against the rocks, and I imagined how spectacular this spot could be on a stormy day.

It quickly became apparent that Malua Bay is one of the most popular beaches on the South Coast with an impressive playground, excellent amenities, and several food options. There’s also another yarning circle and Dhurga signage, featuring artwork by Walbunja Yuin artist, Nigel Stewart, just by the playground.

We ordered coffees from a coffee van and sat by the beach, making use of the cups we’d carried with us.

At Malua Bay southern headland lookout, we learnt about the First Nations people’s relationship with sea tucker; the ocean providing food to complement the bush tucker found on land. Diving is a large part of the Walbunja People’s sea culture, and these traditions continue today. The headlands we’d hoofed over the past two days are used to spot mullet and salmon and to check ocean currents before diving and fishing.

Malua Bay to McKenzies Beach

Before reaching the end of the Munjip Trail, we took a final headland jaunt out to Pretty Point. This is an optional 1.4km return walk and well worth it as the open, bushy headland has a different feel to the rest of the trail. Views from Pretty Point are epic, looking a long way up and down the coastline. We spotted Durras Mountain and Didthul/Pigeon House Mountain in the distance, and the Tollgate Islands out to sea. We hot-footed it back along the trail, eager to cheers to the finish line.

Emerging onto McKenzies Beach, we could see the finishing point of the Munjip Trail. The southern trailhead is marked by a large corten sculpture by local artist Daryl Harbrow, depicting a whale’s tail, referencing the migrating whales that pass along the Eurobodalla coastline from autumn to spring each year.

McKenzies Beach is another great spot for snorkelling and surfing. I made a mental note to pack a mask, snorkel, and surfboard for our next visit to the beautiful beaches of the NSW South Coast.

Tips for Walking the Munjip Trail

• Take your time to appreciate the artwork and stories shared along the trail
• Bring your swimmers to cool off at the many beaches
• Pack snacks, but also stop for coffee and food along the way
• You can walk the Munjip Trail in either direction, but heading south will keep the sun out of your eyes and on your back (unless it’s raining)

FAQs Munjip Trail

How long is the Munjip Trail?

The Munjip Trail is 15km one way, but can be up to 18km if you visit every lookout side track.

How long should I spend walking the Munjip Trail?

The Munjip Trail can be walked in a single day, but booking accommodation and staying at one of the small towns along the way (Denhams Beach, Lilli Pilli, Malua Bay), and enjoying the trail over two days.

Is Munjip Trail ok for beginners?

The Munjip Trail is rated as Grade 3 by NSW National Parks, but should be suitable for most beginners. The lookout at Observation Point is wheelchair accessible.

Photos by @jonharris_photography