Sunset To Sun-Up // Gerringong (NSW)

Ah! Gerringong — that little coastal town about 2 hours south of Sydney; very well known to some, and yet to be discovered by others. But despite the town feeling fuller than a doctor’s wallet during school holidays, you can still find a few spots all to yourself.

Quick Overview

Gerringong is located at Seven Mile Beach in New South Wales. Driving from Sydney, it should take around 2 hours to reach.

Highlights

• Getting an epic sunset surf with hardly a soul in sight at Seven Mile Beach (except for the whales that were breaching off the horizon!)
• Hiking up to Drawing Room Rocks in the dawn light to catch sunrise and a hand-ground coffee up the top
• Discovering a few little gems in Gerringong and Berry for a bit of post-adventure indulgence

Surf’s Up in Gerringong

Our primary mission was to get some waves… and Gerringong locals are spoilt for choice when it comes to surf! The wind and swell that day dictated that Seven Mile Beach in nearby Gerroa was the go.  The beauty of this beach is that no matter how good the surf is and how packed the car parks, you always get a wave.

Honestly, Bondi Beach at midnight is more crowded than Seven Mile! Sunsets are also amazing along this beach… so we stayed in the water until it felt a little bit too sharky.

The epic surf session left us in need of a decent feed, so we hit up the famous Cronin’s Pub for dinner. Smith St Foods have recently taken over the bistro, and they do a bang up job in the food department.

Gettin’-up For Sun-up

Always keen for an adventure, the decision was made to set the alarm for well before the arse crack of dawn to make the trek to Drawing Room Rocks for sunrise! A 20 minute drive up the hill behind Berry, then a further 30min brisk hike through quite a variety of forest habitats teeming with lyrebirds.

The track opens up quite abruptly at the top to a simply stunning view all the way to the coast. The cliff drops off a fair way too, so be warned if you have young kids or a healthy fear of heights! We did convince fellow Explorer Mattie to get out on a (safe) ledge despite not being super happy with the drop… it’s all worth it for the shot!

After a hand-ground coffee while watching the sunrise, we trekked back down and continued a short way down the road to Broger’s Creek. Masquerading as a simple causeway, this creek crossing is a great place to explore, and magic for a swim on a hot summer arvo! Rock-hopping around the creek and admiring the solitude got us keen for another feed (we are growing lads after all!)

So, with thoughts of the famous Berry Donut Van on our minds, we headed back into town… sadly it wasn’t to be. The donut makers were having a sleep-in, so we hit up the Milkwood Bakery instead for another caffeine hit and some delectable pastries. Adventuring doesn’t always have to be hard work after all.

Essential Gear

• Surfboards and wetties
• Hiking shoes and optional AeroPress for dawn coffees at the top
• Camera
• An appetite for all the tasty food options

How To Get There

Gerringong and Berry are located roughly 2 hours south of Sydney. Gerringong is on the coast, Berry is a little inland.

Read: Drawing Room Rocks for directions.

Broger’s Creek — As for Drawing Room rocks, but instead of turning right off Brogers Creek Road, just continue on down the windy road until you hit the creek crossing. You can park just before the crossing.

Activities

• Swimming
• Surfing
• Hiking
• Eating and drinking!

Difficulty

Beginner — Seven Mile Beach is renowned for being a great place to learn to surf! But experienced, salty old surfers will still have a ball here too. Drawing Room Rocks does require a reasonable level of fitness — it’s not a long hike, but does get a little steep in parts.

Duration

Hiking to the top of Drawing Room Rocks takes between 30min-1hr one way, depending on fitness. But make sure you leave ample time at the top to enjoy the view!