Kioloa: Beaches, Coastal Walks and Wildlife

Kioloa combines beach visits with walks and nature watching. Merry Beach is known for fishing, walks and wildlife; Avenue Beach for coastal walks, views and the possibility of spotting migrating whales in winter and spring. For planning, it is therefore helpful to compare the experiences: would you like to combine different activities around Merry Beach, or explore the walks and landscapes at Avenue Beach?

Merry Beach: Wildlife, Views and Fishing

Merry Beach is popular with families, anglers and walkers. Kangaroos live on the beach, and there are views of O’Hara Headland from there. Visitors can also look out for dolphins and birds. This beach brings several interests together: getting active by the sea, taking in the landscape and watching wildlife. Kioloa Beach is also suitable for fishing. If this is important to you, you can include Merry Beach and Kioloa Beach as two named beach options in your plans.

The Snapper Point Walking Track leads from Merry Beach around Snapper Point to Pretty Beach. From there, you can continue along the track to Pebbly Beach and on into Murramarang National Park. The route thus combines a beach walk with a clearly described sequence of further destinations. If you plan to take the track, check the current conditions before setting out: track conditions can change.

Avenue Beach: Coastal Walks and Seasonal Wildlife Watching

Avenue Beach is suited to scenic walks and wildlife watching. Walking tracks lead north from there over rugged headlands, pristine beaches and bushland to Shelly Beach and Kioloa Beach. The sequence of headlands, beaches and bushland gives the walk its own distinctive landscape and makes it a different way to experience the coast from a visit focused on a single beach.

From Avenue Beach, you may be able to spot migrating whales in winter and spring. If you are travelling in these seasons, this opportunity for wildlife watching may be an additional reason to include Avenue Beach in your plans. There are also impressive views of Belowla Island and Butlers Creek. This means that, alongside the walk itself, there are specific features of the landscape to look out for.

Getting There and Finding Your Way

A public bus runs from Ulladulla to Kioloa, near Pretty Beach. If you plan to use this service, check the timetable before travelling; transport arrangements and times can change. This allows you to take the bus connection into account when planning your journey without making the rest of your day’s plans depend on it alone.

The Visitor Information Point – Kioloa offers brochures, maps and other resources about local attractions, dining options and activities. Merry Beach Milkbar includes a general store, a kiosk and a café. The two places serve different needs: the Information Point brings together information about Kioloa, while the Milkbar combines several store and café functions. As the services listed can change, check the latest information before making firm plans around a particular offering.

If you are looking for accommodation in Kioloa, choosing the type of experience you want to focus on can be a useful first step: walks and wildlife watching, the route via Snapper Point, or the walks and views at Avenue Beach each offer a different emphasis. This can help you take the activities that matter to you on your trip into account.

Discover more destinations: Cudal, Caves Beach, Tuross Head, Mylestom, Collector, Laurieton, Jaspers Brush, Rookhurst.

For the broader travel overview: New South Wales.