Pretty Beach Camping

The New South Wales South Coast is one of the most picturesque places to explore and now that the area is regenerating from the devastating bushfires that tore through the region in early 2020 it is the perfect time to go and visit this stunning strip of Australian coastline. 

Famous for its white sandy beaches and crystal blue waters much of the coast is framed in National Parks and Marine Reserves, making it an ideal destination for those looking to connect with nature and really immerse themselves in the natural beauty that the South Coast is famous for. 

Pretty Beach could not be more aptly named, a protected little cove of stunning white sand tucked between some rugged cliffs made for the perfect spot to spend a couple of days camping.

Pretty Beach is about half an hour south of Ulladulla and the northern-most campsite in the Murramurang National Park. The campsite is very well equipped with BBQ areas, flush toilets and showers. 

It is a small campsite with allocated sites and a couple of small cabins that can be hired as well. All bookings are done through the NSW National Parks website and at the time that we visited it cost us $24/night to stay.

That may seem like a lot of money (especially for those who are accustomed to free-camping) but this bought us prime real-estate, just a 50m walk from the beach while also being protected behind a thin strip of banksia filled bushland. 

 The campsite was quite small and not particularly even but I have found that is often the case when booking sites in National Park campgrounds. However as we had the rooftop tent and canopy set up to live out of this was not too much of an issue. 

What was amazing, was being surrounded by all the wildlife that calls Pretty Beach home. A small family of kangaroos frequented the campsite, while down on the beach a nesting pair of Pied Oystercatchers could be found hidden amongst the dunes.  

From the campsite I had intended to complete some substantial bushwalks including a 5.2km return track to Snake Bay and a 2.2km loop track to the Murramurang Aboriginal Area however unfortunately these walks are still closed along with all other walks south of Pretty Beach due to fire damage. 

So I had to make do with the short walk to Snapper Point to the north, which to be honest was not a bad consolation as we followed the cliff edge around the point to observe some incredible views in both directions along the coast. 

From up here you felt like you were on top of the world and could get completely lost in the beauty of this incredible coastline (not physically lost! The track was very easy to follow.) and even were able to spot some playful humpback whales (I visited late September) breaching the water way offshore. 

Camping at Pretty Beach was such a wonderful experience, it will forever hold a special place in my heart and I cannot wait to come back to the South Coast of NSW and explore more of this incredible coastline. 

Safe travels, 

Dimsim Outdoors