If you’re heading to the coast, you want to take a dip. But did you know the South Coast has plenty more ways to cool off than just the beach?
These are the best water activities on the South Coast.
Standup paddleboarding
Grab a board and one long paddle and head out onto the lake or the bay. Standup Paddleboarding (SUP) is great for core fitness. Pop the kids into a lifejacket and you can sit them onto the end of your paddleboard as you cross the lake.
The gorgeous Shellharbour beaches are great for SUP. Picture: Destination NSW
If you’re in Shellharbour, the best place to SUP is on Lake Illawarra. Paddleboarding Shellharbour offers SUP tours for kids across Lake Illawarra. Their expert guides teach paddling techniques to beginners through to advanced paddlers. Choose from enclosed water, exposed water and surf.
Kayaking
The South Coast’s long estuaries and lakes were made for kayaking.
Escape Kayak Tours run family-friendly paddles up the Minnamurra River. Families can choose from single or double kayaks – the double is handy if you think the kids need help.
If your family are early birds, try the Sunrise Adventure, a two-hour kayak over to Rangoon Island and the Killalea State Park. For little ones, try the 1.5 hour Mangroves Adventure which waves through Rocklow Creek’s sheltered mangroves.
Kayak tours allow you to see the South Coast from the water. Picture: Escape Kayak Tours.
Waterparks
Jamberoo Action Park is a great place to cool down and get the heart racing. The newest ride here is called “Perfect storm”. Three tornados twist around each other and suck you into the vortex before spitting you out the other side.
Little ones will love Banjo’s Billabong, a four storey water play area with slides, tipping buckets, water cannons and bridges. On surf hill, families can race each other down an aqua slide. Don’t forget to look at the official scoreboard to see who wins.
The Perfect Storm at Jamberoo. Picture: Jamberoo
Surfing
Every single town along this gorgeous coastline is great for surfing. Surf Camp Australia, based in Gerroa, offers surfing lessons at Seven Mile Beach. Aussie Surfer Pam Burridge runs a surf school at Mollymook. Broulee Surf School offers surfing lessons in Batemans Bay to Narooma. In Shellharbour, keen surfers should check out the famous surf breaks – The Farm and Mystics in Killalea. You can also see more surfing action in Shellharbour in the video below.
Click here for a full list of surf schools on the South Coast.
Surfing at sunset on the South Coast. Picture: Shutterstock
Blowholes
Watch the kids faces as the Kiama blowhole forces a spurt of water high into the air. They can’t get enough of this natural phenomenon. Kiama’s blowhole is the largest in the world.
The Kiama Blowhole. Picture: Shutterstock
The viewing platform allows everyone to get a great view. It is accessible for people using wheelchairs. The Kiama blowhole has picnic areas and rock pool nearby.
Snorkelling and diving
In Eurobodalla, you can dive and snorkel with a colony of fur seals. The colony on Montague Island, off the coast of Narooma, is one of the largest in Australia. It’s also home to hundreds of little penguins. Tours depart from Narooma. Check out the Underwater Safaris if you are keen to learn to dive. They can take you scuba diving, on PADI training courses and out to dive the South Coast wrecks.
Underwater Safaris also run the Squid Squad summer holiday activity program. Kids can learn the essentials of snorkelling at protected Bar Beach, identify and find octopus, fish, or seahorses. Parents and guardians are welcome to participate or watch from the beach.
Montague Island is home to hundreds of seals. Picture: Shutterstock
READ MORE:
What’s new on the New South Wales South Coast?
South Coast animal adventures you need to try
Filling hungry tummies on the South Coast
Adrenaline-inducing South Coast adventures for families
The South Coast’s best bike tracks for families
Travel allows you to get outside your bubble. It makes you realise there are other ways to do things, and that’s OK. Plus, I am a huge fan of skiing and for the best powder – you need to head overseas.