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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Bermagui
Give Bermagui two nights if you fish, dive or want a quiet beach stop on the Sapphire Coast drive; one night is enough if you are only passing through.
Bermagui is a fishing village of about 1,500 people on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales, roughly halfway between Batemans Bay and Eden. It is a base for deep-sea and estuary fishing, a natural rock pool, long surf beaches and the forested hinterland of Biamanga National Park. Most visitors arrive by car on the Princes Highway and stay one or two nights. There is no train and no scheduled flight; you need a vehicle to reach the beaches north and south of town.
- Country
- Australia
- Best months
- Oct–Apr; March for the festivals
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (cool, wet, fewer services); Christmas–New Year for crowds and booked-out parks
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$90–150 excl. bed · Mid A$150–260 excl. bed · High A$260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From a mobile 112 · SES (storms and floods) 132 500
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | A$4.50–6 |
| Pub meal (counter or bistro) | A$22–35 |
| Fish and chips | A$15–25 |
| Schooner of beer at the pub | A$8–12 |
| Fuel, per litre | A$1.80–2.10 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | A$20–40 |
| Museum or national park entry | Free–A$15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MYA · Moruya Airport
- About 1 h 15 min drive north; small regional flights, check schedules
- MIM · Merimbula Airport
- About 1 h drive south; the usual arrival airport for the Sapphire Coast, check schedules
- CBR · Canberra Airport
- About 3 h 30 min drive; the nearest large airport with frequent flights
Typical fares
- Fuel, Bermagui to Merimbula and back
- about 130 km (81 mi), roughly A$30–40about 81 mi (130 km), roughly A$30–40
- Taxi in town
- short trips only; check availability before you rely on one
- Charter fishing, half day
- about A$150–220 per person
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Walk the town centre and Horseshoe Bay in 10–15 minutes. A car is needed for Camel Rock, Cuttagee, the Blue Pool car park and Biamanga National Park; the coast road north and south has quiet lanes good for cycling. No local bus network of use to visitors; check taxi availability in advance.
See and do
Known for
- Horseshoe Bay and the Blue Pool
- Deep-sea and game fishing
- Camel Rock and long surf beaches
- Biamanga National Park and Wallaga Lake
- March festivals: Four Winds, Sculpture on the Edge, Seaside Fair
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Central Tilba and Tilba Tilba | Drive north on the Princes Highway, about 20 min | About 30 min |
| Tathra | Drive south on the coast road via Cuttagee, about 40 min | About 45 min |
| Merimbula | Drive south on the Princes Highway, about 1 h | About 1 h |
| Eden | Drive south on the Princes Highway, about 1 h 30 min | About 1 h 30 min |
| Bega | Drive west on the Princes Highway, about 45 min | About 45 min |
| Bemboka | Drive west via Bega, about 1 h | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Bermagui town centre (Lamont Street)
- Walk to Horseshoe Bay, the pub, cafés and the shops; motels and holiday units.
- Horseshoe Bay and South Coast Holiday Park
- Cabins and powered sites opposite the beach; book ahead at Christmas and Easter.
- Camel Rock and Wallaga Lake
- North of town on the coast road; quieter, mostly holiday houses, need a car.
- Cuttagee and Barragga Bay
- South of town toward Tathra; beach houses and bush settings, 10–15 min drive to shops.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thanks |
| Where is the beach? | Where's the beach? |
| Is it patrolled today? | Is the beach patrolled today? |
| Can I pay by card? | Can I pay by card? |
| Where is the toilet? | Where's the toilet? |
| I need help | I need help |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- No train and no scheduled flight to Bermagui: arrive by car on the Princes Highway, then Tourist Drive 9.
- Parking at the Blue Pool is limited; go early in summer or park on Scenic Drive and walk.
- Most parking spots do not allow overnight stays in vans; use a caravan park or check with the council.
- Swim between the flags at patrolled Horseshoe Bay in season; the Blue Pool and ocean beaches are unpatrolled.
- Mobile coverage is patchy in the national park and along parts of Wallaga Lake; download offline maps.
- Book accommodation and the caravan park well ahead for Christmas–New Year and the March festivals.
A quiet, low-crime coastal town. The real risks are surf and rocks at unpatrolled beaches, wildlife on the roads at dusk, bushfire danger in summer and long drives on the Princes Highway after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Bermagui yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Horseshoe Bay and the Blue Pool
- Deep-sea and game fishing
- Camel Rock and long surf beaches
- Biamanga National Park and Wallaga Lake
- March festivals: Four Winds, Sculpture on the Edge, Seaside Fair
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Sapphire Coast Tourism: www.sapphirecoast.com.au/
- NSW National Parks — Biamanga National Park: www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/biamanga-national-park
- Bega Valley Shire Council: www.begavalley.nsw.gov.au/
- Wikivoyage: Bermagui, revision 4878961 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4878961
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Bermagui
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No consulates in Bermagui; the nearest are in Sydney. US, UK, Canadian, Australian and other consulates-general are in Sydney (check addresses).
English is the only language you need here.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/bermagui). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.