Cave Painting Australian Aboriginal Art

Hidden Treasure of the Sapphire Coast

Nestled between the wooded hills and sparkling white sand beaches of Australia’s beautiful Sapphire Coast, the historic beach town of Merimbula seems made to order for anyone seeking an on the beach holiday. Merimbula, which gets its name from an Aboriginal word meaning “two lakes,” hugs the curve of Lake Merimbula, a wide bay formed where the Merimbula River meets the sea. Originally a port town, this charming seaside resort offers visitors a unique mixture of pristine natural beauty and sophisticated tourist activities.

Surf, Sun, and Recreational Parks

The white sand and gentle swells of the lakeshore beaches are perfect for visitors looking to sunbathe, or families with children ready to spend the day at the beach, building sandcastles and floating aimlessly in the sparkling blue water. Meanwhile, the ocean proper beaches such as Short Point, Main, Surf, Bar, and Middle offer board and body surfers easy access to a variety of waves. Merimbula offers every water sport under the sun, and the town itself sports a diverse range of activities.

Those activities include dining on locally grown seafood and wine, to perusing art galleries, music festivals, and picturesque lakeside golf courses. Outside the town proper, visitors can tour wineries, oyster farms, and national and recreational parks.

Borunda National Park stretches to the north and south of Lake Merimbula, a rugged expanse of coastal cliffs and rock formations where visitors can surf, fish, or hike to the bush to their heart’s content. The Borunda Park area is a known fossil site, and has a rich history of Aboriginal life. Evidence of Aboriginal occupation and tool making has been found all along the coastal middens and camp sites.

Visitors to the park are encouraged to picnic, hike, canoe, surf, swim, fish, camp, and go prawning and bird-watching. Bird and wildlife abounds, and kangaroo and wallaby sightings are commonplace. Travelers with kids may want to put in some time at another kind of park. Only a short drive out of Merimbula, the Magic Mountain Recreational Park offers large water slides, pools, a mini-golf course, a toboggan run, and hiking trails, all situation amidst the gorgeous natural flora and fauna of the Sapphire Coast.

Merimbula Accommodations

Ready to buy a ticket to the Sapphire Coast? Merimbula accommodation come in enough variety to fit any travel budget, from shared rooms to luxury hotels, but the gold standard for a beach paradise getaway definitely goes to On the Beach Holidays, a holiday rental company which offers a variety of holiday rental houses and condos in beautiful Merimbula. Visitors can choose from one of three rentals types:

The Ultimate, a beach front three-story that sleeps six, luxuriously furnished and stocked with books, games, and DVDs, and an indoor spa room.

The Dream view, a pet-friendly three-bedroom about 4 minutes walk from the beach, with ocean views, an electric fireplace, and private gardens that attract daily visits from wild parrots, cockatoos, and kangaroos.

The Unbelievable, dog friendly townhouses which sleep four, minutes from the beaches, restaurants, and shops, fully stocked with books, games, and DVDs, and sun-decks overlooking beautiful gardens.

About the Author

Needless to say, booking ahead is a must, but a little planning is a small price to pay for all that Merimbula, the hidden jewel of the Sapphire Coast, has to offer. If this sounds like the perfect vacation spot for you, find out more at onthebeachholidays.com.au

Rolf Harris ‘Tie me Kangaroo Down’.

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