We stayed at Long Beach near Batemans Bay on the New South Wales south coast for a week while we explored the area. Only a 10-minute drive from Batemans Bay, it was a quiet and peaceful alternative to staying in town.
From our back door, we could see over the bay and out to the Tollgate Islands. The backyard ended right on the beach, where two seats let you sit and look over the water. Sitting here at sunset was an amazing place to watch the sun go down.
This area allowed us to go for a walk in the early morning before setting off to explore or relaxing and walking in the evening after a day out.
View from the back doorLooking eastLooking westRocks at the eastern end of Long BeachRock platform at the eastern end of the beachSunset
Running along the Clyde River foreshore at Batemans Bay, The Sculpture Walk is a great way to take in the city centre of this NSW south coast town.
Getting There
Driving from Sydney will take a little over 3.5 hours, or two hours from Canberra. We were staying locally, so only had a 10-minute drive from our accommodation. We parked at the Clyde Street carpark, which is conveniently located at the start of the walk.
The Walk
Following the waterfront from the Princes Highway Bridge to the marina, the Sculpture Walk takes in 14 sculptures (the number grows each year) as well as passing street art and memorials. Sculptures are added each time the Sculptures For Clyde festival is held, as the winning sculpture is acquired and permanently displayed in Batemans Bay.
The walk is flat and paved most of the way with many places to stop, rest and take in the scenery. Coffee shops and restaurants on the waterfront also provide plenty of options for eating.
Tides by Joel AdlerSeating and information board on the foreshoreHeavy Metal Seahorse – Alex FiggisPortal by John FitzmauriceBuoyansea by Jesse GrahamFamily by RM. GombocDance by Haruyuki UchidaFracture 2 by David BallWeed by Richard Moffatt the 2023 winnerPelicant by Jesse GrahamLove in the Deep – Jesse Graham
The Clyde River
The walk takes you along the Clyde River, where you see several cruise boats waiting to take tourists up the river. There are also some fishing boats as well as restaurants that sell their catch. Many waterbirds also make the riverbank their home and we saw a lot of pelicans resting on the bank and jetties.
River Cruise BoatPelicansPelican
Memorials
Walking along the sculpture walk, two memorials stand out. The first is Batemans Bay War Memorial Cenotaph while the second, dedicated to the Vietnam War is in the park near the marina.
Batemans Bay War Memorial CenotaphVietnam War Memorial
Street Art
Street art can be found in several locations on the walk. The first and most obvious is on the Boatshed seafood restaurant. This has both ends of the building decorated with paintings of the area’s culture and history.
The second area if found in Graffiti Alley, which runs between Orient St and Murra Murra Mia Walkway. Here, you will find fantastic paintings of local wildlife.
The BoatshedStreet Art on the Boatshed Graffiti Alley near Promenade PlazaStreet Art on Orient St near Promenade PlazaStreet Art on Orient St near Promenade Plaza
Originally the location of a timber mill, jetty and loading derrick, The Gantry at Bawley Point only has a few reminders of its industrial past. The sawmill burnt down in 1922 and the original jetty was swept away in a storm in 2016. Designed at a fishing spot, the current structure is not intended as a diving platform. Any diving into the water is at your own risk.
Getting There
Located 3.5 hours south of Sydney or 2.5 hours east of Canberra on the New South Wales south coast, Bawley Point is a small hamlet with a population of around 700. We drove from Batemans Bay about 30 minutes away. A small carpark at the beach, near a boat ramp let us explore the beach, which is generally sandy, but has rocks near the boat ramp and southern end.
Access to the Gantry is via a rough dirt track just up from the car park, or over the rock platform. The track is too rough for two-wheel drive vehicles, so we walked in. At only around 100m, this is not difficult.
The Gantry
Rebuilt after a large storm in 2016, the Gantry serves as a fishing spot overlooking Bawley Beach. With most of the industrial heritage swept away, it’s a beautiful spot to fish, relax and take in the views. Doubtless children will want to jump off the end into the water. Be careful, as we did not see any rescue life buoys during our visit.
If you are interested in the old timber mill or jetty, several rusting steel beams and concrete foundations are all that remain.
Surprisingly for a tourist destination there were few places to eat. What we found an excellent cafe called Luci’s. We had morning coffee here before heading off.
Bawley BeachView from the boat rampLooking towards Bawley BeachBawley BeachThe Gantry and rusting remains of the original jettyThe Gantry and rusting remains of the original jettyRemains of the original structure on Bawley Point
