The Gantry
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.
