The South Coast begins just 90 minutes south of Sydney, offering gorgeous coastal scenery, sophisticated country dining, and family-friendly beaches. From Kiama’s iconic blowhole and cliff-top coastal walks to Berry’s heritage cafes and antique shops, and Gerringong’s calm family beaches, the northern South Coast is perfect for weekend escapes from Sydney.

This South Coast weekend guide focuses on the region’s most accessible destinations – Kiama, Berry, and Gerringong – all within 2 hours of Sydney and perfect for 2-3 night getaways. This is the accessible South Coast – close enough for spontaneous weekends away from Sydney.

This complete guide covers everything you need to plan the perfect South Coast weekend, from choosing the right town to the best beaches, restaurants, and itineraries.

Next Escape is your guide to real places and real experiences, with honest, practical, independent travel advice based on first-hand visits: the beaches we’ve swum at, the restaurants we’ve eaten at, the walks we’ve actually done. This page may contain affiliate links; if you book or buy through them, Next Escape may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Is the South Coast worth visiting?

Yes – the northern South Coast offers coastal scenery, quality dining, and great beaches just 1.5-2 hours from Sydney and under 3 hours from Canberra. From Kiama’s blowhole, coastal walk and restaurants to Berry’s country cafes and Gerringong’s family-friendly beaches, the accessible South Coast delivers loads of variety within driving distance for a weekend trip.

Why visit the South Coast?

• Coastal scenery (blowholes, cliffs, beaches and headlands)
• Just 1.5-2 hours from Sydney and under 3 hours from Canberra (weekend-friendly)
• Extensive coastal walks (Kiama Coastal Walk and Seven Mile Beach)
• From family-friendly calm beaches and ocean pools, plus surf beaches
• Quality dining from casual to upscale
• Whale watching (May to October)

South Coast at a glance

This guide covers:	Weekend-distance South Coast (up to 2 hours from Sydney). Further south: (such as Jervis Bay, Ulladulla, Batemans Bay) require 2.5-4+ hour drives.
Distance from Sydney:	1 hour 30 minutes – 2 hours (driving) 131 km
Distance from Canberra:	2 hours 45 minutes – 3 hours (driving) 219 km
Best for:	Couples, foodies, families, sightseers, walkers and hikers
Ideal stay:	2-3 days
Best time of year:	Year-round – autumn for fewer crowds

How long should you stay?

While a day trip from Sydney is possible, staying at least 2 nights allows you to experience the South Coast’s relaxed pace.

Weekend (2 nights): Perfect for exploring 1-2 towns (Kiama + Berry, or Kiama + Gerringong). Enough time for the blowhole, coastal walk, Berry cafes, and a beach swim.

Long weekend (3 nights): Ideal for exploring all three towns – Kiama’s natural attractions, Berry’s restaurants and boutiques, and Gerringong’s beaches.

Week or longer: Extend south to Jervis Bay (2.5 hours), Ulladulla, or Batemans Bay for a South Coast road trip combining the accessible northern towns with further destinations.

Which South Coast town should you visit?

The South Coast offers distinct town characters within short drives of each other. Here’s how to choose your base or plan a multi-town weekend:

For seaside views and a choice of dining and accommodation options, choose Kiama. The town’s famous blowhole is worth visiting for the coastal scenery even when it isn’t particularly active (most spectacular in rough weather and high tide) and the Kiama Coastal Walk connects beaches and headlands with stunning cliff-top views from Minnamurra in the north to Gerringong in the south. Kiama offers a diverse dining scene, from casual beachside cafes to quality restaurants, and a good choice of accommodation. Everything from the blowhole to beaches and restaurants sits within easy walking or short driving distance. Kiama works for couples, foodies, families, and anyone wanting a complete South Coast experience in one location.

For foodie escapes, romantic weekends and country village charm, Berry delivers sophisticated cafe culture in a heritage setting. Located inland (15-20 minutes from nearest beaches), Berry focuses on dining, boutique shopping, and antique browsing. The compact main street hosts the famous Berry Donut Van, quality cafes, restaurants, homewares shops, and galleries – perfect for leisurely morning coffee, long lunches, and afternoon browsing. Berry works brilliantly combined with coastal towns (base in Berry, day-trip to beaches) or as a lunch stop between Kiama and Gerringong. Perfect for couples, foodies, and anyone seeking country atmosphere with coastal proximity.

For families and quiet seekers, Gerringong provides a quiet and relaxed coastal experience. Werri Beach offers gentle waves perfect for learner surfers and families, as well as an ocean pool and lagoon for young swimmers. Even in summer, the town maintains a peaceful coastal atmosphere. Gerringong works for families seeking calm beaches, couples wanting quiet coastal escapes, and value-conscious travellers (accommodation and dining are affordable).

For endless beach walks and quiet escapes, Gerroa sits at the northern end of Seven Mile Beach with even more relaxed atmosphere than Gerringong. The beach stretches for kilometres, perfect for long walks, while the headland offers gorgeous coastal views. Gerroa works for those seeking quiet and beachside simplicity.

For rainforest meets ocean, Minnamurra marks the northern start of the Kiama Coastal Walk and offers proximity to both beaches and the Minnamurra Rainforest. The area provides a quieter alternative to central Kiama while keeping coastal attractions easily accessible.

Other weekend-distance South Coast options: Wollongong is a commercial hub with shops, cafes and patrolled beaches and Shellharbour provides family-friendly beaches.

Exploring further south? Jervis Bay (2.5-3 hours), Ulladulla (2.5 hours), and Batemans Bay (3.5 hours) extend beyond typical weekend distance but offer brilliant destinations for longer trips.

The best South Coast weekend? Combine towns – base in Kiama for the beach and coastal walk, day-trip to Berry for lunch and shopping, visit Gerringong or Gerroa for beach variety. The 15-30 minute drives between towns make multi-town weekends easy.

This guide focuses on weekend-distance South Coast (up to 2 hours from Sydney).

Town	Best for	Known for	Vibe
Kiama	Everyone! A complete experience.	Blowhole, coastal walk, beach	Active coastal town
Berry	Foodies, shoppers, couples	Cafes, boutique shops, village charm	Classy country village
Gerringong	Families, quiet seekers	Werri Beach, coastal walk	Quiet coastal
Gerroa	Beach walkers, quiet seekers	Seven Mile Beach, Gerroa Headland	Very quiet, relaxed
Minnamurra	Nature lovers, walkers, paddleboarders	Coastal walk start, lagoon, rainforest proximity	Quiet, natural

Where to stay on South Coast

South Coast accommodation ranges from beachfront motels to boutique B&Bs and country cottages. Your choice depends on budget, whether you want beachfront or village atmosphere, and which town suits your style.

Kiama accommodation

Kiama has the widest range of options with hotel and motel style accommodation, self-catered apartments and houses. Kiama is an excellent hub for your South Coast stay as it has variety and easy access to both beaches and dining.

• See our Kiama accommodation guide for detailed reviews.
• Stayz has a range of self-catered style holiday rentals, including studio apartments, larger apartments and houses.
• Booking.com has hotel, motel and self-catering holiday rentals.

Berry accommodation

Options in Berry are more focused on country B&Bs, heritage cottages, and boutique stays. Properties range from romantic couple’s retreats to family-friendly cottages, all within or near the village. Berry is a perfect base for those prioritizing dining and village atmosphere.

• See our Berry accommodation guide for our picks.
• Stayz has a large range in Berry, both in the town itself and the surrounding countryside. This is a great option for groups looking for a larger house.
• Booking.com has a few hotel/ motel options as well as holiday homes and cottages.

Gerringong accommodation

Gerringong provides quieter beachside options with excellent value. Properties include beachfront motels, holiday houses, and budget-friendly options – perfect for families and longer stays.

• See our Gerringong accommodation guide for our detailed reviews.
• Stayz has a great range of apartments and houses, including options on Werri Beach and up the hill in the town itself.
• Booking.com has both hotel/motel style options, as well as some holiday homes and apartments.

Recommended strategy: Base in Kiama for maximum options and walkability, base in Berry for country atmosphere with coastal day trips, or base in Gerringong for peaceful beaches and budget-friendly stays.

South Coast cafes and restaurants

The South Coast dining scene varies by town – from Kiama’s diverse restaurant options to Berry’s sophisticated cafe culture and Gerringong’s casual beachside dining. Here are our top picks:

Best lunch: Silica in Kiama for excellent seafood (plus plenty of non-seafood options), gorgeous views over the ocean, a solid wine list and fabulous cocktails. There’s also a takeaway kiosk downstairs for a coffee to drink on your morning walk. 

Best meal with a view: The Hill Bar & Kitchen in Gerringong has amazing views of Werri Beach and a great selection of small tapas-style plates to share.

Best cafe culture: Berry’s main street has multiple quality options for breakfast, brunch and lunch. The village atmosphere makes cafe-hopping (in between boutique shopping) the perfect Berry activity.

Best brewery: Stoic Brewery in Gerringong has an excellent selection of beers on tap, plus burgers and bar food.

Best dinner: South on Albany in Berry offers a chef’s set menu of 3 courses. The set menu changes every couple of weeks and generally features modern Australian-style dishes featuring regional food and wine. Make sure you book in advance, especially in peak times.

The South Coast offers considerably more dining variety than these highlights suggest. Berry alone has dozens of cafes and restaurants, while Kiama’s waterfront and town centre host quality options from casual to upscale.

For complete restaurant guides including menus, specific dish recommendations, prices, and booking requirements, see our detailed town dining guides: Kiama restaurants, Berry cafes and dining, Gerringong dining.

Things to do on the South Coast

The Kiama Blowhole

This is the go-to spot in Kiama and one of the largest blowholes in the world. The blowhole is most active when strong south-easterly swells combine with high tide. It’s an easy visit with a cafe and car park nearby and it’s a short walk from town. Entry is free.

Kiama Coast Walk

The Kiama Coast Walk is a 20 km mix of paths, grass tracks and beach walks with Kiama sitting 8.5 km from the northern end. If staying in Kiama for a couple of days, you don’t need to do this all in one go. You could head north towards Minnamurra River one day – see the Minnamurra Whale Watching Platform, Cathedral Rocks and Bombo Headland. Then the next, head south towards Loves Bay and on to Gerringong with gorgeous coastal views along the way.

Walk Queen Street, Berry

Queen Street is the heart of Berry – an easily walkable strip with boutiques, bakeries and cafes. This can easily take a half a day of coffees, browsing and lunch. Homewares are a particular speciality and there are several small independent boutiques. A personal favourite is Moss Nest on Queen Street and this is a good spot to park nearby and start your wander through the shops.

Visit the beaches

The accessible South Coast offers diverse beaches from surf breaks to calm family-friendly options and endless beach walks.

Best family beaches:

• Werri Beach, Gerringong is a patrolled surf beach popular with surfers and families alike. The beach is patrolled during the week in peak summer season and the Easter school holidays, and on weekends from the end of September to the end of April. For young children who are not quite ready for waves there is an ocean pool and lagoon.
• Seven Mile Beach stretches 12.5 km from Gerroa to Shoalhaven Heads with space to find quiet spots away from any crowds. The northern end (near Gerroa) generally provides the calmest conditions and has patrolled areas in late December and January 7 days a week and weekends in February. There are rips so important to swim in the patrolled areas.
• Surf Beach, Kiama is the closest beach to town and very family-friendly and patrolled from October long weekend through to Easter. There’s a picnic area, barbecue, toilets and showers.

Best surf beaches:

• Werri Beach, Gerringong is renowned for consistent, quality waves suitable for intermediate surfers.
• Seven Mile Beach, Gerroa offers a surf school, making it excellent for learners.
• Bombo Beach, Kiama offers good waves for intermediate to advanced surfers and basalt column scenery. Popular with local surfers and less crowded during weekdays.
• Jones Beach, Kiama provides another quality surf option with beautiful coastal scenery.

Best beaches for long walks:

• Seven Mile Beach lives up to its name – this is one of NSW’s best beaches for long, uninterrupted coastal walks. Walk as far as you like with ocean on one side and coastal vegetation on the other.
• Minnamurra Beach connects to the Kiama Coastal Walk’s northern section, offering beach walking combined with cliff-top coastal paths. Less crowded than central Kiama beaches.

Perfect South Coast itineraries

2-day Kiama & Berry Escape (Foodies & couples)

Perfect for: Couples seeking coastal scenery, quality dining, and village atmosphere. People with only two days/one night to travel.

If you can arrive the afternoon before (e.g. after work), stay in Kiama, have a walk down to the beach and then cocktails and dinner at Little Betty’s.

Day 1: Kiama

• Morning: Arrive Kiama → coffee from Flower Water Salt
• Late morning: Kiama Blowhole → Kiama Coastal Walk
• Lunch: Silica
• Afternoon: Kiama beaches or continue coastal walk
• Evening: Share plates and cocktails at Miss Arda
• Stay in Kiama

Day 2: Berry

• Morning: Breakfast in Kiama at Penny Whistlers Cafe → drive to Berry (20 mins)
• Late morning: Berry village exploration → cafe culture and shopping
• Lunch: The Garden Cafe
• Afternoon: More Berry browsing (fueled by donuts from the Berry Donut Van) OR return to Kiama for final beach time
• Depart

2-day Family Beach Weekend (Gerringong base)

Perfect for: Families with children seeking calm beaches and relaxed atmosphere. People with only two days/one night to travel.

Day 1: Gerringong

• Morning: Arrive Gerringong, settle into accommodation
• Late morning: Werri Beach swimming and surfing
• Lunch: Fish & Chips on Werri Beach (Chrissy Fish & Chips)
• Afternoon: Seven Mile Beach exploration
• Evening: Relaxed family dinner in Gerringong (e.g. The Hill Bar & Kitchen)

Day 2: Kiama Day Trip

• Morning: Breakfast in Gerringong → drive to Kiama (15 mins)
• Late morning: Kiama Blowhole (kids love it!)
• Lunch: Penny Whistlers Cafe
• Afternoon: Kiama beaches OR ocean pool
• Depart

3-day South Coast Sampler (Experience all three towns)

Perfect for: First-time visitors wanting to experience the South Coast’s variety. People with 3 full days available.

Day 1: Kiama (Coastal Scenery)

• Morning: Arrive Kiama → coffee from Flower Water Salt
• Late morning: Kiama Blowhole → Kiama Coastal Walk
• Lunch: Silica
• Afternoon: Kiama beaches or continue coastal walk
• Evening: Share plates and cocktails at Miss Arda
• Stay in Kiama

Day 2: Berry (Country Escape)

• Morning: Breakfast in Kiama at Penny Whistlers Cafe → drive to Berry (20 mins)
• Late morning: Berry village exploration → cafe culture and shopping
• Lunch: The Garden Cafe
• Afternoon: More Berry browsing (fueled by donuts from the Berry Donut Van) OR return to Kiama for an afternoon swim
• Evening: Return to Kiama for dinner

Day 3: Gerringong (Quiet Beaches)

• Morning: Drive to Gerringong (15 mins from Kiama)
• Late morning: Swim at Werri Beach
• Lunch: Fish & Chips on Werri Beach (Chrissy Fish & Chips)
• Afternoon: Final beach time or coastal drive
• Depart

Customise your itinerary: These are starting points – the South Coast’s short distances (15-30 mins between towns) make it easy to adjust based on weather, interests, or spontaneous discoveries. Rough seas? The blowhole is more active. Perfect surf? Spend more time at Werri Beach. Rainy day? Berry’s cafes and shops are mostly undercover.

Best time to visit the South Coast

Summer: Peak season with warmest water, busiest beaches (especially weekends and school holidays), and highest accommodation prices. Book 1-2 months ahead. Best for: Swimming, beach holidays, warm weather, family beach time.

Autumn: Excellent time with warm days, still-swimmable water, significantly fewer crowds, and better value. Spring and autumn are perfect weather for the Kiama Coastal Walk. Best for: Comfortable weather, fewer tourists, good value, pleasant coastal walks.

Winter: Quietest season with cool weather, off-season rates, and the blowhole at its most spectacular (big winter swells). Whale watching season (June-August peak). Water too cold for most swimmers. Best for: Whale watching, active blowhole displays, winter coastal walks, cosy Berry cafes, budget-friendly rates.

Spring: Beautiful shoulder season with warming weather, blooming flowers, late whale watching (early spring), and fewer crowds than summer. Water still cool but warming. Best for: Pleasant weather, spring blooms, value pricing, comfortable walking weather.

Year-round appeal: The South Coast works any season – winter’s rough seas make the blowhole spectacular, summer offers swimming and beach life, shoulder seasons provide the best value and excellent weather for walking.

How to get there

From Sydney:

Driving: 1.5-2 hours from Sydney via Princes Motorway, M1 (131 km)

Specific routes:

• Kiama: 1.5-2 hours via M1, exit at Kiama (well signposted)
• Berry: 1.5-2 hours via M1, exit Gerringong/Berry, follow signs inland to Berry
• Gerringong: 2 hours via M1, exit Gerringong

Train: Services run from Sydney Central to Kiama station (approximately 2 hours), with the station located within walking distance of the town centre and blowhole. Berry has a train station but it’s less convenient for the main village. Gerringong has no station – Kiama is the nearest. Trains work well for Kiama-only trips but a car is recommended for exploring multiple towns.

From Canberra:

Driving: 2 hours 45 minutes – 3 hours (219 km)

Local transport

While the town centres are walkable, you’ll need a car to easily travel between them.

Local travel tips

• Visit multiple towns in one weekend: The 15-30 minute drives make visiting Kiama, Berry, and Gerringong in 2-3 days very achievable. If you have time, drive from Gerringong to Berry via Crooked River Road and then Beach Road for some gorgeous country scenery.
• Choose your base strategically: Kiama for the most dining and accommodation options, Berry for village atmosphere, Gerringong for quiet beaches and budget value.
• Book summer accommodation early: 1-2 months ahead for summer weekends and school holidays.
• Berry parking: Can be tight on weekends. Arrive before 10am or park on the side streets and walk, or walk from your accommodation.
• Kiama Coastal Walk: You can do as much or as little as you like of this walk. If time (or motivation!) is limited then walk north or south from Kiama and return.
• Berry lunch bookings: Popular cafes and restaurants fill on weekends. Be sure to book ahead or arrive early for lunch
• Beach surf conditions: Conditions vary and some beaches have strong rips so be sure to swim between the flags on patrolled beaches. Before you go, check the beachsafe website to see when the beaches are patrolled.
• Pack layers: Coastal winds can be cool even on warm days, especially for coastal walks.