Welcome to The Wanderbug, a travel blog written for humans, by a human. I'm Genevieve, and every guide is personally written by me and based on my firsthand travel experiences.
Narooma is one of the most beautiful coastal towns on the South Coast of New South Wales, beloved for its pristine turquoise waters, abundant marine life including seals and migrating whales, and its top-quality rock oysters, which are prized in premium restaurants around Australia.
Located in the Eurobodalla region of South Coast NSW, Narooma is a 5-hour drive south of Sydney & a 2.5-hour drive from Canberra. Just north of the Sapphire Coast, a few days in Narooma is perfect as part of a NSW coastal road trip to other popular destinations like Merimbula (90 minutes), Mollymook (1 hr 40 mins) or Jervis Bay (2 hrs 20 minutes).
Narooma is absolutely stunning, and has enough to see, do & eat to make it the perfect coastal destination in its own right. It was one of my absolute favourite spots that I visited when we drove the entire way along the NSW coastline recently, which is no small feat considering how many beautiful beach towns we visited!
I’ve rounded up the 10 best things to do in Narooma, to help you plan your own coastal getaway to this coastal Australian gem. I’d recommend spending at least 2 days in Narooma, but you’ll find it a very relaxing place to linger for longer.
For more NSW road trip & holiday ideas, check out my post about the best places to visit in New South Wales.
1. The Oyster Farmers Daughter
Narooma is part of New South Wales’ oyster coast, which produces some of the best oysters in Australia. One of the best places to enjoy oysters in Narooma is at the incredibly scenic outdoor restaurant, the The Oyster Farmers Daughter, an oyster bar on the shaded banks of the Wagonga Inlet.
Located between the pristine, turquoise waters of the Wagonga Inlet and the Coxon family’s working oyster shed, this is the best place in Narooma to try fresh rock oysters, alongside a more extensive menu of fresh, flavourful dishes. You might even see the oyster farmers at work, raising oysters out of the water, or hear them shucking from inside the large shed, next to the restaurant.
Even if you’re not an oyster fan, the menu offers plenty of other fresh & delicious options, and the tranquil waterside location is hard to beat!
2. Spot fur seals at Seal Rocks
Narooma is home of one of Australia’s largest fur seal colonies, which lives on Montague Island off the coast of Narooma. Many of these seals will spend the day sunning themselves on Seal Rocks in Narooma, which is part of the series of breakwall between the ocean and the lagoon in Narooma.
This is a great spot to see fur seals quite close up, and is the closest I’ve come to fur seals anywhere in Australia.
3. Bar Rock Lookout & Australia Rock
Some of the most beautiful views in Narooma can be found at Bar Rock Lookout, which looks over the breakwalls and back towards the the crystal-clear, turquoise waters of Narooma’s lagoon. From here, it’s a few flights of stairs down to the breakwall and Australia Rock, which is a natural rock formation with a hole in the middle which looks pretty close to the outline of Australia!
You can visit Bar Rock Lookout & Australia Rock at the same time as Seal Rocks.
4. Quarterdeck
The hottest reservation in Narooma is Quarterdeck, perched over the water on the Wagonga Inlet.
Quarterdeck has been a Narooma institution for more than 20 years, and is now owned by Sydney hospitality billionaire Justin Hemmes. The menu is very fresh & flavourful, with Mexican and Caribbean influences and tiki-inspired cocktails. It’s a very popular spot, so reservations are essential – even in off season!
We went for dinner, which was great, but if you can snag a lunch reservation you’ll enjoy water views.
5. Go whale watching
Narooma is one of many spots along the South Coast that offers excellent whale watching, with peak season falling between September and November. Whale watching tours from Narooma travel around Montague Island, with mothers and calves appearing later in the season.
In Narooma, you’re most likely to see humpback whales and southern right whales, but there are also chances of seeing minke whales and orcas!
Whale watching is my absolute favourite wildlife experience in Australia, if you haven’t been before, it’s definitely one to add to your bucket list. Whales are truly majestic creatures and to see one in the wild is an awe-inspiring experience that will stay with you for a lifetime.
6. Rent a cabin with ocean views
Narooma has a range of accommodation options, but I think we really lucked out with our stay at Surf Beach Holiday Park in Narooma. This holiday park offers the closest accommodation to a beach in Narooma, and has cabins, as well as powered and unpowered camp sites and amenities blocks.
We stayed in a cabin, which had ocean views from the deck, and was incredibly well-priced given the views – it was so lovely ending each day with a cold drink on the deck, watching the sunset and the waves. During whale watching season, you might even spot a whale!
View rates & availability at Surf Beach Holiday Park
7. Honorbread
Honorbread is one of the best bakeries on the South Coast, with locations in Narooma, Bermagui and Moruya. We visited the Narooma outpost several times, because there were so many delicious things we wanted to try!
Honorbread is known for their sourdough, classic pastries and cinnamon buns, but there are a handful of rotating seasonal pastries to try as well – my favourite was a pastry with goats cheese & pomegranate seeds. They also stock Tilba Dairy’s jersey milk, which is absolutely delicious.
It’s the best spot to start your day in Narooma, with a coffee & a pastry.
8. Central Tilba
Just 15 minutes’ driven from Narooma, Central Tilba is one of the most charming country towns in New South Wales and a great spot to spend a morning while you’re visiting Narooma.
Part of NSW’s lush dairy belt, the scenic drive to Central Tilba is through rolling hills and farmland, before reaching a beautifully preserved historic village.
Don’t miss Tilba Dairy, where you can pick up incredible cheese & dairy products made on-site, the Tilba Tea Pot Cafe and the Tilba Sweet Spot, which is an old fashioned lolly shop.
9. Glasshouse Rocks
The 500-million year old Glasshouse Rocks are one of the most photographed spots on the Eurobodalla Coast, and a site of significant geological significance.
For views of Glasshouse Rocks, drive up to the headland alongside at the Narooma Cemetery, which has views over the beach and the rocks.
10. Narooma Oyster Festival
Every May, Narooma swells as oyster farmers, chefs and foodies come together for the annual Narooma Oyster Festival. The 2027 festival dates have been set for May 7-9, 2027, with the program yet to be announced.
Narooma is in the heart of rock oyster country, which produces the famed New South Wales rock oysters which are prized on premium restaurant menus across Australia. Rock oysters are known for their creaminess, and are quite rare, accounting for only 1% of oysters produced around the world and only growing in the wild along this 1500-km stretch of Australia’s east coast.
Further Reading
Hello! I’m an Australian travel blogger, living in Melbourne, Australia. I grew up in Brisbane, studied in Paris, lived in New York City and now live back in Australia, in Melbourne.
I love sharing specific and useful recommendations, itineraries and guides for the most beautiful things to see, do, experience & eat wherever I go.
My favourite travel destinations are Australia, New York City & surrounds, France, Greece & Japan, but I’m always excited to explore somewhere new!
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