About The Sapphire Coast

The Sapphire Coast is located on the Far South Coast of New South Wales approximately 420km south of Sydney, 225 km south east of Canberra and 615 km north east of Melbourne, on the Princes Hwy.

The coastline extends from Bermagui in the north to the Victorian border on the south and like much of the East Coast of NSW lies on a fertile coastal plain bounded by mountainous national parks to the west.

The Sapphire Coast is an ideal place to find a "tree" or a "sea" change with many families enjoying the relatively low cost of living coupled with idyllic settings of both coastal townships, inland townships and accessible rural and semi rural land.

At the 2001 Census the population of the Bega Valley Shire was 32,431 people. It is expected to grow steadily over the coming 10 years.

The major townships are Bermagui, Bega, Tathra, Merimbula, Pambula / Pambula Beach and Eden. Approximately 78% of the regional population lives in these urban centres as well as Cobargo, Bombala and Bemboka.

Local Tourism

Being a coastal community with strong rural - urban links the Sapphire Coast economy depends on tourism particularly during the busy warmer months. Tourists come to the region mainly from Victoria and the Tablelands / ACT. Access from the north and south is via the Princes Hwy with easy access up Brown Mountain from Cooma, the ACT and South Western NSW.

Some of the more famous local attractions include Whale and Dolphin watching, fishing, one of many quiet beaches, hinterland rain forests and crafts and cottage industries found in many of the townships.

Local Industry

It is hard to mention Bega and not think of Bega Cheese. The coastline is well known for its dairy industry with tourism forming the largest industry employer in the region. There is some activity in the timber industry. Locally there is a growth in home-based service industries as communication continues to improve and the need to businesses to service clients face to face decreases.

Getting There

Access to the Sapphire Coast is limited to road, air and sea.

Road:

From Sydney - Princes Hwy along the coast
From Melbourne - Princes Hwy along the coast
From Canberra / Cooma - Snowy Mountains Hwy from the north west
Preferred access from Sydney is via the Hume Freeway and Federal Highway through Canberra

Air:

Air services operate regularly to Sydney and Melbourne and other regional centres from the region's main commercial airport at Merimbula. This airport is located close to accommodation and the townships of Merimbula and Pambula.

Sea:

There are numerous ports and small harbours along the Sapphire Coast.