You could easily miss South West Rocks. Located between Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour, this small coastal town has one pub, one school, a couple of bakeries and fewer than 5,000 residents. But despite its size, South West Rocks has established an impressive reputation as a premium diving spot, camping haven and fishing mecca. It’s where the beach stretches for miles, time becomes irrelevant and the beer is always cold.
If you’re planning an affordable getaway (maybe for this Easter), then look no further. Here’s our guide to South West Rocks.
Eat
Malt & Honey
Only a stone’s throw from the beach, Malt & Honey offers light bites, fresh juices and coffee. There’s also a full menu with a selection of breakfast classics, all reasonably priced. The cafe’s big, open space overlooks the local park and beach. Check out the boutique next door if you fancy a bit of window-shopping.
3/13 Livingstone Street, South West Rocks
Sixty Degrees
From 7am to 10am Six Degrees serves a great DIY breaky. Eggs, poached, fried, scrambled? Served with bacon, avocado, salmon or tomato? The choice is all yours. If you’re struggling to decide, Six Degrees also has a fruit plate, bircher, breakfast pizza and baked goods on offer. From 11am there’s a choice of burgers and fresh sandwiches.
Shop 3, 1/7 Prince of Wales Avenue, South West Rocks
Chillati Gelato
Choose from a range of traditional gelato and sorbet flavours or treat yourself to a milkshake – everything is home made from local produce. This small shop is ideally located a short walk from the beach, so pay up and take your cone down to the sand before it melts!
31 Livingstone Street, South West Rocks
Drink
Seabreeze Beach Hotel
The Seabreeze is the lifeblood of South West Rocks. It’s where young, old, locals and out-of-towners all come together for a hearty pub feed and local brews. Both the menu and the bar champion fresh local produce. On tap, you’ll find a rotating selection of local craft beers and the menu changes every few months. Owned by the crew behind The Glenmore and The Australian, Seabreeze has been operating since the 1970s. The open front veranda is a perfect spot for a Sunday sesh.
Cnr of Livingstone Street and Prince of Wales Avenue, South West Rocks
Play
Crafts on the Coast
The inaugural Crafts on the Coast kicked off earlier this month with seven local brewers from around the region participating. Over the two-day event, visitors could purchase tasting tokens to sample a selection of brews and have a chat with the makers. Live entertainment and a limited-edition menu complimented the event, rounding off with a ‘Brewers Dinner.’ The degustation dinner featured seven courses, each uniquely matched with an accompanying beer featured at the event. Think crispy pork & apple cider, snapper & pale ale or succulent duck & dark ale.
Crafts on the Coast is an annual event hosted at The Seabreeze Hotel.
Trial Bay Gaol
Experience Australian history with a self-guided tour around the historic ruins of the Trial Bay Gaol. The gaol was originally constructed in 1886. Since then it has housed convict prison labourers and suspected German sympathisers during World War I. To reach the Gaol, take a 3km walk along the beach from the town centre towards Trial Bay headland. The Gaol is open to visitors from 9am to 4.30pm daily and an entry fee applies. The site also features a campground.
1 Cardwell St, South West Rocks
Sydney to South West Rocks is a six-hour drive. Alternatively, Virgin charters daily flights to Port Macquarie. From Port Macquarie, the drive to South West Rocks is less than one hour.
South West Rocks Visitors Centre
Boatman’s Cottage No.1, South West Rocks, NSW
1800 642 480