From foraging festivals, swimming with seals and whale-watching adventures to mountain-biking, booming art events and bountiful local producers, the Eurobodalla region is a traveller’s paradise all year long.

With azure beaches and lush, mountainous bushland, this pristine pocket of the NSW South Coast and the towns of the Eurobodalla Shire punch above their weight year-round. Come for the oysters and the coastline – and its prime whale-watching spots during the annual migrations – and stay for the local hospitality, hidden bushwalks and artistic adventures.

Eurobodalla in autumn: A long weekend in Mossy Point, Broulee and Moruya

One thing you can’t miss: spotting whales from land or sea during the northern migration

Base yourself at the luxurious Oaks Ranch, where 300 acres of private bushland (65 per cent of which is dedicated to conservation efforts) in Mossy Point are the perfect backdrop for seasonal stillness. Watch migratory birds zoom through whistling gum trees from the private deck of your self-contained villa (when you’re not doing laps in the onsite magnesium pool, that is), then settle in for dinner at onsite restaurant Arlo, where confit duck and local fish are served inside the hacienda-style Spanish Mission lodge. There’s complimentary yoga on Saturday mornings and access to the onsite nine-hole Greg Norman-designed golf course all week long.

Autumn marks the northern migration of humpback whales, who trek along this coastline during May. From Oaks, it’s an 18-minute drive to Batemans Bay, where Batemans Bay Wild’s two-hour whale-watching tours depart daily, and a further 30-minute drive north to Meroo Head Lookout in Meroo National Park, one of the best land-sighting spots. Closer to the hotel, you’re in for a show at the Mossy Point Anchor Lookout or at Moruya Heads Lookout, 30 minutes south.

While you’re in Moruya, a historic riverside town that’s as famous for its granite as it is the Tuesday SAGE Farmers Market, pick up a treat at The Farmer’s Wife and pack it for waterside snacking at the Historic Quarry Park, which sits on the edge of the Moruya River and features a boardwalk with informative placards. The area’s granite was used for the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons so it has some cred.

Spend the afternoon with Brinja-Yuin/Walbanga Elder Patricia Ellis, whose two-hour Minga Aboriginal Culture Tour walk reveals the First Nations stories and bush-food knowledge along a stretch of the Bingi Dreaming Track. FYI: the whole 13.5-kilometre track is worthy of a wander in its own right.

Dedicate half a day to the resilient 42-hectare Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden, which suffered devastation during the 2019 bushfires. The spacious, well-nurtured gardens feature winding walkable paths and more than 2000 species of carefully collected plants. Volunteers run free guided walks on the first Sunday of the month. Afterwards, head south to Broulee for a swim at protected Tomakin Cove or surf-friendly Broulee Beach before jalapeno poppers and stacked burgers at the Broulee Brewhouse.

On your final day, stop in at the Mossy Cafe in Mossy Point for breakfast before renting a kayak from the Boat Shed to explore the winding Tomaga River and meet its resident stingrays.

Eurobodalla in winter: four days in Bingie, Bodalla and Narooma

One thing you can’t miss: a scoop of gumleaf-smoked, macadamia-studded ice-cream in the town where Australia’s dairy industry began

Stay at the fully self-contained Somnium at Bingie, where a Main House and separate Barn offer accommodation for up to 15 people and frogs sing from a 3000-square-metre wetland. Soak up the winter sun from the lounge, watch the sky through expansive windows overlooking Mount Gulaga, and cosy up by the outdoor firepit as kangaroos bound past at dusk – marshmallows included. These architecturally-designed residences utilise passive-solar design to capture warmth regardless of the season.

You’re only a 20-minute drive from Bodalla and a 35-minute drive to Narooma. Tuross Heads’ nine-hole golf course – and lawn bowls’ green – at Club Tuross enjoys water views, too. The views from the 4th and 5th holes come highly recommended.

While fanatics descend on Narooma for the annual eponymous oyster festival in May, bivalves abound year-round at The Oyster Farmers Daughter, which offers shucked shells alongside wild caught Skull Island tiger prawns and local flathead tacos. Farmgates, including Oyster Pro and Narooma Bridge Seafoods, a family-run establishment where the day’s catch stars in the deli counter, are within short drives of each other. (If you’re happy to shuck your own, check out Montague Oysters, too.) Spend the day travelling between leases and meeting the locals, before dinner at Narooma’s Quarterdeck restaurant.

Pop back to Narooma on another day to explore Barunguba / Montague Island, a nature reserve that is only accessible on a tour. The island features a granite lighthouse, more than 90 species of birds and resident seal and penguin colonies; there’s a whole population below the waterline, too, including dolphins and fur seals. Meet the locals on a snorkelling tour with Montague Island Adventures or Underwater Safaris.

In Bodalla, you can’t go past the Bodalla Dairy Shed. This part of the world is where Australia’s first commercial cheese was produced. Grab a scoop of gumleaf-smoked ice-cream or a lime milkshake to lick while watching the calves. For something stronger, visit husband-and-wife-run Malt Man Brewing. The 3.5-kilometre Bodalla Historic Town Walk is perfect for an afternoon stroll and finishes at the Bodalla Pub, which was established in 1877.

Eurobodalla in spring: a short holiday in Batemans Bay, Batehaven and Mogo

One thing you can’t miss: eating freshly shucked oysters from the comfort of your private kayak on a Clyde River paddling experience

Whether you’re travelling solo, on a romantic trip away, or catering to a crowd, Casita – a retro-inspired modern motel across the road from Batehaven’s gentle Corrigans Beach Reserve – is a must. Each suite has a full kitchen, complimentary beach towels and all the mod-cons, but the rooftop Alto suite enjoys a sun-drenched patio, barbecue and room for five.

It’s a 15-minute walk from Casita to the starting point of the Munjip Trail, a 15-kilometre scenic route that reaches down to McKenzies Beach via sparkling Malua Bay and a lookout at Denhams Beach.

In the other direction, the Batemans Bay foreshore – about seven minutes from Casita by car – comes to life in late November for the Crank It Up Festival, a three-day homage to rock ‘n’ roll. Bounce along to country music, blues ballads and rockabilly favourites from Australian and international artists. Classic cars descend on Batemans for the festival too, with the main street closed off for two days to show off the hotrods in all their splendour. (Keen to go south? The River of Art festival runs across Moruya – 24 minutes south of Batehaven – for 11 days from late September, showcasing open studios, galleries and workshops from Durras to Cobargo. Moruya is the centre, and the town’s Mechanics Institute is where the River Art Prize is awarded at the event’s culmination.)

You’re still in coastal country, though, so make the most of the warming weather and explore the Batemans Bay Snorkelling Trail, which encompasses three distinct destinations for spotting sea life and leafy seaweed forests.

Prefer to enjoy the water without getting wet? Region X offers one-of-a-kind gourmet kayak experiences on the Clyde River. Pick your spot in the double kayak, glide through the Clyde River National Park and meet an oyster farmer – then sample freshly shucked bivalves – before returning to the Oyster Shed at Batemans Bay.

On your way out of town, pop into Mogo’s Wildlife Park to meet zebras and towering giraffes. If you’re keen on a two-wheel adventure, take your pick from 72-purpose-built tracks over 125 kilometres of parkland at Mogo Trails. (If you’re especially fond of mountain-biking, return for the Sea Otter Festival, which runs in October.) Swap stories of the routes over mandarin gin at Foxdog Distillery, or during a free guided tour of the property.

Of course you can visit Eurobodalla in summer too, but there’s something extra special about exploring these South Coast towns in the off-season.