Top Towns for 2022: Where to eat, stay and play in Merimbula

Carla GrossettiBy Carla Grossetti
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This attractive seaside town is full of surprises and a top spot to create fab family memories, hence its position at no.29 on your list of Top 50 Aussie Towns.

Find the complete list of the Top 50 Aussie Towns here.

There’s a real charge in the atmosphere in Merimbula. It’s full of van lifers, surfers and grey nomads, and children enjoying the type of holiday their parents knew, all of which adds layers to the region’s appeal.

Sit down by the sea for long enough and you’re likely to see a dad chasing one of his charges up the beach. A game of cricket underway. And straggly-haired surfers with furrowed brows, squinting at the galvanised sea.

Over the past few years, this pretty little town on the NSW Sapphire Coast has emerged in the collective Australian consciousness as a captivating place to visit. While it has long been bookmarked by Victorians and Canberrans as a top spot for a beach holiday, an influx of young creative types who have travelled around the world and back have injected a bit of big-city sophistication to Merimbula.

Here is our guide to some of the best places to eat, stay and play in Merimbula.

Interior of Valentina Merimbula.
Fall in love with Valentina. (Image: David Rogers Photography)

Eating there

Valentina is a destination diner. Plug it into your Navman and point your car towards the centre of the seaside village where you will be joined by an invading army of well-travelled foodies in this elegant dining room that has helped put modern-day Merimbula on the map.

Sister venue Dulcie’s Cottage also connects visitors with the local food and drink scene, as does bright and wholesome Mormors cafe . Newcomer Kitty’s Bar within Club Sapphire is the place to listen to live music, enjoy a few spritzers at sunset and roll up for a game of barefoot bowls.

Breakfast food at Mormors cafe Merimbula
Eat healthy, tasty fare at Mormors. (Image: David Rogers Photography)

Staying there

There are 30 rooms at Hillcrest Merimbula , which you can book independently or with a group of friends. The reimagined motel is set at the curve of a hill overlooking Merimbula and its stylistically simple, standing out like a beacon against a vast blue sky.

The nearby Coast Resort Merimbula has also been curated with a coastal chill vibe. There’s a mix of townhouses, penthouses and privately owned apartments arranged around a curvy pool on the peninsula between Merimbula Lake and Merimbula Beach.

The sandbar and inlet leading to Merimbula Lake
The sandbar and inlet leading to Merimbula Lake is a must-see.

Playing there

The marine life in Merimbula is fantastic and the location so beautiful and rugged you will want to get out and explore it. Surf the string of breaks that necklace the coastline, head off from Mitchies Jetty on a stand-up paddleboard, or go on a multi-day walk with Sapphire Coast Guiding Co while the moon is as bright as a street lamp above.

Find rustic oyster shacks along the Sapphire Coast Oyster Trail , go whale watching with Sapphire Coastal Adventures or take a scenic flight with Merimbula Air Services to see the craggy coastline from above and understand the sheer magic of Merimbula.

Explore more of Merimbula in our travel guide or find out which other towns made it into your Top 50.
Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
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8 ways to discover a new side of Port Stephens

    Kate BettesBy Kate Bettes
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    Aussies might think they know what Port Stephens is all about – but it’s time to take another look.

    You might’ve driven through this NSW coast town. Maybe even stopped for fish and chips or a quick dip. But spend a long weekend in the new Port Stephens , and you’ll seriously regret not doing it sooner. We’re talking treks across beaches, reef dives and up-close time with rescued koalas.

    All in all? It only takes a day before you see Port Stephens in a whole new light, and not much longer until it’s locked in as your favourite family destination.

    1. Stockton Sand Dunes

    Port Stephens incredible Stockton Sand Dunes are the largest moving sand mass in the Southern Hemisphere. They shift like an endless magic trick across the Worimi Conservation Lands , a 4200-hectare coastal co-managed by the Traditional Owners.

    Tear over them in a 4WD. Rev through valleys soft as melting ice cream on a quad. Carve down 30-metre slopes on a sandboard. However you choose to cross them, you’re guaranteed a seriously wild ride.

    Four rugged 4WDs kick up trails of golden dust as they charge across the sweeping desert landscape.
    Chase thrills across shifting sands. (Image: Destination NSW)

    2. Scale Tomaree Head Summit Walk

    A short climb through bushland opens up to the coastal drama of Tomaree Head . Spot Zenith, Wreck and Box Beaches. See the Fingal Island lighthouse and offshore rookeries where Australia’s rarest seabird, the Gould’s petrel, nests.

    History buffs can’t miss the WWII gun emplacements. And if you’re hiking between May and November, bring binoculars. Travelling whales might just be breaching below.

    Friends enjoying a scenic walk along the Tomaree Head Summit Walk in Tomaree National Park, Port Stephens.
    Climb Tomaree Head for jaw-dropping coastal views. (Image: Destination NSW)

    3. Watch out for whales

    You’ve seen the spouts of migrating humpbacks and southern right whales from shore. Set sail from Nelson Bay to see them up close. Cruise straight into the action, with tail-slaps, barrel rolls and all.

    And they’ve got competition from the local show-offs. Port Stephens bottlenose dolphins leap and play. Some tours even spot pudgy fur seals, spending lazy days soaking up the sun on Cabbage Tree Island.

    A whale’s tail on the sea’s surface.
    Watch for ocean tails. (Image: Destination NSW)

    4. Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary

    Pop into the Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary  to learn about the rescued koalas who climb, nap, snack and heal in this natural patch of bushland. Wander the immersive Sanctuary Story Walk to discover more about their habits, then head to the SKYwalk – a treetop platform constructed for spotting these eucalyptus-loving locals. Peek into the hospital’s viewing window, where sick or injured koalas may be resting in their recovery enclosures.

    Not enough time around these adorable marsupials? Stay overnight in silk-lined glamping tents.

    Koala sleeping in a tree at Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary, One Mile
    See koalas in their natural habitat. (Image: Destination NSW)

    5. Diving Port Stephens

    Port Stephens has some of NSW’s best dive spots. At Fly Point, float through sponge gardens and coral castles thick with nudibranchs (AKA sea slugs). Halifax Park has blue gropers and crimson-banded wrasse, while Shoal Bay’s seagrass meadows hide pipefish, cuttlefish and octopus.

    Accessible only by boat, Broughton Island is home to a vast array of marine (and bird) life. Snorkel with blue devilfish and stingrays at sites like The Looking Glass and North Rock. More experienced divers can head out with one of the many PADI-certified operators.

    At nearby Cabbage Tree Island, expect to see shaggy-faced wobbegongs cruising along.

    A couple suited up and ready to dive into adventure.
    Suit up and dive into Port Stephens’ vibrant marine life. (Image: Destination NSW)

    6. Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters

    Not quite ready to dive in? Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters is the perfect way to spot local marine life without getting too deep. But there’s no obnoxious glass tank tapping here. Instead, this interactive aquarium allows guests to wade into natural-style lagoons that mimic the real thing.

    Gently pat Port Jackson and bamboo sharks, hand-feed rays, and feel their sandpapery skin with your fingertips. It is all under expert guidance. If you want to go deeper, pop on a wetsuit and swim alongside tawny nurse sharks, white-tipped reef sharks and zebra sharks in the lagoon.

    Family enjoying an animal feeding experience at Irukandji Shark and Ray Encounters, Anna Bay.
    Meet the ocean’s friendliest faces at Irukandji. (Image: Destination NSW)

    7. Fish the estuaries

    Fishing fanatics will fall for Port Stephens hook, line and sinker. Here, one of the largest estuary systems in the whole state sees tidal rivers and mangrove ecosystems. Waterfronts are thick with oysters, and residential fish that might include anything from bream, whiting and flathead, to blue swimmer crabs, kingfish and longtail tuna.

    If you prefer to choose your own adventure and fish offshore, you can hire a boat from one of the marinas and set your own course.

    three men fishing on a boat in port stephens
    Join a tour or chart your own fishing trip. (Image: Destination NSW)

    8. Taste new Port Stephens flavours

    With plenty of activity to fill your days, refuelling on delectable cuisine becomes equally important. And Port Stephens answers the call.

    Pop into Holbert’s Oyster Farm for fresh-farmed Port Stephens rock oysters and Pacific oysters, Australian king and tiger prawns, as well as a variety of tasty sauces to try them with.

    Take a group to Atmos for an authentic Greek experience over large shared dishes and Greek-inspired cocktails. Or feast on sea-to-plate, modern Australian dishes at the pet-friendly Restaurant 2317.

    A plate of fresh oysters.
    Slurp your way through the region’s best oysters. (Image: Destination NSW)

    Start planning your Port Stephens getaway at portstephens.org.au .