Looking south across Crooked River and Seven Mile Beach

Gerroa and Seven Mile Beach
Sleepy holiday town at the northern end of the long and peaceful Seven Mile Beach
Gerroa is located 130 km south of Sydney via the Princes Highway. Once a popular retreat for various religious orders much of the land in the area is still owned by various churches although in recent times a combination of commuters, from both Nowra and Wollongong and retirees and holidaymakers have seen the town grow rapidly. Its location on the southern side of a hill makes it very vulnerable to the southerlies which blow up the coast.

The first Europeans to set foot in the area were probably the survivors of the wreck of the Sydney Cove who, in 1797, made their way from Preservation Island in Bass Strait to Sydney. Only three of an initial seventeen survived the ordeal. Their reports prompted George Bass to undertake a southern voyage of exploration later that year. He sailed alongside Seven Mile Beach and crossed the shoals at the entrance to the Crookhaven river which he named the Shoalhaven.

The beach became a venue for horseracing as early as the 1860s and, later for car and bike races. With this history it is not surprising that it was the site upon which the speed of 100 m.p.h. was first attained, on land, in Australia. Gold was reputedly discovered amidst its black sand in 1894.

In 1933 Seven Mile Beach was used by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith as the runway for the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. Flares were lit upon the beach to mark out the runway and several thousand people came from Sydney and the local area to witness the 2.30 am take-off, turning on their car headlights to provide the aviators with extra illumination.

A cement Southern Cross at Kingsford Smith Park

Things to see:  

Seven Mile Beach National Park
Gerroa lies at the northern end of Seven Mile Beach National Park, a stretch of coastline that extends south to Shoalhaven Heads. The National Park is no more than 1.2 km across at its widest and is bordered by swampland to the west. The area is used extensively for studying the characteristics and development of sand dunes and their vegetation. Radiating outwards from the beach are spinifex, coast wattle, tea-tree, coast banksia, and a hinterland forest of she-oaks, bangalay, saw banksia, southern mahogany and burrawangs.

There is also a large bird population in the district, including honeyeaters, currawongs, crimson rosellas, thornbills, kookaburras, ravens, grey fantails, eastern whipbirds and white-0throated treecreepoers, and the occasional white-breasted sea eagle.

Fishermen on Seven Mile Beach

Seven Mile Beach is also noted for the availability of whiting in the summer months as well as flathead, mulloway, salmon and tailor. There are two walking tracks south of the main picnic area which lead inland to the woodland boundary. There is a bush camping area with limited facilities at the northern end of the park. Camping in any other area is not permitted but there is plenty of accomodation in the vicinity.

Kingsford Smith Memorial Park
The historic Kingsford Smith journey from Seven Mile Beach to New Zealand is commemorated by the Kingsford Smith memorial and lookout. These can be found at the top of the hill at the intersection of Headlands Drive and Crooked River Road. The lookout offers panoramic views over Seven Mile National Park. The memorial consists of a small pillar and plaque and a flat, two-dimensional concrete rendering of Kingsford Smith's aeroplane, the Southern Cross. (3/4 size).

Crooked River Estuary
At Gerroa Crooked River reaches the sea. The estuary is a good spot for prawns, bream and flathead. It is the combination of river, flat beach, safe swimming and fishing prospects that has made the township a popular place for family outings. For the more adventurous there is also surfing, windsurfing and, further upstream, canoeing. A pleasant picnic area with swings, toilets and barbeque has been established with access to the beach via a footbridge. To get there turn off Crooked River Road down Headland Drive and take the right at the stop sign down Riverleigh Avenue.

Black Head rock platform

Black Head
At the end of Stafford St is Black Head. There is a car park and tracks leading to the rock platform below. This is a popular and well-established site for geography and geology excursions. It has one of the best displays of fossils on the coast. Breaking or removing the rocks is forbidden. All you have to do is know what you're looking for - there are plenty of examples of tree fossils and, if you look carefully, you will see small sea creatures.

The rock platform is said to be ideal for catching tuna, kingfish, snapper, drummer, trevally, salmon, tailor and groper. However, be careful, as the waves can be dangerous.

	Cottages & Cabins
	Sundance Lodge 9 Park Rd Gerroa NSW 2534 Telephone: (02) 4234 2065 Facsimile: (02) 4234 2065 Rating: ****
	Caravan Parks
	Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park Seven Mile Beach Rd Gerroa NSW 2534 Telephone: (02) 4234 1340 Facsimile: (02) 4234 2650 Rating: ***1/2
	Gerroa Shores Holiday Park Crooked River Rd Gerroa NSW 2534 Telephone: (02) 4234 1233 Facsimile: (02) 4234 1140 Rating: **1/2
	Restaurants
	Seahorse Restaurant (Gerroa Boat Fishermans Club Fern St Gerroa NSW 2534 Telephone: (02) 4234 1004
	Cafés
	Seahaven Cafe 19 Riverleigh Ave Gerroa NSW 2534 Telephone: (02) 4234 3796