Batemans Bay is beautiful, but it also has a hidden trump card up its sleeve; Cullendulla Creek Nature Reserve. Sugar gliders slip between the trees, echidnas forage in the undergrowth, oystercatchers and soldier crabs stalk across the sand, and black swans frolic in the bay.

Visitors will find the activities just as rich as the wildlife, with plenty to keep you returning. Pack a picnic, grab a towel, and head to the secluded beach, or pull on your walking shoes for a short hike to a scenic lookout, with Snapper Island and the Tollgates in clear sight. There’s canoeing and kayaking too, and even fishing in certain areas.

Pack some binoculars for some stellar birdwatching: the southern emu wren is here all year round, but it’s joined by local and migratory birds from everywhere. And budding geologists will be fascinated by the two chenier’ dune formations the only examples south of North Queensland.