Sapphire Coast

Sapphire CoastFauna Flora

— see Barunguba Montague Island | South Coast NSW

Named for its deep blue sparkling waters, the beautiful Sapphire Coast stretches along the coastline in a spectrum of ultramarine hues from Bermagui to beyond Eden on the far South Coast of New South Wales.

The Sapphire Coast, sometimes known as the Bega Valley Shire, is 465 km south of Sydney, 586 km north of Melbourne, and 241 km east of Canberra. Part of the scenic South Coast region, it stretches from Wallaga Lake, Cobargo and Bermagui to the north, through to Victoria and Wonboyn in the south, the South East Forests National Park in the west and including many other attractions such as Bega, Bemboka, Boydtown, Brogo, Candelo, Cobargo, Eden, Kameruka, Merimbula, Moruya, Narooma, Pambula, Quaama Tathra, Tilba Tilba, Wallaga Lake, Wolumla, Wonboyn and Wyndham (just to name a few). Part of the South Coast of New South wales, it is also one of the favourite destination for whale watching.

The picturesque Bega serves as a administrative centre for government and primary industry, the production area for the famous Bega Cheese’s and other dairy products manufactured and distributed both nationally and exported around the world.

The Bega Valley Shire is located on the south-eastern coastline of New South Wales and extends from Bermagui in the north to the Victorian border in the south. The Shire is the largest local government area in coastal NSW with an area of 6,200 square kilometres and has the largest coastline of any coastal council in NSW. Collectively this 225-kilometre section forms the beautiful Sapphire Coast, the heart of Australia’s Coastal Wilderness.

The Sapphire Coast is also home to a number of pristine and untouched national parks including Beowa National Park, Biamanga National Park, Bournda National Park, Mimosa Rocks National Park, South East Forest National Park and Mount Imlay National Park.

The region has a diverse range of flora, found along the coastline and inland. Take the opportunity throughout the year to explore the national parks, forests and waterways to check out what is growing and flowering.

This rich biodiversity of life, includes a diverse range of species of bird life, reptiles, marsupials, insects and spiders, as well a aquatic fauna that live off shore.

Centrally located within the Bega Valley the Bega area, the Traditional owners of the Shire are the communities of the Yuin-Monaro Nations (visit the Bega Valley Shire Council website for more information about the original Aboriginal groups in the region).³

Umbarra (Merriman Island) lies within Wallaga Lake and can be seen from Gulaga. Merriman Island is the shape of a duck and associated with King Merriman, an original inhabitant of Wallaga Lake whose name was also Umbarra (meaning Pacific black duck – Anas superciliosa). The black duck is our, the Yuin people’s, tribal totem. A totem indicates a special relationship between a person and species of animal, plant or other natural phenomena15. Many of our Yuin people, especially at Wallaga Lake, continue to identify as ‘Black Duck people’.

Source: Yuin Bangguri (Mountain) Parks Plan of Management, NSW Government⁴

Located in Wallaga Lake is Merriman Island, a sacred place and can only be visited by Aboriginal people. Wallaga Lake is popular with paddlers and boater’s. The lake is overlooked by Gulaga (Mount Dromedary) and Biamanga Mountain (Mumbulla).

This is a continual work in progress, with more information coming…

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Sapphire CoastFauna Flora

New South WalesBarunguba Montague Island Bourke Blue Mountains Bundeena Central Coast Kosciuszko National Park Mount Kaputar National Park Lower North Shore Northern Beaches Sapphire Coast Snowy Mountains Region South Coast Stony Range Regional Botanic Garden Sydney