The Milton And Ulladulla Region

The twin towns of Milton and Ulladulla combine history, the ocean and a stunning hinterland to provide an all-in-one destination that is the perfect base for a campervan holiday. From this base, the whole area between Kiama and Batemans Bay is open to investigation. The hardest decision will be where to start. If you would prefer a base that is more secluded, try NRMA Murramarang Beachfront Nature Resort in South Durras, just under an hours' drive south of Milton. Here, you can camp amongst the kangaroos, just a stone's throw away from the waterfront, yet still surrounded by National Park.

Only a couple of hours south of Sydney and Wollongong, Ulladulla is a picturesque harbour town built next to the still waters of a secluded bay. The town motto is: "Ulladulla, where every day is a weekend." On the rainy days when you can't go to the beach, families can visit Funland Ulladulla, a small theme park with mini-golf, laser tag, dodgem cars and a whole range of other games and rides. For the grownups there is Cupitt's Winery, offering both its hand-crafted wines and the fresh, innovative food served at Cupitt's Kitchen. Fishing is the main income of this town, and an interesting morning can be spent wandering amongst the docked fishing fleet and the historic yachts moored in the harbour.

The historic settlement of Milton is a thriving cultural community just 4km inland from the coast. As a town, Milton is classified with the Australian National Trust, due to the number of homes and buildings in the town that were built from 1870 onwards. The Settlement is a row of Victorian-era shops that have been gazetted as part of the Shoalhaven Heritage. Among the historic buildings at the Settlement are Frederick Hall's shop and H C Blackburn and Sons two-storey Commercial Building; their elaborate decorative moulding features around windows and doors have remained essentially intact over the last 140 years. Not all the heritage of Milton is in its buildings; the Mick Ryan Park is a small botanical reserve containing a heritage-listed Illawarra fig tree believed to be over 180 years old. This impressive tree shades one acre of ground. Milton loves any excuse to celebrate, with a number of festivals and fairs taking place annually, including the Milton Settlers Fair in October and the Scarecrow Festival in April.

Water is very much a feature of the narrow coastal strip Ulladulla is perched on, with seven nearby lakes complementing the numerous bays and beaches that make up the shoreline. However, don't forget to pack your hiking boots as well as your sunscreen and swimming togs, because inland there is almost a continuous band of state forest that makes up the hinterlands. The Bundawung Ranges provide a myriad of bushwalking opportunities, such as the Pigeon House Mountain, the Byangee Walls and The Castle. Croobyar State Forest is situated on the mid-south coast, between Nowra and Ulladulla. It is part of a large tract of relatively undisturbed forest catchment adjoining the Budawangs Wilderness Area. If its solitude and a bit of time to appreciate nature that you are after, then one of the largest National Parks in NSW, Morton, is yours to enjoy with its large water system consisting of dozens of tributaries flowing into the Shoalhaven River.

The Shoalhaven region has plenty of other outstanding attractions. Mollymook sits just a couple of kilometres up the coast on the other side of the headland from Ulladulla. Grassy reserves surround the golden sands of the beach here, and the waters are teeming with sea life that often makes itself known to tourists on the beach. If you keep driving north, you will read the Nowra, Jervis Bay, Berry, and Kiama. Kiama is famous for its blowholes. Under certain sea conditions, the main blowhole, the Big Blowhole, can spray water up to 25m. However, the Little Blowhole is actually more reliable than the Big Blowhole, and in the right conditions can be just as spectacular. The Drawing Room Rocks are located in the Barren Grounds Nature Reserve; the unique shapes of these rocks are the result of the weathering of the Hawkesbury Sandstone. The Berry Museum's collection is housed in the old E.S. and A. Bank building, and both the collection and the building are worth visiting.

South of Ulladulla and Milton is Burrill Lake, which is a popular resort during the summer holidays, with several caravan parks offering campervan accommodation close to town. The Big 4 Holiday Parks on the southern side of the lake also offers mini-golf, bird feeding and pedal boat hire to the public. As you keep heading south, you can stop and visit the Tabourie Museum which displays a range of historical items from around the area.

Lying on the Princes Highway, Ulladulla is an easily accessible tourist destination, and should only take you about three hours in your campervan if driving from Sydney. Finding accommodation in a camping ground or caravan park is an easy task if you book ahead, as there is an abundance of tourist parks in the area. With a climate that has mild winters and hot summers, any time of the year is good for a visit. Whenever you choose to come, it is guaranteed that you will thoroughly enjoy your stay in Ulladulla or Milton, and chances are high you will be back again next year.