Are you desperately in need of a break? Well, look no further than The Pines Surf Academy – a surf school that operates out of a famous south coast surf beach known as “The Farm” in the Killalea State Park. This is a nature reserve that’s near Shell Cove, just south of Shellharbour.
The Farm has long, shallow sand banks, and in addition to its almost southerly aspect, it’s the type of beach which is perfect for learners. And under the watch of instructors like Rachel Cheetham, you’ll be hanging ten before you know it.
“Once they stand up and realise they can do it, it’s just the best feeling ever,” she says.
Just to the north of the Killalea State Park, you’ll find the township of Shellharbour. It’s a little gem that’s nestled in between Wollongong and Kiama.
On its café strip you’ll find a place where the chef has solved a common dilemma: how to keep vegetarians and meat-eaters happy. At the Fifth Avenue Café chef Edward “Johnny” Johnson is not only creating excellent vegetarian dishes like his spinach ricotta tart and his “bliss bowl” but he’s also belting out hamburgers that are probably the biggest on the south coast: a giant double bacon cheeseburger and an absolutely massive double-fried, double-cheese, double-fillet chicken burger.
Now you can’t have a beach escape without your own beach cottage, and the Shellharbour Beachside Holiday park has just the shack. Perfect for families or couples, their cottages have large bedrooms, lounge areas and private balconies!
