This itinerary takes you to three classic Australian coastal holiday destinations - Phillip Island, Lakes Entrance and Pambula. Each offers their own take on a great coastal holiday, with varied geography, activities and places to eat and drink, but all are worth a visit in their own right.
Distance: 3 Stops, 575 km total drive distance, Medium
📍 STOP 1: PHILLIP ISLAND
Where to stay in Phillip Island?
Located directly on the beach on the Cowes side of Phillip Island and offering a variety of accommodation options ranging from your regular Sites through to luxurious Cabins and Glamping, NRMA Phillip Island Beachfront Holiday Park is accommodation with something for everyone. The beachfront Safari Tents are a unique Glamping option, located directly on the beach with their own decks where you can even enjoy a bath whilst looking out over the ocean.
What to do, eat and drink in Phillip Island?
This is an area famous for surfing, with Cape Woolamai a 15 minute drive away, considered by many to be one of the best surf spots in Australia. If you want to learn to surf we highly recommend champion surfer Jess Laing and the team at Girls On Board who run daily public lessons. If you haven’t had the chance to visit before, the Penguin Parade is a must-do. Home to the largest colony of Little Penguins in the world, each night they arrive at sunset and there’s a great set up of seating with several fantastic vantage points to see these gorgeous little creatures whilst learning about their ecosystem from one of the rangers who will be hosting. It’s particularly a hit with the kids.
What’s the onward drive to Lakes Entrance?
314 km and approximately 4 hours drive time along the Princes Highway and you’ll arrive in Lakes Entrance. If you’re wanting a stop along the way, the Old Rosedale Bakery is one of our favourite country bakeries in Australia.
📍 STOP 2: LAKES ENTRANCE
Where to stay in Lakes Entrance?
With a waterfront location also surrounded by green bushland, NRMA Eastern Beach Holiday Park is a great spot to enjoy the natural feeling of this unique system of waterways whilst also being conveniently located a short distance from the main township of Lakes Entrance.
What to do, eat and drink in Lakes Entrance?
Lakes Entrance is home to a unique system of inland waterways and multiple lakes crossing over each other and feeding out to the beach. This makes for both spectacular scenery and a range of great water-based activities to do. Eastern Beach is our favourite spot for a swim and located right out the front of our recommended accommodation, , NRMA Eastern Beach Holiday Park. Located on The Esplanade, a stretch of road with great shops and restaurants between the two main beaches of the area, Albert & Co. is an ideal spot for breakfast or lunch, serving up a menu of cafe classics. If you’re looking for something a bit more upmarket, we highly recommend Sodafish, serving up delicious locally caught fresh seafood in a refined setting that is actually floating out on the water in a refurbished ferry. Whilst it is comparatively upmarket for a coastal restaurant, it isn’t stuffy by any means and is a great spot to visit on any evening.
What’s the onward drive to Pambula Beach?
It will take you just over 3 hours to cover 264 km on the mainly inland route that will get you to Pambula Beach.
📍 STOP 3: PAMBULA
Where to stay in Pambula?
Reflections Pambula Holiday & Caravan Park is located in the town of Pambula, and whilst it isn’t a large Holiday Park the sites are all spacious and facilities clean and well kept. There’s a family friendly atmosphere and the team are warm, accommodating and helpful with recommendations and advice on the local area.
What to do, eat and drink in Pambula?
Pambula is uniquely located where the river meets the sea which makes for beautiful turquoise waters particularly on a sunny, still day. Jiguma (Lions) Beach is our favourite spot for a swim or simply reading a book on the sand. It's in a beautiful location where Pambula Beach meets the river, and is dog-friendly if you’ve brought the four legged family members. Wild Rye’s operates both a bakery and a coffee roastery in the Pambula area. The bakery obviously serves their own coffee, so unless you are a passionate coffee person we recommend consolidating your visit to the bakery. Down on Pambula Beach you’ll find Aqua which operates as a kiosk throughout the day, but also serves up fantastic cocktails and is a great spot for a sunset drink. If you do hang around for dinner, there's plenty of other options that all lean more casual (think Fish and Chips or Burgers), but do note that things close up by around 7pm.
What’s the onward drive?
This is the end of our itinerary but if you want to keep heading north along the coast there’s lots of fantastic places to visit. Some of our favourites include Bermagui, Gerringong, Huskisson and Narooma.
