A new multi-day walk is opening in Murramarang National Park, north of Batemans Bay on the south coast of NSW.
The three-day Murramarang South Coast Walk stretches 34 kilometres from Pretty Beach to Batemans Bay and is open for reservations.
NSW Minister for Environment James Griffin said the walk featured some of the best hidden gems in NSW.
"This NSW Great Walk puts the south coast on every bushwalker's bucket list, with this new three-day, three-night experience delivering the best of the bush and the beach, with spotted-gum forests, secluded beaches and dramatic headlands," Mr Griffin said.
National Parks and Wildlife Service South Coast director Kane Weeks has walked most sections of the trail and said the walk was full of iconic scenery.
"The park is famous for its kangaroos right on the beach," he said.
"The spotted gum forest covers all the way to the shore and meets the amazing yellow rock faces, stretching along the coastline.
"There is amazing coastal landscape with the Batemans Bay Marine Park sitting off the coast with pristine environments."
His favourite feature is the iconic Yellow Rock just out from Maloney's Beach.
A large majority of the Murramarang National Park was burnt by the 2020 bushfires but Mr Weeks said native animals and plants had returned to the park. Hikers can expect to see eastern grey kangaroos, spotted gum trees, burrawangs, echidnas, and black cockatoos.
Mr Weeks said the real draw card for the walk was its versatility, appealing to all abilities.
There is a choice of five beachside campgrounds within Murramarang National Park along the trail.
Mr Weeks said the walk would appeal to "intergenerational market where grandparents can walk with their grandkids" because of the NPWS-owned beach side cabins at Pretty, Pebbly and Depot Beaches, as well as local accommodation options in coastal villages along the route.
Bushwalkers can complete the whole walk or undertake sections. NPWS recommends walking north to south, with the first day being 10 kilometres, second day 16 kilometers, and final day eight kilometres.
Visitors can also do self-guided walks of the entire route, or tackle shorter sections of track in any direction. There are also packages including transfers, a welcome tour and accommodation.
Mr Weeks expects the walk to attract 14,000 walkers annually but said the track was built to handle the increased visitation.
Funding for the project was announced in 2018 and the planning process started. However, bushfires then COVID and wet weather meant the project took longer than anticipated to be open for bookings.
The new walk is the longest uninterrupted coastal walk on the south coast and one of the recently announced 13 NSW Great Walks.
The $3.64 million Murramarang South Coast Walk project was funded through Restart NSW's Regional Growth - Environment and Tourism Fund, which aims to increase overnight tourist visitation to regional NSW and create jobs.
Bookings are open now for dates beginning April 28.
For further information on the Murramarang South Coast Walk, or to book, visit Murramarang South Coast Walk.
