Gerroa - Places to See

Seven Mile Beach National Park
Gerroa lies at the northern end of Seven Mile Beach National Park, a stretch of coastline that extends south to Shoalhaven Heads. The National Park is no more than 1.2 km across at its widest and is bordered by swampland to the west. The area is used extensively for studying the characteristics and development of sand dunes and their vegetation. Radiating outwards from the beach are spinifex, coast wattle, tea-tree, coast banksia, and a hinterland forest of she-oaks, bangalay, saw banksia, southern mahogany and burrawangs.

There is also a large bird population in the district, including honeyeaters, currawongs, crimson rosellas, thornbills, kookaburras, ravens, grey fantails, eastern whipbirds and white-0throated treecreepoers, and the occasional white-breasted sea eagle.

Seven Mile Beach is also noted for the availability of whiting in the summer months as well as flathead, mulloway, salmon and tailor. There are two walking tracks south of the main picnic area which lead inland to the woodland boundary. There is a bush camping area with limited facilities at the northern end of the park. Camping in any other area is not permitted but there is plenty of accomodation in the vicinity.

Kingsford Smith Memorial Park
The historic Kingsford Smith journey from Seven Mile Beach to New Zealand is commemorated by the Kingsford Smith memorial and lookout. These can be found at the top of the hill at the intersection of Headlands Drive and Crooked River Road. The lookout offers panoramic views over Seven Mile National Park. The memorial consists of a small pillar and plaque and a flat, two-dimensional concrete rendering of Kingsford Smith's aeroplane, the Southern Cross. (3/4 size).

Crooked River Estuary
At Gerroa Crooked River reaches the sea. The estuary is a good spot for prawns, bream and flathead. It is the combination of river, flat beach, safe swimming and fishing prospects that has made the township a popular place for family outings. For the more adventurous there is also surfing, windsurfing and, further upstream, canoeing. A pleasant picnic area with swings, toilets and barbeque has been established with access to the beach via a footbridge. To get there turn off Crooked River Road down Headland Drive and take the right at the stop sign down Riverleigh Avenue.

Black Head
At the end of Stafford St is Black Head. There is a car park and tracks leading to the rock platform below. This is a popular and well-established site for geography and geology excursions. It has one of the best displays of fossils on the coast. Breaking or removing the rocks is forbidden. All you have to do is know what you're looking for - there are plenty of examples of tree fossils and, if you look carefully, you will see small sea creatures.

The rock platform is said to be ideal for catching tuna, kingfish, snapper, drummer, trevally, salmon, tailor and groper. However, be careful, as the waves can be dangerous.