Sports & Adventure at Hillcrest Merimbula
UNDERWATER — SNORKELLING / DIVING
Take a tour of the many snorkelling sites in and around Merimbula, off Merimbula Wharf and the many beaches dotted up and down the coastline. Or go deeper and explore the incredible flora and fauna underneath the water’s surface on a scuba adventure. Encounter a variety of aquatic creatures including weedy sea dragons, cuttlefish, rays and seals, as well as wrecks covered in rust and coral, including the 135-metre Empire Gladstone which was wrecked on Haycock Point in Ben Boyd National Park in the 1950s.
ON THE WATER — paddleboarding / kayaking / sailing
Get the heart rate up while gliding across the lakes and waterways of this beautiful part of Australia. Take a self-guided or guided tour of Merimbula Lake atop a stand-up paddle board, floating over fish and stingrays. Or head out on a kayaking adventure on the ocean, exploring the coastline and riding the waves and snorkelling while you’re at it.
On the green – golfing
If swinging a club is your thing, a round at Pambula Merimbula Golf Club is not to be missed. This beautiful country golf course just 10 minutes drive from Hillcrest Merimbula offers 27 reasonably challenging holes in a stunning setting surrounded by natural bushland, Merimbula Lake and beaches, with kangaroos, birds and goannas as frequent visitors. Also offering great views is the Tura Beach Country Club with an 18-hole championship course designed by Peter Thomson, which winds down to the beach and back up again. Here you’ll also find two bowling greens, tennis and a great bistro.
On the go – hiking, biking
Hit one of the local mountain bike tracks, like the popular Merimbula Mountain Bike Track at Manna Park – a challenging 6.5km course with plunging drops, narrow bridges, humps and fast downhill sections. Or head to Tathra to tackle 60km+ of excellent biking trails for all levels of riders. If you need gear for your biking adventure, Tathra Beach & Bike can set you up with a variety of bike types. Or strap on your hiking boots and tackle the 27km trail from Merimbula to Tathra Wharf, on the new Wharf to Wharf Walk. Take two or three days to do the entire length along the wild coastline, discovering isolated beaches, hidden lagoons and thriving wildlife along the way.