Marking the beginning of the Eurobodalla Shire ten kilometres south of Batemans Bay, Mogo is one of several charming historical villages nestled throughout the regions countryside. This 1850's gold rush town is now a prolific arts and crafts centre, with an excellent zoo featuring exotic and endangered animals.

Further down the main highway is the dairy and fishing town of Moruya. Specialising in oyster farming on the Moruya River, the waterways are also utilised for pleasure, ideal for fishing and other watersports. Surfers and swimmers should try the unspoilt beaches beyond the southern bank of the rivers estuary, as well as on both sides of the Congo Headland at the nearby Eurobodalla National Park.

Another park worth visiting only twenty kilometres west of Moruya is the splendid Deua National Park. Known for it's diverse ecosystems, hikers trekking to Hanging Mountain or Mount Wanderer lookouts will experience a wide range of flora and fauna, not to mention some spectacular views.

Back on the main highway past the holiday spot of Tuross Heads is the fishing resort of Narooma. Serious anglers come from far and wide to this game fishing paradise, with black marlin, blue fin, and hammerhead sharks being the most sought after catches of the coast. For the less ambitious, smaller species are plentiful around the picturesque lakes and rocky inlets of the area. If fishing doesn't lure you, take a cruise to Montague Island. Ten kilometres off shore from Narooma, Montague Island Reserve is home to huge population of fur seals, crested terns and over ten thousand pairs of fairy penguins! Limited and expensive tours are conducted daily by national park wildlife officers, though most visitors agree that the thrill far outweighs the cost. The clear waters surrounding the island also attract divers, especially between February and June.

Hidden in the gentle foothills of Mount Dromedary just minutes south-west of Narooma, Central Tilba is a step back in time. Founded in 1895 and completed by the turn of the century, little has changed in this quaint historic village for over a hundred years. All two dozen or so timber buildings survive in their original condition thanks to a process of partial restoration initiated by the National Trust. Classified as "unusual mountain village", the sole non-timber building (due to health regulations) is the award winning ABC Cheese Factory, open for free tastings daily. Art and craft galleries, B&B's, tea rooms, a pub, and a general store fill the other unique residences in town.

Walks into the wilderness backdrop are best begun at Tilba Tilba, an even smaller settlement a few kilometres away. An enjoyable eleven kilometre trail begins at the general store, leading hikers through lyrebird habitats and tall eucalypt forests before ascending to the summit of Mount Dromedary. Known as Gulaga to the local Koori people, tours to the peak run by Umbarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre, provide a more informative alternative. Tours include educational activities such as spear throwing and Dreaming stories.

Home to the Umbarra Aboriginal Cultural Centre, the pretty fishing village of Bermagui to the south is a mecca for angling in all forms- lake, estuary, deep sea and big-game. With a safe harbour and close proximity to the continental shelf, the town plays host to a number of tag and release game fishing tournaments throughout the year. Charters operating out of the harbour also offer a variety of diving and whale watching cruises. Along the rugged coastline there are some beautiful rock pools including Blue Pool, along with some great surf beaches and a fine walk which passes through wetlands reserve before ending at Wallaga Lake.

Stretching to the Victorian Border, the most southern section of the Lower South Coast is the least frequented and developed area of coastal New South Wales. The larger towns are less focused on tourism, concentrating more on local industries such as dairy farming and fishing. The smaller historic villages nestled in the countryside provide interesting diversions from cheese and snapper.

In the heart of dairy country, Bega is the first of the larger centres with the rare claim to fame that it's possible to surf and ski on the same day. Lying on the junction of the Princes and Snowy Mountains Highways, Bega can make an excellent base for trips to the coast, bushwalks in the nearby national parks, and even expeditions to the Kosciuszko snowfields, under two hundred kilometres away. Closer to town, the complimentary Bega Cheese Factory and Heritage Centre is a faithful reconstruction of a pioneering cheese factory, displaying new and old cheese making techniques as well as a modern cow milking facility.

On the coast east of Bega, Tathra is a relaxed holiday town with great fishing and a long surf beach. The historic wharf on Wharf Street is an appropriate location for Tathra's maritime museum as well as the perfect place to sample the local seafood. Also in town, Tathra Pub is famous for it's good times and extensive views over the ocean. West of Bega, Candelo is an unchanged nineteenth century village, brimming with old world charm. Currently riding the craft craze, the markets held here on the first Sunday of every month, are the largest on the south coast.

Further south Merimbula is a flourishing holiday resort, set on the impressive Lake Merimbula and a series of gorgeous beaches. Seafood lovers should be aware that oysters, fish, and prawns are the towns specialities, and surfers will love the breaks along the coast. Not to be pigeon holed as your average fishing town, Merimbula hosts a jazz festival in June, and a country music festival in October.

Inland and only seven kilometres south-east of Merimbula, the pretty buildings in the historic village of Pambula, now house an array of craft shops and restaurants. A comprehensive exhibit of the areas artistic talents is on show at the town's markets held every second Sunday of the month. The beautiful setting at Pambula Beach is well known for encouraging surfers and anglers, as well as a population of kangaroos and wallabies which forage at dawn and dusk.

Proceeding down the coast, the paradise of Eden is an former whaling town now attracting travellers rather than Greenpeace. Built overlooking an outstanding natural harbour and the towns fishing fleet on Twofolds Bay, this sensational section of the South Coast is ideal for fishing, swimming and surfing. Whale watching cruises allow visitors to interact with whales playing along the coast from October to November, and on shore the intriguing Killer Whale Museum features the skeleton of "Tom the killer whale" not to mention bizarre story of a local man who was swallowed by a whale and regurgitated unharmed 15 hours later!

Close by, the Ben Boyd National Park is made up of two slender expanses both north and south of Eden. Consisting of lush coastal wilderness bordered by deserted beaches, the park has a number of prominent sites to hike to including Boyd's Tower at Red Point and the red and white earth formations known as the Pinnacles.

On the perimeter of the Ben Boyd National Park at Nullica Bay, the historical village of Boydtown was once a rival settlement of Eden which floundered along with its founder Benjamin Boyd in the nineteenth century. Planned to be the capital of Australia by the flamboyant Mr Boyd, some of his colonial buildings remain including the convict-built and still licensed Sea Horse Inn.