| South Coast New South Wales | |||||||||||||||
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 View of Orion Beach inVincentia on the shores ofJervis Bay | |||||||||||||||
  South Coast | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 36°00′S150°06′E / 36.000°S 150.100°E /-36.000; 150.100 | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 177,007 (2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| • Density | 12.4007/km2 (32.1176/sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 14,274 km2 (5,511.2 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | AEST (UTC+10) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | AEDT (UTC+11) | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | |||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | |||||||||||||||
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TheSouth Coast refers to the narrow coastal belt from theShoalhaven district in the north to the state border withVictoria in the south in the south-eastern part of the State ofNew South Wales, Australia. It is bordered to the west by the coastal escarpment of theSouthern Tablelands, and is largely covered by a series of national parks, namelyJervis Bay National Park,Eurobodalla National Park, andBeowa National Park.[2] To the east is the coastline of thePacific Ocean, which is characterised by rolling farmlands, small towns and villages along a rocky coastline, interspersed by numerous beaches and lakes.
The South Coast includesShoalhaven district in the north and theBega Valley in the more remote south as well as theEurobodalla Shire and the CommonwealthJervis Bay Territory which is adjacent to the City of Shoalhaven Local Government Area. Some definitions of the region include theIllawarra, but it is often seen as a separate and distinctregion of New South Wales.[3][4]
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The region has a mild, warm temperate climate.[5] Maximum temperatures range from around 30 °C (86 °F) in summer to approximately 17 °C (62 °F) in winter. However, rainfall tends toward erratic as falls can occur in heavy, but often irregular, storms. These storms may occur at any time of year, but are most frequent in late autumn and early winter. When a stronganticyclone is located to the south of these low-pressure systems, rainfalls of up to 350mm (14 inches) in a day and 500 mm (20 inches) in two days may occur. For example, in May 1925 the region received an averages of as much as 860 millimetres (33 inches) of rain, with some places receiving as much as 1,270 mm (50 inches) for the month. However, in dry years the region can receive as little as 400mm (16 inches) for an entire year. Furthermore, Bega received 380 mm (15 inches) in May 1944 and over 400mm (16 inches) in two days during April 1945 – but only around 200 mm (8 inches) in the ten months in between.
A 2011 report by theClimate Commission highlighted the risks of theeffects of climate change in the South Coast andIllawarra areas. These risks included a higher likelihood of largefires,coastal flooding, changingrainfall patterns, and more intensestorms, all impacting thebiodiversity in the region.[6]
Although the region experiences a temperateoceanic climate,Gulaga National Park is the southernmost zone in the state of New South Wales that features asubtropical rainforest.[7]
TheIllawarra Steam Navigation Company serviced the South Coast and Illawarra by ship transporting passengers and goods from the 1850s to the 1950s.
TheNSW TrainLinkIllawarra railway line servicesBerry before it terminates atBomaderry, situated approximately 123 km south of Sydney on the northern side of the Shoalhaven River. Bus services operate to locations south of Nowra.
Merimbula Airport andMoruya Airport are the region's main two airports which provides daily domestic flights toSydney andMelbourne that are operated byRex Airlines.
The South Coast region is traversed by thePrinces Highway which linksSydney andMelbourne by the coast, but is longer thanHume Highway which is the direct route between the two cities. The region is a reached fromCanberra to the west by theKings Highway.
Road linkages north to Sydney were only completed in the second half of the twentieth century when theClyde River was bridged at Batemans Bay in 1956. Before that a punt was used to cross the river. The bridge atNarooma had been completed in 1931 and was the first major bridge constructed on the Princes Highway by theMain Roads Board as part of its efforts to develop the Princes Highway which had been opened in 1920.
Major towns on the South Coast include:
South Coast (New South Wales) travel guide from Wikivoyage
