Meroo National Park consists of multiple non-contiguous bits of park land located between Ulladulla and Bawley on the southern coast of New South Wales.  Because this property was only recently designated as a National Park, information can be hard to come by and some maps still show the area as “Termeil State Forest.”

Meroo National Park is known for it’s coastal bushland, beaches, rocky heads, coastal lakes, walking tracks, surf, and wildlife.

Nuggan Point Walking Track

Wanting to experience the park but with only a limited amount of time, I chose the Nuggan Point walking track.  The track meanders through the forests, past a sandy coastal lake, across pure sand beaches, and out to Nuggan Point.  Total walking distance if following the track is 5 km round-trip.

Nuggan Point is very scenic, but unfortunately not well cared-for by some visitors.  It’s obviously a popular surf location, and there is evidence that fishermen use the point often as well.  There was some rubbish, the cliff shelf is used as a bathroom, and recent campfires mar the grassy point near the forest edge.  This sort of abuse is common in parks near urban/suburban areas, but this was surprising given it’s distance from vehicle access and semi-remote location.

On the return I chose not to follow the track exactly and instead cut down to a small secluded beach and followed the coastline back to Meroo Lake.

From Meroo Lake, I intended to scramble over the rocky shelf to the north, around Meroo Head, and to Termeil Beach.  Unfortunately I found the route impassable due to a gap in the shelf with large waves breaking over the rocks.  Perhaps if the sea was more calm, the tide was lower, and/or I was more confident with coastal walking the route would be perfectly fine.  There are even park signs encouraging walkers to use the shelf route if the inland track is cut off due to high water levels in Meroo Lake.

A big tip for exploring undeveloped national parks in Australia, plan ahead and print maps and guides at home.  Internet at Australian hotels can be dodgy at best, most people don’t travel with a printer, and tourist information centers often don’t have printed handouts available.  For example, the visitor center at Bateman’s Bay had no information about the Meroo National Park.  The best information, including critical visitor information and maps, can be found at the Meroo NP and Nuggan Point Walking Track pages at the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website.