33-600: Merimbula / m ə ˈ r ɪ m b j ə l ə / is a town on the Merimbula Lake, located on the Far South Coast or Sapphire Coast of New South Wales , Australia. At the 2021 census , the population was 3,821. The population within 10 km of the Merimbula Post office is over 18,000 people. The satellite town of Tura Beach lies within the 10 km population radius. Merimbula Point
66-552: 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
99-713: A matter of controversy as employment in the remote areas east of the Snowy is mainly dependent upon timber milling. Croajingolong National Park between Marlo and Mallacoota features extensive coastal heathlands and tea tree scrub, as well as the only major area of warm temperate rainforest in Victoria. The 4,193 km of privately owned land is mainly red gum plains, coastal plains, mountain plateaux and fertile river valleys. In April and November 2022, East Gippsland Water got fined $ 9,246 for discharging over 30 million litres of wastewater into Macleod Morass wetland which made
132-476: A mild, warm temperate climate. 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 strong anticyclone is located to the south of these low-pressure systems, rainfalls of up to 350mm (14 inches) in
165-423: A one-hour drive from Merimbula, including Pambula Merimbula GC, Tura Beach Country Club, Eden Gardens Country Club and Bermagui Country Club. Merimbula has an oceanic climate ( Cfb ) with mild to warm summers and cool, windy, drier winters. Extreme temperatures have ranged from 44.2 °C (111.6 °F) to −2.0 °C (28.4 °F) and the average annual rainfall is 770.0 millimetres (30.3 in). Typical of
198-637: A range of activities from standup paddleboarding and kayaking , to some of the best surfing on the Far South Coast . Magic Mountain , Merimbula's own theme park has a roller coaster and one of the best toboggan slopes in New South Wales . The Merimbula Wharf offers its own aquarium full of some of the common sea creatures on the Sapphire Coast . It is also a popular restaurant for tourists as well as locals. The Aquarium
231-792: A rocky coastline, interspersed by numerous beaches and lakes. The South Coast includes Shoalhaven district in the north and the Bega Valley in the more remote south as well as the Eurobodalla Shire and the Commonwealth Jervis Bay Territory which is adjacent to the City of Shoalhaven Local Government Area. Some definitions of the region include the Illawarra , but it is often seen as a separate and distinct region of New South Wales . The region has
264-760: Is Australia's first RFA. It covers a region similar, but not identical to the East Gippsland Shire . It sets aside 5,811 km (2,244 sq mi) from logging, an increase of 1.3% over pre-RFA reserves. Central Gippsland is covered by the Gippsland RFA (signed 31 March 2000), which covers an area similar to the Shire of Wellington , and places 7,805 km (3,014 sq mi) in reserves. Logging of native forests has caused sustained controversy in East Gippsland, particularly due to
297-522: Is a has a wide variety of marine life, 'from sharks to shrimp , octopus to tropical fish , it's all in the living theatre of the deep!’, according to TripAdvisor . It has 25 tanks of aquatic life. There are many restaurants and eateries in Merimbula, including one small bar. 10 kilometres to the west of Merimbula along the Princes Highway towards Bega, Potoroo Palace Wildlife Sanctuary
330-487: Is a major tourist destination, especially for watersports, and is noted for its mild climate. The Great Alpine Road leads north from Bairnsdale into the Australian Alps via Swifts Creek and Omeo , and onto the major ski resorts of Dinner Plain and Mount Hotham . This area is also very popular for bushwalking in the summer. The Buchan district is popular with tourists for its limestone caves . Further east,
363-484: Is a wide range of holiday accommodation in the area including motels, self-contained units and holiday houses for rent. Merimbula is known for its good beaches and locally produced oysters. Merimbula has six main beaches —Main Beach (or Merimbula Beach), Mitchies Jetty, Bar Beach, Spencer Park Beach, Middle Beach and Short Point. Main Beach and Short Point are considered to be the best beaches for surfing , whilst Bar Beach
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#1732787278363396-650: Is an area of palaeontological significance, regularly studied by the School of Earth Sciences at the Australian National University . Several previously unknown species have been found in the ancient sedimentary rocks there, including Merimbulaspis and Pambulaspis . Merimbula has one primary school; Merimbula Public School. However, the town does not have a high school. Children from Merimbula have to travel to either Bega or Eden to attend public high school, or attend private schools in
429-466: Is close to Bournda National Park , South East Forest National Park and the northern end of Beowa National Park . A coastal walk running through Bournda National Park from Tathra to Tura Beach just north of Merimbula takes in coastal scenery. Southern right whales (less frequent) and humpback whales are big feature in the areas. It is also a short drive to other scenic places in the area such as Tathra , Eden and Bermagui . Merimbula offers
462-592: Is held in the Merimbula-Imlay Bowling Club around the beginning of November each year. The Pambula Merimbula Golf Club hosts one of the country's bigger Weeks of Golf attracting over 900 golfers during October. Merimbula has a windsurfing and kiteboarding festival, the Merimbula Classic. This is held in late November each year. Merimbula is largely a tourist town, with the bulk of the town's earnings coming from tourism . There
495-462: Is located. This nature park has a collection of native species with some hands on opportunities for the children. It also cares for injured or orphaned animals. Merimbula has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: South Coast (New South Wales) The South Coast refers to the narrow coastal belt from the Shoalhaven district in the north to the state border with Victoria in
528-447: Is nearly the same distance to both Sydney and Melbourne , with both trips taking between five and seven hours to drive. It is approximately three hours drive to Australia's capital Canberra . Merimbula is serviced by many interstate and intrastate road coach services, and connects with rail services at many interchanges. Local commuter passenger bus services operate six days per week to all urban areas and some regional centres within
561-417: Is the eastern region of Gippsland , Victoria , Australia covering 31,740 km (12,250 sq mi) (14%) of Victoria . It has a population of 80,114. The Shire of East Gippsland , also called Far East Gippsland, covers two-thirds (66%) of East Gippsland's area and holds half (50%) of its population. The Shire of East Gippsland is confusingly also referred to simply as East Gippsland. It excludes
594-467: Is the southernmost zone in the state of New South Wales that features a subtropical rainforest . The Illawarra Steam Navigation Company serviced the South Coast and Illawarra by ship transporting passengers and goods from the 1850s to the 1950s. The NSW TrainLink Illawarra railway line services Berry before it terminates at Bomaderry , situated approximately 123 km south of Sydney on
627-513: Is used for snorkeling . Other activities include whale watching , fishing , kitesurfing and boating . Middle Beach is more suited to fishing , and whale watching in season. With a decent percentage of the population being retirees, golf and lawn bowls are popular as well. Merimbula has scuba diving , with the sponge gardens at Yellow Rock and the Empire Gladstone wreck off nearby Haycock Point's popular dives. Merimbula
660-702: The Group 16 Rugby League Premiership. Merimbula's soccer club is the Merimbula Grasshoppers which hosts men, women and junior sides. The Merimbula Knights Cricket Club are a club in the Far South Coast Cricket Association. Other sporting clubs include the Merimbula Basket Ball Club, Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club, and Merimbula Netball Association. There are five golf courses within
693-446: The Shire of Wellington ( Central Gippsland ). This article (currently) refers mainly to "Far East Gippsland". East Gippsland's major towns include, from west to east, Bairnsdale (the largest town and administrative centre), Paynesville , Lakes Entrance , Orbost and Mallacoota . Smaller, but significant, towns in the more mountainous northern areas include Ensay , Swifts Creek , Omeo , and Buchan . East Gippsland extends from
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#1732787278363726-664: The Snowy River and several smaller stream catchments, including the Thurra, Wingan, Genoa, Bemm River and Cann River , enter the Tasman Sea . More than 17,000 km of East Gippsland is public land with 2,680 km being national parks, two of the largest being Snowy River National Park and Errinundra National Park . Both are remote and inaccessible, but they are otherwise entirely different. Snowy River National Park features dramatic gorges and powerful rapids formed by
759-759: The New South Wales coastline, the relatively dry winters and springs are attributed to the foehn effect . Its relatively low annual rainfall owes to its south-western location, which in turn exposes it to cold southerly airmasses off the Bass Strait that rarely affect areas further north on the coast; as shown by its extreme minimum temperatures in the summer, most notably a reading of 3.9 °C (39.0 °F) in December 2019. Its climate more closely resembles those in East Gippsland than elsewhere on
792-748: The New South Wales coastline, with its distinctly cooler summers and lower dew points. Merimbula hosts two annual Orchid Shows, both held in Twyfold Hall opposite the Tourist Information Centre. The winter Orchid Show is in late August, and the Australian Native Orchid Show is in early November. The annual Jazz Festival is held on the Queen's Birthday weekend early in June. A much smaller Country Music Festival
825-617: The council area. Merimbula has a green oval and two soccer fields on the Berrambool Oval. The oval is used, depending on the time of year, for cricket (summer period) and Australian Football (winter period). The Merimbula Diggers compete in AFL Sapphire Coast and are one of the competition's most successful clubs. There are additional sporting facilities located within the Merimbula urban area. The Merimbula-Pambula Bulldogs are based in nearby Pambula and compete in
858-532: The descent of the Snowy River . Apart from gorges and southern slopes, this park is in a rain-shadow area forming the southern border of the Monaro Tableland . Consequently, many species more typical of inland New South Wales and Victoria are found here. Errinundra National Park is much wetter - inaccessible from June to October in most years - and features some of the most ancient forests in Australia,
891-614: The northern side of the Shoalhaven River. Bus services operate to locations south of Nowra. The South Coast region is traversed by the Princes Highway which links Sydney and Melbourne by the coast, but is longer than Hume Highway which is the direct route between the two cities. The region is a reached from Canberra to the west by the Kings Highway . Road linkages north to Sydney were only completed in
924-586: The second half of the twentieth century when the Clyde River was bridged at Batemans Bay in 1956. Before that a punt was used to cross the river. The bridge at Narooma had been completed in 1931 and was the first major bridge constructed on the Princes Highway by the Main 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: East Gippsland East Gippsland
957-625: The south in the south-eastern part of the State of New South Wales , Australia . It is bordered to the west by the coastal escarpment of the Southern Tablelands , and is largely covered by a series of national parks, namely Jervis Bay National Park , Eurobodalla National Park , and Beowa National Park . To the east is the coastline of the Pacific Ocean , which is characterised by rolling farmlands, small towns and villages along
990-529: The surrounding areas, including Pambula Beach , Eden and Bega. Merimbula is one of only a few towns on the South Coast of NSW to have its own airport, Merimbula Airport . There are daily flights services by QantasLink and Rex Airlines , from Sydney and Melbourne to Merimbula. Flights from Sydney often stop in Moruya . Situated just off the national highway 1 , the Princes Highway , Merimbula
1023-510: The ten months in between. A 2011 report by the Climate Commission highlighted the risks of the effects of climate change in the South Coast and Illawarra areas. These risks included a higher likelihood of large fires , coastal flooding , changing rainfall patterns , and more intense storms , all impacting the biodiversity in the region. Although the region experiences a temperate oceanic climate , Gulaga National Park
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1056-621: The unique species found in areas east of the Snowy River, and the contentious public debate surrounding native forest, particularly old-growth, harvesting. This is despite managed forest having a mitigation effect in climate change . The major river basins of the Mitchell, Tambo and Nicholson drain into the Gippsland Lakes , which in turn empty into the sea through an artificially maintained opening at Lakes Entrance . The area
1089-493: The western watershed of the Mitchell and Thomson River catchments east and north to the New South Wales border. Rugged terrain makes farming difficult, even with fertilisers. The major industry is often considered to be forestry, which provides less than 1 percent of employment for the region. The East Gippsland Regional Forest Agreement (RFA) was signed by Commonwealth and Victorian governments on 3 February 1997, and
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