Currarong, New South Wales

Currarong
New South Wales
Currarong Inlet
Currarong is located in New South Wales
Currarong
Currarong
Coordinates35°01′03″S 150°49′21″E / 35.01750°S 150.82250°E / -35.01750; 150.82250
Population479 (2021 census)[1]
Postcode(s)2540
Location
LGA(s)City of Shoalhaven
State electorate(s)South Coast
Federal division(s)Gilmore

Currarong is a small coastal fishing and tourist village of 556[2] houses in the Shoalhaven area of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2021 census, Currarong had a permanent population of 479 (occupying 38 percent of dwellings).[2] The village is a haven for fishermen, with several underwater rises where fish are abundant. As of 2024, there is take away cafe and restaurant called Beach Safari, a coffee shop which opens on weekends called Alma's Currarong Kombi Cafe,[3] a licensed club, a caravan park, and many properties available for holiday rental.[4]

Beaches

Currarong is surrounded by 14 white sand beaches, most notable are Warrain Beach and sheltered Abrahams Bosom beach. Currarong is also famous for its rock pool, the beaches and cliffs off the walking tracks around the Beecroft peninsula, and for the many protected beaches a few minutes drive away on the other side of the headland in Jervis Bay, including Long Beach, Cabbage Tree Beach and the perfectly horse-shoe shaped Honeymoon Bay.

Fishing and diving

Currarong has world class fishing - rock, beach and ocean. A spot down the cliff from Point Perpendicular is one of the few land based locations in Australia where Yellow Fin Tuna and Marlin can be caught. In 2011 a new boat ramp was completed that allows for launching two boats at a time.[5] The area is also renowned for its scuba diving and snorkelling.

Sights

The wreck of the SS Merimbula is about 15 minutes walk. The freighter, belonging to the Illawarra Steam Navigation Company was wrecked on the Beecroft Headland in 1928. All passengers and crew were rescued.[6] The historic Point Perpendicular lighthouse is a 10-minute drive.

Currarong is one of the few places in NSW where you can sit on a North West facing beach looking at mountains across the water, and watch the sun set over the ocean.

Whales migrate along the coastline in season and dolphins cruise the waters of the bay every day.

In literature

Currarong appears in Kylie Tennant's 1946 novel "Lost Haven".

Esteemed character actor Aidan Bjorngaard, while playing ethnically ambiguous schoolboy 1 in episode 23, season 15 of "Home and Away" can be heard saying "If loving you is Currawrong, I don't want to be Curraright" in an outtake in the VHS directors cut.

References

  1. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Currarong (SSC)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 10 July 2017. Edit this at Wikidata
  2. ^ a b "Census DataPacks | Australian Bureau of Statistics". www.abs.gov.au. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  3. ^ White Pages
  4. ^ "Currarong Progress Association website". Archived from the original on 30 March 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  5. ^ "Boat Ramp Press Release". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
  6. ^ Loney, Jack (1993), Wrecks on the New South Wales Coast, Oceans Enterprises, ISBN 0-646-11081-0