A secluded camping and fishing destination gem in the Mimosa Rocks National Park on the south coast of NSW
This hidden coastal hideaway is easy to miss being located well off the main coastal road and even further from the main Princes highway (route 1) but if you like a little seclusion and love your fishing then the magic of Wapengo is well worth the effort. It’s not a hard place to find as its location is to be found between the south coast towns of Tathra and Bermagui along the Tathra Bermagui Road.
The Wapengo Lake is bordered to both the north and south by the Mimosa Rocks National Park in which a number of great camping options exist. The campground closest to the lake entrance is called Picnic Point and is found on the northern side. Whilst this is only a small camp area with basic facilities suitable for tents or small camper trailers, its location right on the lake entrance and fronting a beautiful ocean beach is just second to none. Other camping options can be found at Gillards Beach (caravans ok) and Middle Beach both on the southern side of Wapengo and Aragunnu camping area further north of Picnic Point. The Mimosa Rocks NP covers some 17km of beautiful coastline with stunning beaches and rugged coastal headlands dotted with natural rock sculptures.
The Park is one of the best coastal parks to be found along this coastline and apart from fishing, it also offers the opportunities for surfing, bird watching, sea kayaking and some truly brilliant coastal bush walks.
Now as stunning as this national park is, the two things that set this location apart from many others. One is the fact that for a lot of the year the place is nice and quiet, (no mad hordes of people). While the other outstanding attribute is the easy nature and quality of its fishing. With the added bonus that the lake is regarded as the producer of some, if not the best oysters on the entire NSW coast.
A small tinnie or kayak is perfect to explore and fish the lake and the long channel that runs from the ocean entrance for about a km before opening up to the wider expanses of the lake and surrounding sand flats. With plenty of channels, weed beds and of course oyster racks the area is a rich marine system with quality fish to be had. For those without a boat or kayak there is also the ability to just wade in the shallows or to fish in a relaxed style from the comfort of a camp chair from the bank. In the lake, flathead and bream are the main target species and they grow to very good sizes in this food-rich marine environment. Bait fishing or throwing lures are both effective techniques and aside from flathead and bream you will also encounter trevally, mullet, garfish and whiting to name just a few of the more common catches. Bait in the form of nippers can be sourced with a bait pump or by catching small mullet in a bait trap which are a very deadly bait for the larger flathead found in the lake system.
But just as those bad TV ads so often say, wait there’s more, namely the many beaches and adjoining rocks. Right in front of the Picnic Point camp area you have both options at your feet with quality rock fishing and the same quality fishing found off the sand. Whilst bream can also be found off both the beach and the rocks, it’s the more traditional salmon, tailor, luderick and drummer that become the main targets. This is true not just at Picnic Point but all through the national park both to the north and south.
Like many locations on the NSW south coast the best fishing is usually found in late spring through summer and into early autumn. The lake fires best in the warmer months any time from October on till March/April whilst the beaches and rocks come into their own from around Feb/March through till July. Now don’t get me wrong, fish can be sourced all year round, it’s just that you may have to work that little bit harder through late winter and into early spring.
Top locations to fish are easy to find, just work the channels and adjoining sand flats, cast bait or lures in and around the oyster leases or drift the top lake again with live bait or working soft plastics for flathead. As it’s always open to the ocean, the water throughout this system is very clean and you can see the bottom even in quite deep water (in particular near the entrance), so move and fish quietly so as not to spook the fish.
Aside from the peace, solitude and fishing on offer at Wapengo the nearby regions also have plenty to offer the travelling visitor. The town of Bermagui is only just over twenty kms north along the Tathra/Bermagui Road and has all the re-supply options covered as well as plenty to see and do with a good selection of fine food, in particular seafood if your fishing luck is down. Whilst to the south only some 15 kms away you will find the tiny seaside town of Tathra, a great safe beach and again you can stock up on any food or drink requirements you may have. Don’t forget to visit the famous Tathra wharf, (a top fishing location in its own right). Aside from the two nearby towns, this region known as the Sapphire Coast has a collection of coastal national parks that are the envy of other regions. From Bermagui in its north down to the wild Nadgee Nature Reserve on the NSW/Victorian border, your camping and fishing options are almost unlimited and would take a lifetime to explore.
So if wetting a line in an unhurried fashion is something that lights your fire, if stunning coastal vistas get you excited then just maybe this is a destination for you to try. The place and even its name ‘Wapengo’ has a magical charm. I have been lucky enough to have fished many locations but few other places match Wapengo’s ambience. Make the effort to visit and I am sure you won’t be disappointed both in the natural beauty and the quality of fishing on offer.
Websites:
Tourism New South Wales
13 20 77
Tourism Bermagui
02 6493 3054
National Parks NSW
1300 361 967
Mimosa Rocks National Park, camping options can be found at Aragunnu (tent and camper trailer)
Gillards Beach (tent and camper trailer)
Middle Beach (caravan, tent, camper trailer)
Picnic Point (tent and camper trailer)
Camping fees do apply to all camping areas and facilities are basic.
These campgrounds are best suited to self-contained campers and travellers.
Don’t forget a NSW fishing license is also a requirement.