Gerroa guide to the Crooked River, Seven Mile Beach and Black Head

Get your bearings in Gerroa

Gerroa (postcode 2534) sits at the southern end of the Municipality of Kiama, about 3 km south of Gerringong and 133 km south of Sydney. It is small: the 2021 census counted 571 people, and the town fills up at Easter and over Christmas and New Year.

The town wraps around a headland. Black Head is its rocky tip on the ocean side, and the houses step down the hill to the Crooked River, which runs out across the northern end of Seven Mile Beach. Crooked River Road is the main street through town, with the two holiday parks, the fishing club and the river all along it. South of the river the beach runs on past Seven Mile Beach National Park to Shoalhaven Heads.

Kiama Council acknowledges the Wodi Wodi people of Dharawal Country as the traditional custodians of this land, and Visit NSW notes that Aboriginal people have called it home for more than 20,000 years. Today Gerroa is a holiday town and home to a lot of retirees, along with a few well-known surfers: Destination Kiama says Sally Fitzgibbons lives here.

Gerroa is close enough to Kiama for a morning swim with lunch back in town, and close enough to Berry to pair the two in one day. Our Gerringong guide covers the village you drive through on the way.

Paddle in the Crooked River shallows

The Crooked River is why families come to Gerroa. It is an estuary that winds north towards Gerringong and opens into a wide, shallow mouth at the beach. Destination Kiama and Visit NSW both point to these shallows as a spot that suits toddlers, and the calm water is popular all year for swimming, stand-up paddle boarding and kayaking.

Go at high tide. Destination Kiama says that is when the river is most popular, and Beachsafe warns that the mouth can cause problems on a falling tide, when the current runs out to sea. Keep small children close and out of the channel as the water drops.

Visit NSW says you can hire kayaks from Seven Mile Beach Holiday Park, the council-run park beside the river. Paddle upstream and the estuary bends north towards Gerringong. Beachsafe notes a long footbridge from the carpark and park to the northern end of the beach.

Destination Kiama lists a carpark and family amenities at the river and notes it does not cater for people with access needs. For more calm-water swims around the region, see our Kiama rock pools guide and things to do in Kiama with kids.

Learn to surf at the north end of Seven Mile Beach

Seven Mile Beach runs for just over 7 miles (11.8 km) from Black Head to the mouth of the Shoalhaven River. Gerroa sits at its sheltered northern end. Beachsafe says Black Head and its reefs block much of the swell here, so waves average less than 1 m and spill gently over a wide, shallow sandbar. That is why the surf schools teach here.

Further south the waves pick up to an average of 1.6 m, a second sandbar forms and rips cut the inner bar about every 300 m after bigger swells. Off Black Point, Beachsafe lists two reef breaks for experienced surfers that work in a moderate swell: a right called Av-A-Go Bernie and a left called Batchies. A bombora further out is more popular with sailboarders.

Destination Kiama lists kite and windsurfing among Gerroa's water sports. Only head out if you already have the skills, and give swimmers plenty of room.

Know the conditions before you swim. Beachsafe lists the Gerroa end of the beach as unpatrolled, rates it 5 out of 10 for hazard and calls the northern end moderately safe, thanks to the shallow bar and a usual lack of rips. NPWS warns that the national park beaches are not patrolled and can have strong rip currents. If you want flags, swim at a patrolled beach such as Werri Beach in the warmer months.

Picnic and walk in Seven Mile Beach National Park

Seven Mile Beach National Park is a narrow strip of coastal forest that runs from Gerroa to Shoalhaven Heads behind the dunes. Beachsafe describes littoral eucalypt forest with bracken and burrawang palms underneath, and NPWS lists dune blackbutt, bangalay and littoral rainforest.

Gerroa picnic area is at the park's northern end, with picnic tables on grass under the trees and the beach a short walk over the dunes. NPWS lists flush toilets, cold showers, drinking water and a step-free concrete path past the tables to the toilets. No barbecues are listed, and wood fires are not allowed. To get there from Kiama, drive south through Gerroa, turn left at the signpost 1.75 km past the Crooked River Bridge and follow the road 750 m to a gravel carpark. NPWS gives opening hours of 6am to 8pm in summer and 6am to 6pm in winter; check alerts before you go, as the park can close in bad weather or high fire danger.

The Sand track walk (north) links Beach Road picnic area with Gerroa picnic area. NPWS lists it as 3 km one way, Grade 4, taking 2.5 to 3.5 hours, through forest where you might see thornbills, wrens, honeyeaters and brown cuckoo doves. Walk one way through the trees and come back along the beach.

Leave the dog at home for this one. Pets are not permitted in the national park, other than certified assistance animals. Bring a hat, sunscreen, water and binoculars, and download the Emergency Plus app first, as mobile reception is limited. Fishing here needs a current NSW recreational fishing licence.

Stand where Kingsford Smith took off for New Zealand

At 2.50am on 11 January 1933, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith took off from Seven Mile Beach in the Southern Cross and flew across the Tasman Sea to New Plymouth in New Zealand. It was the first commercial flight from Australia to New Zealand, and it took 14 hours and 10 minutes. Some of the crowd turned on their car headlights to help light the take-off.

Destination Kiama says the beach was chosen because its length gave the heavily loaded plane a smooth run. Visit NSW points out it is almost three times the length of most Australian domestic runways. Four years earlier, in 1929, "Wizard" Smith set an Australian land speed record on the same sand.

The Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial and Lookout sits on the corner of Fern Street and Headland Drive. The memorial is laid out in the shape of the Southern Cross, with a plaque beside it, and the lookout gives you a long view down Seven Mile Beach, over the national park and along the southern coast. Entry is free and there is a carpark. Destination Kiama lists it as welcoming people with access needs.

It is a good stop at sunrise or sunset. See our Kiama sunrise and sunset guide and Kiama lookouts for others along the coast.

Walk the dog and fish at Black Head Reserve

Black Head Reserve covers the grassy tip of the Gerroa headland, with views over Seven Mile Beach and the Pacific. Enter from Stafford Street or Headland Drive. Kiama Council runs a dog off-leash area here, which makes it the spot in Gerroa to let the dog run, since dogs can't go into the national park.

Council's off-leash rules are simple: keep your dog under effective control by someone over 16, make sure it is registered and wearing a collar and tag, put it back on the lead outside the off-leash area and clean up after it. Check the signs on the day.

Visit NSW says tracks lead down from the grass to the rock platform, where you can fish and, at low tide, look for fossils, shells and rock-pool life. Black Head is a popular rock-fishing spot, but Beachsafe describes the basalt around the headland as treacherous, and it is dangerous in high seas. Wear a lifejacket, never fish alone and stay off the rocks when the swell is up. Our Kiama fishing guide covers rock fishing safety and the other spots nearby.

The reserve is also a council-listed wedding ceremony venue. If you are planning a celebration on the coast, see our Kiama wedding accommodation.

Watch for whales and dolphins from the headland

Gerroa's cliffs are a land-based whale-watching spot. Visit NSW says you can see whales migrating along the coast between May and November, and dolphins year-round. Bring binoculars and find a spot on the grass at Black Head or the Kingsford Smith lookout.

For the full season guide and the platforms between Kiama and Gerringong, read our whale watching guide.

Eat and drink in Gerroa

In Gerroa itself, the two places to sit down for a meal are both by the water. For more choice, Gerringong is 3 km north and Kiama about 12 minutes back up the road. See our Gerringong cafes and restaurants and where to eat in Kiama guides.

The Gerroa Boat Fishermans Club is the town's club, on Crooked River Road. Its Seahorse Brasserie serves lunch from 12pm to 2.30pm and dinner from 5.30pm to 8pm, seven days, and the club runs a weekend courtesy bus around Gerroa and Gerringong. The club asks for smart, tidy dress and footwear (thongs are fine), and no swimwear. Book on (02) 4234 0044 and check hours before you go.

The Blue Swimmer at Seahaven is a cafe-restaurant at 19 Riverleigh Avenue, where the Crooked River meets the sea. Destination Kiama describes a menu built on local South Coast produce, with waterside dining and a takeaway window. Its own site lists breakfast and lunch from 7.30am to 2.30pm Wednesday to Sunday and dinner from 5pm to 8.30pm on Friday and Saturday, closed Monday and Tuesday, with different hours in school holidays. Check before you go on (02) 4234 3796.

Wineries are close by too. Crooked River Estate, a Gerringong winery with a cellar door, restaurant and villas, is just up the road, and our wineries near Kiama guide covers the rest. Book a driver if you are tasting.

Get to Gerroa by car, coach or train

Most people drive. Visit NSW puts Gerroa about 2 hours from Sydney via the Grand Pacific Drive, about 40 minutes from Wollongong and 32 km from Shellharbour Airport. From Kiama it is a short run down the Princes Highway, turning off at Gerringong.

Without a car, it takes more planning. Destination Kiama says Greyhound Australia runs a limited coach service between Sydney and Gerroa, and Kiama Coachlines (02 4232 3466) serves Gerringong and Gerroa on weekdays only. The nearest train station is Gerringong, on the South Coast Line. Check times on Transport NSW before you set out. For the full picture, see our Sydney to Kiama guide.

Destination Kiama lists carparks at the Crooked River and the Kingsford Smith lookout, and NPWS has a gravel carpark at Gerroa picnic area. The town is busiest at Easter and over the summer holidays, so arrive early for a spot by the water.

Stay in Kiama and day trip to Gerroa

From Kiama Ridge Waters, Gerroa is about 12 minutes away by car, so you can paddle the Crooked River in the morning and be back in Kiama for dinner. Each of our three-bedroom holiday apartments at 2 Surfleet Place sleeps up to six. Closer to home, Easts Beach is a 15-minute walk and Kiama station about 27 minutes on foot.

Most of our apartments take pets, so the dog can come along for a run at Black Head Reserve. Check-in is from 3pm and check-out by 10am. See the apartments, family stays, pet-friendly stays or book the whole building for a group, then check dates.