CUDMIRRAH BERRARA SWANHAVEN
PROGRESS  ASSOCIATION INC.
Reg No Y2229039  ABN : 71 938 119 513 Email: click here

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Things to do in our area.

Things to do and see at Berrara.

Apart from the usual surfing, swimming, fishing our pristine beaches, canoing Berrara Creek or just bushwalking, you are surrounded by National Park that will never change. Bicycle riding is also popular. 

Here are a few other suggestions:

 Fishermans Rock

Walk either along the power pole track to Fishermans Rock or you can walk along the bottom track from the Berrara Lagoon Reserve – as long as it hasn’t been raining.  Here you will find an excellent place to fish or picnic.  The NPWS have provided picnic tables.  There are aboriginal spear sharpening grooves on some of the rocks at this site. Follow the track further  west and you will come to the little waterfall on Berrara Creek.

Walk to Walter Hood Monument via Berrara Creek and NPWS bush trails.

Continue past Fishermans Rock and cross over the little waterfall and follow the track to the end of Berrara Creek.  There is also a waterfall up the creek a little further. Cross the creek and follow the signs. You can return along Berrara Beach.  About three hours. Better to go with someone who knows the way.

   The Glanville Graveyard.  

       

On the way to Fishermans, have a look at the Glanville family's private graveyard.  They are situated behind the last home in Sundowner Ave and are fenced off with a fence that appears to be made of sleepers.  This  tiny cemetery continues to be used by the family. There does not appear to be any other graveyard in the Sussex Inlet area.

A walk down to Mermaid. 

Walk south along Berrara Beach to the rocky headland.  Walk across the flat rocks and you will find the Mermaid pool.  A beautiful natural swimming pool in the rocks.  Watch it at high tide as water can pour into Mermaid like a waterfall.  If you don’t feel like a swim, take some bread with you, sit up on the rocks and throw the bread in the pool and  watch the fish feed.

Mermaid pool  at end of Berrara Beach

Monument Beach, the Walter Hood Monument.

Continue past Mermaid, follow the path around the headland rocks, cross over the next beach, another  rock shelf then when you come to what is commonly called Monument Lake, but is on maps as Nerrindillah Creek, look for a track leading  from the bank through grass and bush north  and this will lead you up to the Walter Hood Monument.  The Walter Hood was wrecked on rocks off this beach on the 26^th April 1870 with the loss of one passenger, the Captain and nine of his crew.  There is a picnic shelter, water and toilets here. Unlike the photo below, no one can get this close to the monument as there is now a cyclone fence surrounding it.The Walter Hood was carrying tiles for St Marys Cathedral and some of the the broken tiles  that had been washed up, were collected and spread around on the flat section where the children are standing. There are not many pieces of tiles and bottles washed up now, but in years past, it was very common to find them on the shore.  The wreck lies in about 10 metres of water and is a popular dive spot. 

Walter Hood Monument at Monument Beach circa 1949.

Pictured are the Chapman Children, LtoR Gregory, Gary, Heather and friend Carol Rogerson

Berrara Cove rocks contain many fossils dating back millions of years.

 The most common fossils on the "Cove" rock platform are of pectins (scallop like molluscs) and crinoids(long skinny echinoderms). They are lying in sediments that are about 240-280 million years old.
During the Paleozoic Era Berrara was covered by a shallow sea and the climate was tropical or sub tropical. The world was a warmer wetter place then. However, towards the end of this era during the Ordovician period the greatest mass extinction in the earths history took place. This was probably due to global cooling plunging the world into an extreme ice age. Berrara would have been engulfed by the polar ice caps. Species had nowhere to migrate to and 90% of life on earth disappeared.

Fossil information, courtesy of  Dr.Graham Morgan, thanks Graham.

NOTE:
Look at the fossils and photograph them if you wish, but please don't damage or try to remove fossils or take rocks containing them, as it is illegal to do so. If everyone went home with a fossil, there would be none left for others to study.  

Bushwalking

There are many excellent walks around Berrara  Cudmirrah and  Swanhaven.

The shared pathway this association has built from near the road bridge at Cudmirrah through to Swanhaven is one excellent way to explore Swan Lake. Suitable for all ages and strollers and motorised scooters.
 Ask a local, they will tell you the best walks for you to enjoy.

BerraraBeach Chalets have chalets available in the caravan park for holidays and weekends away.

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What to do in Cudmirrah.

Aboriginal for " home of the swans" named after the black swans that congregate on Swan Lake.

   

  Swan Lake is the dominant attraction in Cudmirrah.

  All year round it attracts visitors and and locals alike to sail catamarans, windsurfers, water skiing and swimming.  Cudmirrah also has good reserves such as Errol Bond Reserve with toilets, barbeques and tables.It is a great spot to have a picnic. It has a General Store and coffee shop where you can have a cup of coffee and admire the view .   Tennis courts are available to hire. They are located next to the Cudmirrah Berrara  Community Hall and the Cudmirrah Berrara  Rural Fire Service Brigade.

There are three caravan parks, two  with cabins that are available for holidays or weekends.

 Swan Lake also has the Swan Lake Sailing Club and meet regularly to hold regattas. 

Shared pathway from Cudmirrah to Swanhaven.

This progress association has recently completed  stage 3 of their project of building a shared pathway from Cudmirrah to Swanhaven to alleviate bicycle riders from having to ride the dangerous section of Springs Road. It is an excellent gentle walk suitable for all ages and wanders along the banks of Swan Lake.  It is mostly concrete pathway except where we had to have a gravel section because it is an easement area and has to be accessed by the electricty and council water vehicles. There is also a section of boardwalk that was built for us by our Sussex Inlet Mens Shed.  A lovely way to enjoy nature, the different trees and views over Swan Lake.

                            

           Boardwalk section Swanhaven end                               Part of stage 2 section Cudmirrah end

   

            Stage 2 and 3 joined at Ski Beach             View looking south to Cudmirrah Bridge stage 3 completed

It is a popular walk/ride for locals and tourists alike. Great views of Swan Lake and the wildlife on it. Walk along  the wetland area under beautiful Bangalay Gum trees.  Look for the black swans on the lake. Walking south back from Dyball Reserve, Swanhaven, keep an eye out for a view of Pigeonhouse Mountain over the trees and mountains. Our Association has worked hard to build this  shared cycleway/walkway.

 Other Bushwalks
 Walk the loop of Goonawarra Drive out to the junction of old Berrara Road then turn left and follow Old Berrara Road back to Berrara.

Walk along Goonawarra Drive and turn left and walk through the track that connects to Old Berrara Road and comes out at Berrara at Berrara Road, near the track under the power lines leading to Fishermans Rock. 

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THINGS TO DO IN SWANHAVEN

Picnic, walks and enjoying Swan Lake.

Swanhaven’s Dyball Reserve on the banks of Swan Lake is a great place to take the children to swim in a northerly wind as it is protected.  

In a southerly, everyone chooses the Cudmirrah side of Swan Lake and Errol Bond Reserve, near the shop. 

Dyball Reserve has a barbeque, tables and seats plus toilet facilities. 

 It is also the start of the shared pathway along the banks of Swan Lake to Cudmirrah.

Before and after photos of the same area of our the shared pathway from Dyball Reserve Swanhaven,The pathway runs along the shore of Swan Lake finishing near Cudmirrah Bridge.