Berry & the Shoalhaven
Between the beaches and the hinterland lies the Shoalhaven — a string of heritage towns, farm-gate oyster sheds, wineries and country pubs. Pretty Berry is the darling of the region, but there's riverside Nowra, the heritage village of Milton, the fishing harbour of Ulladulla and beachside Mollymook, home to Rick Stein's seafood restaurant. It's the coast's food-and-country heart.
Historic Berry
Berry is the kind of town people plan a trip around — a heritage main street of boutiques, antique shops, bakeries and cafés, wrapped in green dairy country. Browse Queen Street, time it for the Thursday farmers' market, sample the local bakeries and donut van, and detour to the surrounding wineries. It's about two hours from Sydney and twenty minutes from the coast, and the perfect base for exploring the northern Shoalhaven and nearby Kangaroo Valley.
Nowra, Milton & Ulladulla
Inland on the river, Nowra is the Shoalhaven's working hub — gateway to riverside walks, wineries, distilleries and the Bundanon art estate of Arthur Boyd. South down the highway, the heritage ridge-top village of Milton charms with 19th-century streetscapes, galleries and some of the region's best cafés and restaurants, while its neighbour Ulladulla is a busy fishing harbour famous for its Easter Sunday Blessing of the Fleet. Just beyond lies beachside Mollymook.
Oysters & the Shoalhaven table
This is Sydney rock oyster country, and there's no better way to taste it than at the source. Greenwell Point, near Nowra, is the classic oyster village, where Jim Wild's Oysters shucks them fresh off the Crookhaven River; further south, the Clyde River at Batemans Bay is equally famous. Add Berry's bakeries, Milton's restaurants, local wineries and Mollymook's Rick Stein at Bannisters, and the Shoalhaven is a genuine food destination — see our where to eat guide.
Berry & the Shoalhaven: your questions
Berry is the Shoalhaven's prettiest heritage town — a National Trust-era main street (Queen Street) lined with boutiques, antique shops, cafés, bakeries and country pubs, set among rolling dairy farmland. It's known for its food and produce scene, including a popular Thursday farmers' market and nearby wineries, and makes an easy, charming stop about two hours south of Sydney and just inland from the coast.
The Shoalhaven is prime Sydney rock oyster country. The main oyster village is Greenwell Point, near Nowra on the Crookhaven River, where Jim Wild's Oysters is the best-known farm-gate seller — shucked fresh at the source. Further south, the Clyde River at Batemans Bay is equally renowned, with farm-gate outlets like The Oyster Shed. It doesn't get fresher than straight off the lease.
The Shoalhaven stretches from Berry and Nowra down the coast to Ulladulla. The key towns are historic Berry, the riverside commercial hub of Nowra, the heritage ridge-top village of Milton, the working harbour town of Ulladulla, and the beachside resort of Mollymook — plus inland Kangaroo Valley. Together they anchor the region's food, wine and beach scene.
Yes — celebrated British chef Rick Stein has a seafood restaurant, Rick Stein at Bannisters, at the clifftop Bannisters hotel in Mollymook, near Ulladulla. It's one of the region's best-known dining destinations, focused on local seafood. See our where to eat guide for this and the wider Shoalhaven food scene.
Ulladulla has the largest commercial fishing fleet on the NSW South Coast, and each Easter Sunday the town holds its traditional Blessing of the Fleet — a century-old ceremony of Italian fishing heritage in which the decorated boats are blessed in the harbour, alongside a festival of food, music and celebration. It's one of the coast's most colourful annual events.