Gerringong guide to Werri Beach, ocean pools and the coast walk

Get your bearings in Gerringong

Gerringong (postcode 2534) is a village on a hill between two headlands, looking down over the long curve of Werri Beach. It is part of the Municipality of Kiama, along with Kiama, Gerroa, Jamberoo, Minnamurra and Bombo, and the 2021 census counted 4,165 people living there.

The town is small enough to see in a day. Fern Street is the main street, with the shops, cafes, the Town Hall and the park where the monthly markets run. Belinda Street drops from the railway station down to Werri Beach, and the headland at the southern end of the beach holds the rock pools, the whale platform and Boat Harbour.

Gerringong is the southern entry point to the Kiama Coast Walk, so many people arrive here on foot from Kiama and catch the train back. Destination Kiama counts about half a dozen playgrounds and plenty of dog-friendly areas in the village.

Visit NSW puts Gerringong about 130 km south of Sydney on the Grand Pacific Drive, with Wollongong about 35 minutes north. Gerringong station is on the South Coast Line, one stop past Kiama. Check times on Transport NSW before you rely on a train.

Swim and surf at Werri Beach

Werri Beach is Gerringong's main beach: a long stretch of sand with Werri Lagoon behind it at the northern end and the Pacific in front. Visit NSW says lifeguards patrol it in the warmer months, so swim between the flags when they are up.

Surfers come for the point breaks at each end. Destination Kiama says the north point works in a summer north-easterly and gives a wave long-boarders like, and that spearfishers often gather on the rock shelf at the point. Families stick to the middle of the beach, where the sand is good for building castles.

Destination Kiama also lists Werri Beach among its shore fishing spots. See our Kiama fishing guide for rock safety rules before you fish from the platforms.

Swim in the ocean pools at South Werri and Boat Harbour

When the surf is up, Gerringong's rock pools are the calmer option.

South Werri (Ourie) Ocean Pool sits at the southern end of Werri Beach. It is an irregular pool cut into the rock shelf with a smooth, sloping concrete floor, and there is a separate concrete wading pool for small children. Destination Kiama lists a carpark, change rooms and toilets. Get there from Pacific Avenue or Geering Street, about 8 minutes' drive from the apartments.

Boat Harbour Rock Pool is around the headland near Cooke Park, reached by a walkway from Boat Harbour Reserve off Jupiter Street. Destination Kiama describes a natural rock floor with a sandy shallow end, good for a swim or a snorkel. Visit NSW notes the views over the headland, with barbecues, picnic tables and a children's playground close by. Destination Kiama rates Boat Harbour Reserve as a picnic spot, with a rock platform to explore, and Kiama Council lists the boat ramp there, which is unsuitable in rough swells.

Destination Kiama also notes that one of Gerringong's rock pools is the village's original ladies' bathing pool from the 1900s. For calm toddler water, it suggests the shallows at the Crooked River mouth near Gerroa.

Destination Kiama lists neither South Werri nor Boat Harbour as catering for people with access needs, and ocean pools can be dangerous in big seas. Compare them with the rest of the coast in our Kiama rock pools guide.

Watch for whales from Gerringong Headland

The Gerringong Whale Watching Platform stands above the cliffs on Gerringong Headland, with Werri Beach to the north and Boat Harbour to the south. Enter from Belinda Street near Gerringong Cemetery. There is a carpark, and it is about a five-minute walk from the centre of town.

Destination Kiama says it is the place to see whales migrating north from late May to July and south from September to November. Kiama Council lists undercover picnic tables, toilets, a rock pool and a large off-leash dog area on the headland, so it works for a long sit with a thermos even when the whales are slow to show. Destination Kiama notes the platform does not cater for people with access needs.

For the other whale lookouts along the coast, read our whale watching guide.

Finish the Kiama Coast Walk in Gerringong

The Kiama Coast Walk runs about 20 km from the Minnamurra River to Werri Beach. Its South section, from Loves Bay at Kiama Heights to Werri Beach, is about 6 km and 2 hours one way. Destination Kiama calls it the most untouched part of the walk: a zig-zag of coastal pastures and exposed clifftops with a notable number of hills, where the South Coast railway appears and disappears into tunnels carved more than 120 years ago. The weather can turn, so be prepared.

Check Werri Lagoon before you start. After heavy rain the lagoon can open to the sea, and when it does you can't cross to Werri Beach. Phone the Kiama Visitor Information Centre on 1300 654 262 to ask.

From Werri Beach, Gerringong station is 1.4 km up Belinda Street, past cafes and shops, so you can ride the train back to Kiama. Kiama station is about 27 minutes on foot from Kiama Ridge Waters. Destination Kiama lists a Walk + Eat + Ride lunch offer at Gerringong Bowling Club that includes a lift back to Kiama when you spend at least $20; call the club to check it is still running and to book.

Full section times, maps and dog rules are in our Kiama Coast Walk guide.

Visit Tasman Drive with care

Tasman Drive is the quiet residential street that runs down the hill towards Werri Beach with the ocean framed at the end. In recent years the view has made it a social media hotspot on TikTok and Instagram, and it has even featured in the New York Times.

It is still a street where people live. In June 2026 the Illawarra Mercury reported that Kiama Council had issued 37 parking fines worth more than $12,000 on Tasman Drive since January 2025, for parking across driveways and footpaths and double parking. Council compliance officers had been visiting twice each weekday and several times a day on weekends, and visitors have been asked not to stand or lie in the middle of the road for photos.

If you go:

• Park legally in the direction of travel, and never across a driveway or footpath.
• Take your photo from the footpath, keep it quick and keep the noise down.
• Take your rubbish with you, and use the public toilets on the headland or at the pools.
• Spend some time in town: a coffee on Fern Street or a swim at Werri Beach is a better way to see Gerringong anyway.

Shop the Rotary Markets and catch a film

The Gerringong Rotary Markets run on the third Saturday of each month from 8.30am to 1.30pm in the park in the centre of town at 108 Fern Street. Expect food stalls, books, toys, arts and crafts, clothing, leather goods and local produce, with buskers on some days and a playground for the kids. Destination Kiama lists toilets and disabled access.

Destination Kiama also mentions monthly cinema events in the village. Gerringong Pics and Flicks, a movie club based at Gerringong Town Hall on Fern Street, has screened films on the first Friday of the month. Its blog is no longer updated, so check the club's Facebook page for the current program before you go.

Along Fern Street and Belinda Street you'll find surfwear, homewares and local art. For the full monthly calendar across the region, see our Kiama markets guide and Kiama events.

Eat and drink in and around Gerringong

Gerringong's cafes and restaurants lean on the view and on local produce. Visit NSW names The Hill Bar and Kitchen above Werri Beach, Jack's Grill by Smith St inside the historic Cronin's Gerringong Hotel, the Gerringong Bakery for pies and pastries, and the bowling club for a classic pub meal. Our Gerringong cafes and restaurants guide covers them in more detail.

Two places make a good afternoon on the edge of town. Crooked River Estate is a family-owned winery and restaurant between Kiama and Berry, with tastings and live music. Stoic Brewing pours its craft beer and cider at Rowlins Road, with food and brewery tours. Stoic is about 9 minutes' drive from the apartments, and Crooked River Estate says it is 12 minutes from Kiama. Plan the rest with our wineries near Kiama guide, and book a driver if you are tasting.

Fill a day with golf, a maze or a farm class

If you have more time, there is plenty more to fill a day in and around Gerringong.

Gerringong Golf Club sits between Gerringong and Gerroa above Walkers Beach. Visitors can book rounds online, and the clubhouse is open daily. See our Kiama golf guide for the other courses.

Granties Maze and Fun Park is a hedge maze with more than 80 other attractions on 70 acres of farmland, many of them human-powered rides. It is at Broughton Village, about 15 minutes' drive south of the apartments, on the way to Berry. Phone ahead to check it is open before you go. More family ideas are in things to do in Kiama with kids.

Buena Vista Farm runs hands-on classes in Gerringong, including sourdough, cheesemaking, ferments and a bean-to-barista coffee class.

Keep driving south and you reach Gerroa and Seven Mile Beach in about 13 minutes, or continue to Berry for a day trip.

Stay in Kiama and day trip to Gerringong

From Kiama Ridge Waters, Gerringong is about 10 minutes away by car, so you can swim at Werri Beach 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, which suits a morning on Gerringong's off-leash headland. Check-in is from 3pm and check-out by 10am. See the apartments, pet-friendly stays or book the whole building for a group, then check dates.