potato point
TATERS gunna TATE! This place is SPUDtacular! If you desire the ultimate beachfront site, campfires and being surrounded by bushland, this place will be aPEELing to you! And for the price we paid, we think it's cheap as CHIPS!
Ok, I will stop with the potato puns but when you're staying at Potato Point, you just can't help yourself! Potato Point is a hidden gem that is located at Bodalla, 30mins north of Narooma and 45mins south of Batemans Bay. Potato Point is located on Yuin Country, which extends from the Shoalhaven in the north, to the Victorian border in the south and west to the Great Dividing Range. Within Yuin Country, there are 13 sub tribal groups that exist. We would like to acknowledge the Bowdally people as the traditional owners of this land in which we rested and connected with friends on at Potato Point. We recognise the Bowdally people as the knowledge holders of the Bergalia and Brou Lake areas and respect their connection to the land, sky and waterways. We stayed at Beachcomber Holiday Park on an unpowered beachfront site. The holiday park is minimising their environmental impact by using their own water collected on site, self managed sewerage and solar power.
We first came across Potato Point when our great mates from Jarvis Bay and Chuck and Taz, invited us along for a camping trip. We have visited every year since! It also makes for the perfect camping spot to meet up with my best mates, Studio On Taylor's Bay from Jindabyne and Made it Memorable from Canberra, as it is roughly the same traveling time for all of us. We have stayed a fair few times and on different sites. Anything beachfront you can't beat. During this stay, we were on site 5 which had mostly direct beach views due to the bushland on the dunes. Nothing to complain about. Sites 1-4 do have heavy vegetation in front of their sites. We loved sites 7-9 when camping with our mates, but because of the influx of domestic travellers this year, we were unable to secure sites next to each other. If you fancy a bigger site that still has ocean views, is protected a little more from the winds and closer to the amenities, check out sites 18, 19, 21, 22 (Mitch and Cat are going to kill me as this is their favourite sites). It can be quite breezy during your stay so be sure to bring along your ropes for the annex and bed end flys, and your annex mat as all of the sites are grass / sandy.
We pack our 160w portable solar panels which charge the caravan 100Ah AGM battery. Most of the sites are unpowered as the holiday park isn't connected to the electricity grid. There is a limited number of solar powered sites that can be used to run your lights, fridge, battery charger and TV. High powered appliances such as air-conditioners, heaters, microwaves and electric hot water won't be able to work. Water is not supplied to the sites and because the water supply is from their bore and water tanks, you are unable to refill your tank on site. There is also no dump points available. If you're traveling north, there is a dump point at Moruya on Shore Street, opposite Moruya Bowling Club. This is 30mins from the holiday park. The amenities block is huge and the showers are super hot if you want them to be! The camp kitchen is massive and there are free gas BBQs. There is phone reception with Optus.
We pack our 160w portable solar panels which charge the caravan 100Ah AGM battery. Most of the sites are unpowered as the holiday park isn't connected to the electricity grid. There is a limited number of solar powered sites that can be used to run your lights, fridge, battery charger and TV. High powered appliances such as air-conditioners, heaters, microwaves and electric hot water won't be able to work. Water is not supplied to the sites and because the water supply is from their bore and water tanks, you are unable to refill your tank on site. There is also no dump points available. If you're traveling north, there is a dump point at Moruya on Shore Street, opposite Moruya Bowling Club. This is 30mins from the holiday park. The amenities block is huge and the showers are super hot if you want them to be! The camp kitchen is massive and there are free gas BBQs. There is phone reception with Optus.
Although you are kilometres away from any shops, there is still plenty to keep the whole tribe entertained. There is an onsite kiosk that sells bread, milk, ice-creams, gas, ice, bait, lollies, coffees...it is well stocked up and reasonably priced! Our warriors just love exploring the surrounds, whether that be playing on the beach, building bases on the dunes or playing in the bush. There is a children's playground and open air movies during the peak seasons. Our eldest warrior loves fishing off the rocks and beach, but there is also a lake at the north end of the campground which is a great spot for fishing! Our favourite thing to do would have to be kicking back in front of the campfire to watch the sunset. There are plenty of fire pits around the campground. Bring your own wood otherwise you can buy some from reception. Campfire spuds are a must! You can also buy dough for pizza bases from reception so you can make up your own pizzas and cook them in the communal pizza oven! Fancy a bush-walk? There is a beautiful coastal walk from Potato Point to Dalmeny via Lake Brou. It is 14km and can take between 4-5hrs return. It is classified as a medium grade walk. Don't be alarmed if a burroo (Dhurga word for kangaroo) or a biribanj (emu) pass you by, especially on the beach. These guys are pretty chilled out, but just don't get up in their grill or feed them. Trust me, there is plenty for them to eat. Just be aware that ticks are prone to get cosy in this area so just be sure to pack the right first aid equipment. They seem to be worse since the bushfires that came through the area in 2020.
A 15min drive up the road is Bodalla. You can't stay at Potato Point without a visit to the Bodalla Dairy Shed! You can stock up on some bush tucker cheeses including our two favourite flavours, Queensland Lemon Myrtle and Chilli with Wattleseed (this one packs a punch but perfect for cooler nights around the campfire). They also make their own ice-creams from scratch and infuse the flavours overnight to make the most tasty ice-cream and thickshakes! We grabbed some takeaway Bodalla Milk and Honey flavoured ice-cream and paired it up with an old fashioned apple pie from Bodalla Bakery that we baked on the Weber. The Bodalla Pub is the perfect place for a sunny pub grub in the beer garden for lunch or eat in for dinner with live music. There is also what our warriors call a 'rainbow shop' in the main street called Hippie Sticks, as well as the Bodalla Lavender Shop and a cafe/ restaurant called The Downward Dog Co. Cafe.
Well, as you can clearly see, we love Potato Point! What isn't there to love? Be sure to pack those winter warmers in the cooler months as it can get quite chilly. You just can't beat it!
Peace + love,
Peace + love,