Things to do in Mallacoota

Have you ever seen a goanna before? I can tell you, they’re pretty scary when they’re up close and they think you have food!

While exploring in the bush near Mallacoota, one makes a dash towards me, its tongue flicking out constantly (to help it smell).

I jump up on a nearby picnic table and we both freeze in place, me locking eyes with this two-metre-long menacing-looking lizard.

Eventually I decide I have to make a run for it (probably squealing more than acceptable) and the goanna makes no effort to follow… thankfully.

It’s only later I find out that it wouldn’t have actually attacked. It’s just that the goannas here in Croajingolong National Park have realised if they scare humans near picnic tables, often we just drop our food and flee!

I mention all of this because Croajingolong National Park and its wildlife are things that are impossible to avoid when you visit Mallacoota.

Set right on the coast, one side of Mallacoota is just water, while around it in every other direction is national park. To get to town, you have to drive through about 25 kilometres of Croajingolong from the turnoff at the highway.

When you arrive at Mallacoota, you’ll find a gorgeous little town with a population of only about 1000 people (although it grows dramatically during tourist season).

There aren’t really that many things to do in Mallacoota itself – but that’s kind of the point. The town is a place to relax and to use as a base to explore the incredible natural wonders that surround it.

It flies under the radar a bit, but for those in the know, it’s the perfect holiday destination – being the warmest town in Victoria means it’s pleasant for much of the year, for instance.

Whether you’re looking for somewhere to take a break for a week, or you just want a stop on a coastal drive between Melbourne and Sydney, here are my top tips for what to do in Mallacoota.

Croajingolong National Park

Croajingolong National Park is enormous, stretching along the coast for about 100 kilometres. (In fact, it makes up about about 5% of Victoria’s entire coastline.)

Although there are so many things to do in Croajingolong National Park, in this guide I’m just going to focus on the best activities that are easily accessible from Mallacoota.

(I’m also going to leave out the main Mallacoota beaches and local walks and discuss them separately in the next sections.)

Wildlife

Spend some time exploring and you’ll be astounded at how much wildlife there is to see in Croajingolong National Park.

Kangaroos and wallabies are easy to spot and you probably won’t even need to try. (In fact, you’ll likely see them just hanging around Mallacoota.)

But you might need to look a little harder for koalas. A good place to find them is the Double Creek Rainforest Loop.

If you want to see wombats, they can often be spotted after dark around Betka Beach. While those goannas I mentioned at the start like to hang around picnic areas.

You’ll also hear the birds calling everywhere as they jump between branches or swim on the lakes. As well as ground parrots, masked owls, pink robins, and hooded plovers, there are particularly important species like the eastern bristlebird and pilotbird.

Genoa Peak

Inland from Mallacoota, back up towards the highway, you might be able to spot Genoa Peak rising up amongst the bush.

The hike to the top of the peak is a popular walk – but it’s not easy. Although the distance is only about 1.5 kilometres return, it’s steep and involves climbing up ladders and jumping between some rocks.

Still, it’s worth it for the adventure… and for the views. From the top, you’ll get an impressive panoramic vista across the park and down to the coastline.

Shipwreck Creek

Although it’s not far from Mallacoota (about 15 minutes’ drive), Shipwreck Creek feels really secluded, a perfect encapsulation of the untouched wilderness of the national park.

There is a campground here (which is always an option for accommodation), but I think it’s also a good launching pad for some interesting day activities.

Walk through the windswept coastal heath to Shipwreck Creek Beach for a swim and a relaxing time by the water.

Or, for some longer hikes, you could head towards Seal Creek to see the intertidal rock pools, or go inland through the Heathland Walk, which is particularly colourful when the flowers come out in spring.

Wilderness Coast Walk

If you’re looking for a real adventure, you could consider tackling the long-distance Wilderness Coast Walk, which goes for about 100 kilometres along the coast.

The trail goes from Sydenham Inlet in the very west of Croajingolong National Park all the way across the border to Wonboyn in Nadgee Nature Reserve in New South Wales.

In total, it’s recommended as a seven-day walk. But, because it passes right through Mallacoota, you could choose just to do a section of it as a day hike while you’re staying here.

Beaches

Along with the raw wilderness of Croajingolong National Park, the other natural highlight around Mallacoota is the dramatic coastline.

There are several beaches you can easily reach from town, and each has a slightly different atmosphere.

Betka Beach

The closest coastal beach to Mallacoota, you could consider this to be the main one that people come to. It gets busy in summer but there’s always room along the expansive sandy stretch.

As well as being easy to access, it also has quite gentle surf and a sheltered area, making it good for families or weaker swimmers.

There are BBQs, picnic facilities, and some light walking trails, which means it’s also popular for a whole day out (although it’s close enough to town to pop back for lunch).

Quarry Beach

The scenery of Quarry Beach is much more rugged, with dramatic rock formations and tidal pools that reveal themselves when the water is out.

This is not really somewhere I would recommend swimming – it’s more about exploring and taking in the natural beauty, with the bush meeting the sand in a stunning way.

It is somewhere you might like to do some snorkelling, though, but keep in mind that the waves can be a bit rougher so take care.

Secret Beach

As the name suggests, this is not one of the most popular beaches and, although you may not have it to yourself, it will feel quieter and more secluded than some of the other Mallacoota beaches.

You can access the beach from a short walking trail and, emerging on the sand, the beautiful coastal views will hit you, with striking rocky outcrops, golden sand, and the glistening water.

The currents can be a bit strong here so it’s not recommended for swimming, but it’s a great example of the rugged beauty of the coast.

Pebbly Beach

This is another of these beaches that has been aptly named. Although there is sand here, there are also a lot of smooth rounded pebbles along the sure, which give it a different feel to the other ones.

Pebbly Beach is quiet and surrounded by gorgeous bushland, so it’s a nice place for a bit of a rest. But the swimming here isn’t great.

This is the last of the beaches that are relatively easy to reach from Mallacoota (the next, as you go south, is about four kilometres away, near Shipwreck Creek). So Pebbly Beach can be a good spot to start or end a coastal walk.

Mallacoota Inlet

The stunning coastline is just one way to enjoy the water here. There’s also the Mallacoota Inlet, a narrow waterway along the side of town that opens up to an expansive series of lakes.

Some of the best things to do in Mallacoota are found here, and I would recommend taking some time to explore parts of the inlet.

Rent a boat

The Mallacoota Inlet is divided into two main parts, known as Top Lake and Bottom Lake, separated by a small waterway called The Narrows..

Bottom Lake, which is closer to Mallacoota, is quite large and open and has a recreational feel with a number of picnic spots along its shore offering pleasant spots to hang out.

Top Lake also has picnic spots, but it’s more scenic and is perhaps a better option for cruising and looking for wildlife in a quieter environment.

A great way to spend the day on the water, visiting these little bays, is by renting a boat.

There are a couple of places in town you can do that, and I would recommend Mallacoota Hireboats if you’re inexperienced because they rent powerboats that you don’t need a licence for.

Take a cruise

If you don’t want to captain a boat yourself, then you could just take a cruise on the Mallacoota Inlet.

Offering regular cruises is a delightful boat called the MV Loch-Ard, which was built in the early 1900s and was briefly a passenger ferry before becoming focused on tourism.

The MV Loch-Ard has been in Mallacoota for more than 30 years and has recently been restored.

The two main trips it offers are a two-hour Pleasure Cruise looking at the wildlife and scenery of the lakes, or the two-hour Twilight Cruise, where you’ll be able to see the colours change as the sun sets.

Go fishing

The waterways here are full of life, so Mallacoota is a really popular spot for fishing. You don’t have to be a professional – even throwing in a line from a wharf is likely to get you something.

Speak to the locals to find the best fishing spots in Mallacoota when you’re there, but generally Top and Bottom Lake are better than the Narrows, while the Genoa and Wallagaraugh Rivers offer better spots for bream and perch.

There are flathead, mullet, trevally, and tailor to be found in the waters, as well as salmon and whiting. If you don’t have your own gear, there’s a tackle shop in town.

Kayaking

You don’t need a boat to explore the lakes – a kayak is another great way to see the scenery (and is one of my favourite things to do in Mallacoota).

You obviously don’t go as fast as a powerboat, but the nice thing about going at a slower pace is that you’ve got time to look for birds and other wildlife along the shore.

You can definitely still make it to some of the picnic spots, so pack a lunch and make a day of it. (Don’t forget your swimming gear on a warm day.)

I would suggest renting a kayak from Mallacoota Hireboats (the same place as the powerboats), which are about $70 for the whole day.

Other activities

Other than these main Mallacoota attractions, there are lots of other things to do in town and the surrounding area, so let’s have a look at some of them.

Walking trails

I’ve already mentioned a couple of the main hiking trails in Croajingolong National Park that are easily accessible from Mallacoota, but there are lots of other small ones in and around town.

For instance, there’s a path that follows the Bottom Lake from Karbeethong Jetty to Mallacoota and has some beautiful views along the way, particularly from the boardwalk sections over the water.

For something a bit less developed, there’s a walk from Captain Creek to Double Creek that takes you through gorgeous bushland with very likely sightings of koalas in the trees.

Or just head to Betka Beach and take one of the trails from there – either shorter ones around the park, or go as long as you want down the coast.

Cycling

Many of the walking trails are also suitable for bikes, so cycling is definitely another great option for getting around.

But the good thing about a bike is you can also head along the roads, deeper into Croajingolong Park, to reach spots that you couldn’t do by foot (and may not want to do by car).

On top of that, there are some mountain bike tracks throughout the park that are really fun (and sometimes challenging) for experience riders. A 43-kilometre loop along Miners Track and Betka Track is a great one if you’re looking for an adventure.

If you don’t have your own, you can hire bikes at Sue’s Bribes, a cute little store in town.

Mallacoota Arts Space

Within the Croajingolong Centre, the Mallacoota Arts Space hosts exhibitions of local artists who create works in a whole range of media.

Paintings, drawings, sculptures, crafts and more – you’ll find it here, with a regularly changing collection of art pieces.

While the focus of the Mallacoota Arts Space is on local artists regardless of their topics, you’ll find that many of them are inspired by the gorgeous landscapes of the region and the heritage that goes back thousands of years.

Bunker Museum

Just a few kilometres down the coast from town, the Mallacoota WWII Bunker Museum is housed in a site that was used by the Australian air force in World War II to protect the entrance to Bass Strait.

One of the bunkers has been restored by the local RSL and the Mallacoota Historical Society and seeing the building and the operations area is part of the interest.

But the museum also has a large collection of items related to the war efforts and life in the region at the time. There’s lots here to see, even within a relatively small area.

Exploring the area

You’re visiting Mallacoota to relax, so I wouldn’t expect you to want to jump in the car for too long. But there are some particular spots that are a little out of town that I think are worth travelling for.

Gipsy Point

About 20 minutes’ drive from Mallacoota, almost back at the highway, is Gipsy Point. This is a tiny little community set on the river, with a boat ramp and some accommodation.

I mention it for two reasons – firstly, there are a few lovely places to stay here, so you might want to consider it if you want accommodation somewhere more secluded than Mallacoota.

But I also mention is because it can be a pleasant destination for a little expedition from town, either by car or by boat.

Gipsy Point is famous for the eastern grey kangaroos that hang around here in large groups, so you can stop to see them. There’s also an upmarket restaurant, if you’re looking for a change of scene for dinner.

Genoa Falls

Back on the highway and just a short drive south, is Genoa Falls, a gorgeous scenic spot.

The walk from the car park to the falls is easy (only about 400 metres one way) and then there’s a stairway that takes you down to a good viewing spot.

Although each of the cascades are only a couple of metres high, there are several of them, creating a lovely scene as the water tumbles down from a river to the pool below.

On hot days, you might like to have a dip in the water. But even if it’s too cold for that, the eucalyptus and birdlife that surround the falls make for a wonder visit.

Gabo Island

Even though it’s just 500 metres off the coast, Gabo Island feels remote and makes an adventurous day trip from Mallacoota.

The wildlife here is a highlight because its home colonies of several types of seabirds, including little penguins. You’ll also often be able to spot dolphins and stingrays in the water around the island.

But the other main attraction is the Gabo Island Lighthouse, built from 1858. At 47 metres high, it’s the second tallest in Australia and the only active beacon in Victoria.

Gabo Island is about 14 kilometres from Mallacoota and is accessible by private boat or with one of the local charter boat businesses, like

Food and drink

It’s a small town but you won’t have trouble finding somewhere to eat or drink in Mallacoota – just head to the main streets. But let me give you an overview of what to expect.

Where to eat

Although Mallacoota is small, the population swells to up to 8000 people in the peak of the summer holidays, and there are quite a few restaurants and cafes ready to serve them!

For something quick and easy, Cafe 54 is a cute little cafe for breakfast and lunch, while the small weatherboard shack of Origami Coffee does one of the best brews.

For some simple fare of pizza and burgers, Lee’s Takeaway is a good option.

But I think the best meals are either at the pubs (more on that in a second) or at Lucy’s, a rustic noodle house on the main street with traditional Chinese dishes.

Keep in mind that quite a few places to eat in Mallacoota are seasonal and will shut down over winter or outside of school holidays.

Where to drink

For both drinks and pub meals, there are a couple of decent options in Mallacoota.

The Mallacoota Hotel is the obvious one and is a very typical Australian pub, with a few different spaces – including a beer garden that can get quite raucous during the holidays!

On the waterfront, there’s Scallywags, a newer establishment that’s a bit of a mix between a restaurant and a bar. It’s pirate-themed and has a really fun atmosphere.