18 great bike rides in the Narooma - Tilba - Bermagui area of the New South Wales Far South Coast

Ride 4

Bodalla Forest Park to Brou Lake
Return distance 12 kilometres
Easy grade. Child-friendly
Start: Bodalla Forest Park

This is a short, easy ride, but one where the memories will remain with you long after you have returned home. If you are staying in Narooma, travel north along the highway a short distance past the second turnoff to Dalmeny. Ride through part of the Bodalla State Forest and the Eurobodalla National Park—with their spotted gums and burrawangs—and enjoy the peace and quiet beside Brou Lake. Be sure to take a map and food and water with you, as there are no facilities at the lake. There are primitive fireplaces near the lake where you can boil the billy.

Which track? Many options

While the map shows the main track to the lake and return, these are by no means the only tracks within this section of the park. Although they all seem to link up, it might be wise to try to remember the tracks you take.

Start at Bodalla Forest Park

This ride starts at the Bodalla Forest rest area, sometimes called the Bodalla Forest Park, about two kilometres north of the Dalmeny turnoff on the Princes Highway.

Make a note of the tracks you take to the lake—some of them are not well defined.

On the northern-eastern corner of Bodalla Forest Park (the rest area), there is a narrow track through the forest. Follow this for 0.8 km to a T-junction. Turn left and follow the road for half a kilometre to the main road to Brou Lake. Make a note of this junction for your return—it is rather indistinct from the other way.

At the Brou Lake Road, turn right. After 1.9 kilometres, you will come to a fork in the road. The junction is well signposted. The road straight ahead will take you to Brou Beach. Ignore this for the time being—you can see the beach on your way back.

Take the left road 1.6 kilometres to Brou Lake.

When you come to the lake, you should notice another track winding around the lake towards the beach, about one kilometre away. Anywhere along that stretch of lakefront is delightful for birdwatching, swimming, and for lunch or refreshments.

Birdlife of the lake

Apart from the peace and quiet of this ride, other highlights include the magnificent birdlife—pelicans, egrets, white-faced herons, azure kingfishers and many cormorants. You might be lucky enough to see a white breasted sea eagle in flight.

Spend some time near the lake and look at the forest. You could see forest birds too, and perhaps some wallabies, including the long-nose potoroo. The potoroos are very elusive.

To return, retrace your steps to the Brou Beach turnoff. The beach is less than half a kilometre from the junction. Return the rest of the way that you came.

A delightful end to this ride is to enjoy a barbecue at the Bodalla Forest Park. There are benches and tables in the shelters there, with several barbecues. There's always plenty of firewood nearby.

Map for Ride 4.