Discover Mallacoota

Mallacoota is bountiful in abalone and also known for legendary monster flathead in the depths. Black bream is an easier catch in the Top Lakes taking yabbie and are more prominent early or late in the day.

Genoa and Wallagaraugh Rivers feed Mallacoota Inlet and attracts anglers from far and wide. There is a dual lane boat ramp for the experienced mariner and a breakwater at Bastion Point for the dabblers, providing a safer and more sheltered launch area.

Try your luck at Harrisons Channel, sometimes producing a mixed bag with soft plastics and prawn.

If you haven’t brought your own fishing gear, you can take an offshore fishing tour with Mallacoota Fishing Charters & Tours or grab a boat from Buckland’s Jetty Boat Hire.

Mallacoota has a top and bottom inlet, where the water is still and calm, perfect for swimming, canoeing, kayaking and taking out small boats and cruisers. There are many boat and kayak hire places in the town, who will fix you up with all you need for a day of fun on the water.

Soak up the sun and the sand, and views of the resplendent coastline on the Mallacoota Lakeside Shared Pathway or the 6km Betka Creek to Secret Beach Walk. Or just north of the town you can stroll between Buckland’s Jetty and Captain Creek Jetty on The Narrows Walk which meanders along the picturesque shoreline of the Mallacoota Inlet.

There is a stunning boardwalk that links the Bottom Lake foreshore in town with the Karbeethong Jetty, weaving over and around the lake and wetlands.

Get your legs pumping as you pedal the Captains Creek Trail, suitable for mountain biking. The 14km trail starts at the intersection of Mallacoota-Genoa Road and Karbeethong Road, where it follows the spectacular coast ending at the Mallacoota Bakery where you can grab a bite and a coffee.

For longer walks, take the short trip south to Croajingolong National Park where epic hikes weave through the raw beauty of this national park.

Mallacoota is serving up restaurants and cafes fitting for its beachside location. Expect lots of local seafood, waterfront locations and chilled out vibes from the restaurant and cafe-scene.

Start your day right at Beanie Coffee, a popular coffee van nestled under the canopy of a large eucalypt overlooking the spectacular Mallacoota Lake and beyond to the Howe Range.

Next door, you’ll find Alf’s Pizza slinging laidback morning coffee and breakfast focaccias, followed up with delicious woodfired Neapolitan pizzas for dinner.

Overlooking the lake, s.u.n.dayss cafe offers up a healthy range of juices, smoothie bowls and wild rye ciabatta toasties.

Ahoy, me hearties! Set sail for a swashbucklin' seafood feast at Scallywags, captained by a local fisherman and adorned as a pirate's lair, this waterfront restaurant dishes up treasures of the deep from grilled fish to crispy burgers.

While in town, don’t miss Lucy’s restaurant, a Mallacoota institution famed for homemade rice noodles and Cantonese dumplings.

Just off Mallacoota’s east coast is the pink granite outcrop of Gabo Island which is a great spot for a daytrip or picnic. Featuring clear waters, a sandy beach and rock pools along the shoreline, the island is simply beautiful.

Onshore, there is an old cemetery and ruins from WWII and the stoic lighthouse where tours are available. For accommodation with a difference, you can stay at the Assistant Lightkeeper’s Residence and watch the Little Penguins as they return to their burrows after spending a day foraging in the sea.

A water taxi service and lighthouse tours are available with Mallacoota Fishing Charters & Tours, or you can charter a boat for your own remote-island adventure.

Just 18km upriver from Mallacoota is Gipsy Point. Hire a boat (Gipsy Point Lodge can help you out) and explore the Mallacoota Inlet, renowned for its plentiful supply of black bream and dusky flathead.

Departing from the Gipsy Point Wharf, take a two hour cruise with Captain John Gerard’s Wilderness River Cruises, and watch for nests of sea eagles, azure kingfishers and visit the beautiful Jumping Mullet Bend.