Adventure Awaits on the New South Wales South Coast

The world's best off-road triathletes will soon arrive in New South Wales for the inaugural XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championshipon April 25-27, 2014.

This premier event will be held just a few hours south of Sydney in the beach side town of Callala Beach, on pristine Jervis Bay. Described as a “mountain biker’s heaven”, the spectacular coast line of the Jervis Bay area will provide a fitting location to host this unique triathlon event for the next three years.

The triathlon includes a 1.5k swim at Callala Beach, a bay renowned for its white sand beaches and clear turquoise water; a 29k trail bike ride through eucalyptus forests in the Nowra State Forest; and a 12k run on a single track with heavy growth under feet and undulating fire roads. The weekend will also include a sprint distance off-road triathlon, trail runs, kids’ events, camps, clinics, and social gatherings.

With over 500 kilometres of coastline south of Sydney including beaches, national parks and a hinterland of rainforest and hidden valleys, XTERRA isn’t the only adrenalin experience you can have in the idyllic South Coast. From Stanwell Park to Wollongong, Shellharbour to Batemans Bay, Bermagui and Merimbula, adventure awaits in the region.

Water Sports

Boating, jet-skiing, windsurfing or simply swimming: if you love water sports the South Coast offers plenty of choice. Merimbula Bar, Wreck Bay near Jervis Bay, and Killalea State Park near Kiama have challenging surf waves with Killalea State Park one of Australia’s National Surfing Reserves, featuring 250 hectares of pristine coastal reserve.

Other popular water activities include fishing, diving and snorkelling, sailing, canoeing and kayaking. Bushrangers Bay near Shellharbour is one of the State’s best scuba-diving centres and Shoalhaven Gorge in Morton National Park is one of the country’s best flat-water kayaking destinations. Further south, offshore from Narooma, you can swim and snorkel with seals atMontague Island Nature Reserve.

Land Odysseys

National parks and nature reserves along the coast provide plenty of rugged landscapes for adventure activities on land. Explore the wild coast, beaches and woodlands of Ben Boyd National Park on foot or get fit to climb.

The gorge at Bungonia Creek is the deepest in Australia and among the most dramatic in the world. Rock climbing, caving, abseiling and canyoning are available at Bungonia to experienced or supervised adventure seekers. There are also five walking tracks ranging in degree of difficulty, and bush camping is permitted in certain areas.

Further south the Light to Light Walk knits together some of the most sensational scenery on the Sapphire Coast. The 31-kilometre, three-day walk links the lighthouse at Green Cape and Boyd’s Tower, both within Ben Boyd National Park. Features of the walk include towering cliffs shaped by a pounding sea, headlands, beaches and sheltered coves.

Cycling is also popular on the South Coast with many cycle ways passing through the region's most picturesque areas. Action-packed bike trails in national parks can be found in Deua, from Greenpatch in Booderee, Morton and Murramarang national parks.

Australian Cycling Holidays run family cycling holidays on the NSW South Coast. The self-guided multi-day tours combine a love of cycling with stunning scenery and accommodation. The Bay and Back 2 ½ day tour sees guests cycle from the banks of the Shoalhaven River to the pristine Waters of Jervis Bay and includes accommodation, bicycle hire and luggage transfer.

Airborne Adrenalin

Adventure in the air is also popular in this region. Bald Hill at Stanwell Park is one of the best coastal hang-gliding locations in the world; take advantage of the location and the experienced instructors to enjoy the thrill of your life. Or make the most of blue skies and sandy beaches with NSW’s only beach skydive, Skydive the Beach, North Wollongong.

Experience adrenaline pumping aerobatic flights over Wollongong beaches in a 1943 Boeing Stearman with Southern Bi-planes. Bigger, faster and more robust than a Tiger Moth, the open-cockpit, scenic adventure flight will leave you buzzing for days.

The South Coast is a spectacular region of New South Wales, and the XTERRA Asia-Pacific Championship provides a great opportunity for athletes and their supporters to explore the great food, wine and recreational activities in the region.