Culburra Beach and nearby Callala Beach on the NSW South Coast are perfect places for getting around by bike. They are largely flat, with wide grass-edged streets that don’t have much curb and guttering, so safe family riding or taking the bike home from dinner is entirely tops idea. 

The local bowlo in both townships have well-oiled courtesy buses ferrying patrons home after a few schooners and a good feed, but if you have dined somewhere else it can be tricky to navigate your way home without any taxi services or Uber available…

Enter the eponymous bike option! It’s hard to find a ride home after dinner that will be longer than 3 kms, and it’s a cruisy flat road the whole way (except for a wee rise on the way to Orient Point from Culburra Beach, maybe!).

Problem solved!

But apart from cruising home or to and from the beach, we do have a couple of worthwhile bike riding routes that make them bike riding destinations in their own right. 

Check out our favourite rides in Culburra Beach:

> Shared path from the skate park to Crooky Caravan Park

Crossing Prince Edward Avenue at the top of the ‘hill’ after the skate park will take you to the start of a shared bike and pedestrian path on the eastern side of the main road. From here it’s a long, slow cruise through residential streets all the way to the soccer fields, tennis courts and recreational zone of the Crooky Caravan Park (Holiday Haven Culburra Beach). 

It’s a mostly flat ride stretching 2 kms, with safe family-friendly riding over mostly quiet streets. At the van park, go left to check out the heart-shaped Crooky boat ramp, a popular fishing spot and riverside walk or picnic destination. Or, turn right for beach access to Crookhaven Heads, which makes a popular surf spot and rockpool exploration area.

Otherwise, following the road past the van park will deliver you to Crookhaven Heads lookout – a gateway to breathtaking views, cultural learning opportunities and the historic lighthouse walk. The picnic tables in front of the Marine Rescue Station offer some of the best views in Culburra Beach, with the river, dramatic rocky headland and iconic ‘Cullunghutti Mountain’ forming a postcard-worthy outlook.

This Shared User Path (the other type of SUP we like!) effectively connects this beautiful part of Culburra to the rest of town, shops and cafes, so jump on a bike and make the most of it!

> Penguin Head, Surf Club, Tilbury Park loop

Culburra’s ‘other’ headland is equally spectacular and makes a worthy destination for bike riders. Even though there’s no shared user path connecting the town centre and Penguin Head just yet (see below for info on the plans), the wide arc of Penguin Head Road (PHR to locals) makes for cruisy riding most of the time – especially outside of the busy holiday season. 

Follow The Lake Circuit from the main shopping strip away from town for approximately one kilometre and you will find yourself at the junction of Penguin Head Road. An old service station has found new life in Food and More, selling coffee and food alongside a small deli range.

Veer right to head straight to the shores of Lake Wollumboola, or keep pedalling straight ahead to pull in at the new Tilbury Reserve playground. A short walk down the nearby beach track lands you in the family-friendly bosom of Tilbury Cove – a favourite sheltered patch of sand in Southerly winds. 

Keep riding past the park for Penguin Head lookout, where you will be in a great position to spot migrating whales, while a quick trip right of the park and down the short, steep incline of Farrant Ave will deliver you to the Nowra Culburra Surf Life Saving Club and boardriders’ HQ of Warrain Beach.

Bike riders can complete the loop back to town by following Eastbourne Avenue all the way down to Lake Wollumboola, before looping back to the main drag via Silvermere or East Crescent.  

> Callala Bay MTB trails

If you’re looking for more serious riding trails and you’re willing to venture a little way out of Culburra Beach, a short drive towards Callala will land you some of the best bush mountain biking trails in the region.

Maintained by South Coast United Mountainbikers, a series of technical trails and loops featuring natural berms and dirt jumps wind through bushland in the Worrigee Nature reserve and cater for many levels of experience. Look out for the signs off Forrest Road to The Butterfly loop and Coondoo Trails.  

Here you can combine many of the shorter routes to build your own track – from quick 2km downhills to 16km endurance races. 

Check out local legend ‘Canning Man’ negotiating a jump in the heart of Coondoo:

New Shared User Paths coming soon to Culburra and Callala Beach… 

The Shoalhaven City Council has approved plans for a new Shared User Path for Culburra Beach, linking the town centre to Penguin Head. The general route proposed for this pathway takes in the highlights detailed in the recommend ride above (Penguin Head, Surf Club, Tilbury Park) and will ensure the safety of locals and visitors by giving them another option other than riding on the road. 

Currently listed as in the ‘funding’ stage of the project, SCC expects to start construction works before 2025, although we hope it’s a lot sooner than this! 

You can follow the progress of this new path on Shoalhaven City Council’s website.

Plans for a similar bike and pedestrian path for Callala Beach can also be found on this website and we will be watching both projects and posting updates here as they happen. 

Bring it on!