How to Get to Gosangs Tunnel on NSW South Coast

While I was travelling along the South Coast of New South Wales, I was told by a few different locals that I had to explore Currarong and the Beecroft Peninsula. Even more specifically, someone told me that I had to find Gosangs Tunnel on the peninsula. So, I decided to take a day trip out to Currarong to see for myself whether it lived up to the expectation of being one of the most beautiful spots on the South Coast.

While the area had been destroyed by heavy rain only weeks before, I managed to explore Abraham’s Bosom Reserve on foot and head out to Gosangs Tunnel and Mermaid Inlet. It was such an incredible day and really is one of the most completely unique things to do on the South Coast.

It’s not overly challenging to find the tunnel, but it can be a bit confusing if you don’t know which walking trail to take when you get there. So, I’ve decided to put together this essential guide to exploring Gosangs Tunnel so everyone can do it more easily and safely.

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Where is Gosangs Tunnel and the Beecroft Peninsula?

Gosangs Tunnel is one of those places you’ve likely spotted on Instagram once or twice. The incredible natural cave and tunnel is one of the most unique places on the South Coast. It’s become a very popular spot and yet there’s still little information about how to get there available online.

The tunnel is right on the northern edge of the Beecroft Peninsula. This peninsula juts out from the northern side of Jervis Bay and is just 200km south of Sydney. The tunnel and surrounding inlets and beaches that make up this far corner of the peninsula are part of what is referred to as Abrahams Bosom Reserve.

The only town on the peninsula is Currarong, which is right next to the reserve and is a very popular holiday destination for Sydney residents.

Unfortunately, much of the rest of the peninsula is controlled by the navy and is known as the Beecroft Weapons Range. This area is home to beautiful beaches like Honeymoon Bay and Long Beach, which are usually only open on weekends. During the week it’s closed for training and exercises.

On the other hand, Currarong, Abrahams Bosom Reserve and Gosangs Tunnel are the only areas on the peninsula that are open every day for visitors.

About Abrahams Bosom Reserve

At the far northern corner of Beecroft Peninsula, Abrahams Bosom Reserve is home to some of the most secluded beaches, pristine coves and incredible coastal views you can find on the South Coast. This is where you can find the walking trails to reach some of these inlets, beaches and, of course, Gosangs Tunnel.

The reserve is on the eastern side of the town of Currarong. There are two car parks. The first one you’ll come to is for Abraham Bosom Beach, which is only small. The main car park is further down the skinny road where you’ll find plenty of parking room and the trailhead for the walks.

The main walking trail is known as Coomies Walk which is a long but fairly easy and flat 9 km circuit around the entire headland. But there are many detours you’ll want to take off this trail to all the beaches, a ship wreck and Gosangs Tunnel. This means most people don’t end up doing the full loop – it really depends on what you want to see.

I simply walked one way along Coomies Walk to Mermaid Inlet and Gosangs Tunnel and then returned the same way, doing all the detours as I made my way back. I covered 8 km doing this, so if you wanted to do the full Coomies Walk circuit AND the detours, you’d be looking at around 12 km in total.

You also should factor in the time. It took me 4 hours to do the 8 kilometres, simply because I spent so much time at the beaches and enjoying the view from the tunnel. It’s best not to think about the kilometres and just what you actually want to see instead.

Mermaid Inlet and Gosangs Tunnel walk

The trick to getting to Gosangs Tunnel is that you need to take the walking trail to Mermaid Inlet. The tunnel is not signposted at all until you get to the end junction, so you want to be following the Coomies Walk towards Mermaids Inlet.

At the main carpark at Abraham Bosom Reserve, you first need to walk across the wooden bridge and follow the trail to an intersection. Here you’ll find three different trails. The one on the left is the Wreck Walk (a short circuit to a couple of beaches and a ship wreck), the one on the right is the return trail for Coomies Walk if you do the full circuit. The trail straight ahead is the one you want.

This takes you directly towards Mermaids Inlet and Gosangs Tunnel. There are also a couple of side trips on your left along this trail to some beaches like Honeysuckle Point, Wilsons Beach and Lobster Bay. I chose to do these on the way back.

The trail is flat, wide and easy to follow from the car park. You’ll only leave this wide trail when taking any of the detours and side trips. If you skip all the detours and follow the signs to Mermaid Inlet, it’s just 2km from the carpark to the junction for Gosangs Tunnel. This is where you’ll see the sign for Mermaids Inlet pointing to your right and Gosangs Tunnel pointing to your left (see below).

Gosangs Tunnel

From this junction, it’s only around 300 metres to the tunnel. Once you turn left, it becomes a skinny track but you’ll see that it’s well worn. The trail swings around to the right (don’t head off to the left as this only goes to the top of the cliff) and then you’ll finally see the entrance to the tunnel down to your left. There is a sign here too, indicating Gosangs Tunnel.

The tunnel itself is only around around 30 metres long, but you will have to crouch down and crab crawl through. Depending on how tall you are, you may even have to get down on your hands and knees, but I was able to just shuffle through on my feet while crouched down.

One thing to be aware of is that there is a fracture in the rock right through the tunnel. At first it’s closed, but by the time you get to the end it’s widened and you’ll see the waves crashing down below. Don’t lose anything from your pockets down there!

Once you get to the end, you can stand up fully and admire the incredible view through this natural cave. You can actually walk around the corner to your right as well and continue along the cliff edge for more views. However, be careful as the ground is uneven and there’s no barriers stopping you from falling!

Once you’re done admiring the view and exploring the cliff edge, you have to head back through the tunnel again.

Mermaids Inlet

Once you get back to the junction again, I would highly recommend heading down to Mermaid Inlet as well. A lot of people don’t bother, but I think the views are worth it. The trail skirts around a tree to the right of the wooden sign and then heads down through the scrub and along some rocks to the edge of the cliff. It’s only 200 metres so it’s not too long.

While it’s not as striking as the tunnel, the view here is almost just as good and you can technically walk down to the lower rock level closer to the water and explore around the corner. However, rock fishermen have lost their lives there before so be careful and consider the tides.

Once you’re done, head back again to the junction with Gosangs Tunnel. I then went back the same way along Coomies Walk to the car park to see some of the beaches.

Lobster Bay

I decided to do these detours to the beaches on the way back. First, I took the trail down to Lobster Bay, which was just 100 metres off the main track.

There are wooden stairs down to the beach, and plenty of rocks to explore along the sand here. It’s a nice spot for swimming and snorkelling.

Wilsons Beach

Then I continued on Coomies Walk until Wilsons Beach. The walk down to Wilsons Beach at Honeysuckle Point is around 450 metres. Wilsons is a stunning little cove that rarely has many people. It’s very small but the water is crystal clear and it makes for a nice safe spot to have a swim.

From there, you can either take the Wreck Walk trail along the coast to Whale Point or head back to Coomies Walk and go to Whale Point that way. It’s not much different in distance.

Whale Point and Ship Wreck

I then headed to Whale Point and the ship wreck of S.S. Merimbula. This steam cargo and passenger boat struck the reef in bad weather on 27 March 1928. Luckily no lives were lost, but the ship was stranded there and left to rot.

From the beach, you need to look just off to the right a bit and you’ll see parts of the ship wreck sticking out of the rocks and reef. If it’s low tide, you can walk across the rocks right up to the pieces of the ship strewn across the reef. There are bits and pieces everywhere, but the most intact part is on the edge (see below).

Then I finally headed back to the car park after around 8km and hours of fun!

Things to do nearby

If you want to keep exploring, you can check out these places nearby:

Abraham Bosom Beach

This is pretty much where you park your car, so if you want to see another beach this is a really nice spot. I went in for a swim here and then walked along the rocks to the rock pools.

Currarong Rock Pools

This is an amazing spot on a warm day! These natural rock pools just next to Abraham Bosom Beach have ladders for you to get in, with beautiful grass and a picnic area just back from the beach. It’s the perfect place for a dip, but it can get very busy on weekends and in summer.

Honeymoon Bay

If you have another day to explore the peninsula, then you should definitely check out Honeymoon Bay. While it was closed during the week when I was there as it’s controlled by the navy, I’ve heard it’s one of the most beautiful beaches on the South Coast. It’s generally open weekends and holidays.

There is also a campground there which is only open during summer holidays and weekends and is pretty reasonable at $15 per person.

Where to stay in Currarong and nearby

Holiday Haven Currarong || The only caravan park in town, this place is walking distance to the main shops and the beach. It’s a popular holiday destination, with a variety of cabins and camping sites available. Check it out here.

Kookaburra Holiday House || You can rent this whole 3-bedroom house for a holiday. It’s right near Abraham Bosom Reserve and the walking trails to Gosangs Tunnel, so it’s very convenient. Prices start from $250 per night for two people. Check it out here.

Jervis Bay Holiday Park || This is where I stayed, which is around 40km away from Currarong. However, the affordable caravan park was really nice and close to the town of Huskisson. You can easily take day trips from here. They have plenty of cabins to choose from, as well as camping sites from $25 per night. Check it out here.

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