Merimbula facts for kids
Quick facts for kids MerimbulaNew South Wales |
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 Merimbula
Location in New South Wales
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| Population | 3,821 (2021 census) | ||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 2548 | ||||||||
| Elevation | 11 m (36 ft) | ||||||||
| Location | |||||||||
| LGA(s) | Bega Valley Shire | ||||||||
| County | Auckland | ||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Bega | ||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Eden-Monaro | ||||||||
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Merimbula (pronounced mər-IM-byoo-lə) is a fun town in New South Wales, Australia. It's located on the beautiful Sapphire Coast, right by Merimbula Lake. In 2021, about 3,821 people lived here.
If you look at the area within 10 kilometers of Merimbula, over 18,000 people call it home! This includes the nearby town of Tura Beach.
Contents
Discovering Merimbula's Ancient Past
Merimbula Point is a very special place for scientists. They study ancient rocks there to learn about life from long, long ago. The School of Earth Sciences at the Australian National University often visits this area.
Scientists have found amazing things here. They've discovered new types of ancient fish! Some of these fish are named Merimbulaspis and Pambulaspis.
Learning in Merimbula
Merimbula has one primary school called Merimbula Public School. However, there isn't a high school right in town. Older students from Merimbula travel to nearby towns for public high school.
They can go to Bega or Eden. There are also private schools in areas like Pambula Beach, Eden, and Bega.
Getting Around Merimbula
Merimbula is one of the few towns on the South Coast of NSW with its own airport. It's called Merimbula Airport. You can catch daily flights from Sydney and Melbourne to Merimbula. These flights are offered by QantasLink and Rex Airlines. Sometimes, flights from Sydney make a quick stop in Moruya.
The town is located just off the main national highway 1, the Princes Highway. Merimbula is almost the same distance from both Sydney and Melbourne. Driving to either city takes about five to seven hours. It's also about a three-hour drive to Australia's capital, Canberra.
Merimbula also has many bus services that connect it to other towns and cities. You can even connect to train services from these buses. Local buses run six days a week, helping people get around town and to nearby areas.
Sports and Fun in Merimbula
Merimbula is a great place for sports! It has a large green oval and two soccer fields at Berrambool Oval. The oval is used for cricket in the summer. In winter, it's used for Australian Football. The Merimbula Diggers are a very successful Australian Football team in the AFL Sapphire Coast league.
There are many other sports facilities in Merimbula. The Merimbula-Pambula Bulldogs rugby league team is based nearby. Merimbula's soccer club is the Merimbula Grasshoppers, with teams for men, women, and juniors. The Merimbula Knights Cricket Club plays in the Far South Coast Cricket Association.
Other popular sports clubs include the Merimbula Basket Ball Club and the Merimbula Netball Association. If you love fishing, check out the Merimbula Big Game and Lakes Angling Club.
There are five golf courses within an hour's drive of Merimbula. These include Pambula Merimbula GC and Tura Beach Country Club.
Merimbula's Weather and Climate
Merimbula has an oceanic climate, which means it has mild to warm summers. Winters are cool, windy, and drier. The highest temperature ever recorded was 44.2°C. The lowest was -2.0°C. On average, Merimbula gets about 770 millimeters of rain each year.
Winters and springs are usually quite dry. This is because of a weather effect called the foehn effect. Merimbula's climate is similar to places in East Gippsland. It has cooler summers and less humidity than other parts of the New South Wales coast.
| Climate data for Merimbula Airport AWS (1998–2022); 2 m AMSL; 36.91° S, 149.90° E | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 44.2 (111.6) |
41.3 (106.3) |
38.1 (100.6) |
36.1 (97.0) |
27.7 (81.9) |
23.0 (73.4) |
26.2 (79.2) |
28.0 (82.4) |
33.0 (91.4) |
37.0 (98.6) |
40.0 (104.0) |
42.0 (107.6) |
44.2 (111.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 24.9 (76.8) |
24.7 (76.5) |
23.6 (74.5) |
21.7 (71.1) |
19.2 (66.6) |
16.9 (62.4) |
16.7 (62.1) |
17.3 (63.1) |
19.4 (66.9) |
20.7 (69.3) |
21.7 (71.1) |
23.3 (73.9) |
20.8 (69.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 15.5 (59.9) |
15.3 (59.5) |
13.7 (56.7) |
10.9 (51.6) |
7.6 (45.7) |
5.6 (42.1) |
4.2 (39.6) |
4.8 (40.6) |
6.8 (44.2) |
9.1 (48.4) |
11.9 (53.4) |
13.8 (56.8) |
9.9 (49.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 7.0 (44.6) |
7.8 (46.0) |
5.7 (42.3) |
4.0 (39.2) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−1.0 (30.2) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
0.0 (32.0) |
2.0 (35.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
3.9 (39.0) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 66.8 (2.63) |
85.5 (3.37) |
92.3 (3.63) |
65.2 (2.57) |
56.2 (2.21) |
70.9 (2.79) |
49.6 (1.95) |
45.1 (1.78) |
41.6 (1.64) |
61.3 (2.41) |
78.7 (3.10) |
66.2 (2.61) |
770.0 (30.31) |
| Average rainy days (≥ 1.0mm) | 7.1 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 5.7 | 4.3 | 5.4 | 4.1 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.1 | 72.4 |
| Average afternoon relative humidity (%) | 65 | 64 | 62 | 61 | 60 | 60 | 58 | 55 | 58 | 61 | 65 | 63 | 61 |
| Average dew point °C (°F) | 15.4 (59.7) |
15.5 (59.9) |
14.3 (57.7) |
11.8 (53.2) |
9.2 (48.6) |
7.2 (45.0) |
6.2 (43.2) |
6.1 (43.0) |
8.1 (46.6) |
9.6 (49.3) |
12.2 (54.0) |
13.4 (56.1) |
10.8 (51.4) |
| Source: Bureau of Meteorology | |||||||||||||
Exciting Events in Merimbula
Merimbula hosts two special Orchid Shows every year. They are held at Twyfold Hall, across from the Tourist Information Centre. The winter Orchid Show is in late August. The Australian Native Orchid Show happens in early November.
The annual Jazz Festival is a big event. It takes place in early June, on the Queen's Birthday weekend. A smaller Country Music Festival is held at the Merimbula-Imlay Bowling Club around early November. The Pambula Merimbula Golf Club also hosts a huge "Weeks of Golf" event. Over 900 golfers come to play during October!
Merimbula also has an exciting windsurfing and kiteboarding festival. It's called the Merimbula Classic. This fun event takes place in late November each year.
Merimbula's Economy: All About Tourism
Merimbula is mostly a tourist town. This means that most of the money earned in the town comes from tourism. There are many places to stay, like motels, apartments, and holiday houses. Merimbula is famous for its beautiful beaches and delicious local oysters.
Fun Things to Do and See in Merimbula
Merimbula has six main beaches where you can have a blast!
- Main Beach (or Merimbula Beach)
- Mitchies Jetty
- Bar Beach
- Spencer Park Beach
- Middle Beach
- Short Point
Main Beach and Short Point are perfect for surfing. Bar Beach is great for snorkeling and seeing underwater life. Other activities include whale watching, fishing, kitesurfing, and boating. Middle Beach is also good for fishing and watching whales when they are in season. Many people who live here are retired, so golf and lawn bowls are very popular.
Merimbula is also a fantastic spot for scuba diving. You can explore the amazing sponge gardens at Yellow Rock. There's also a cool shipwreck called the Empire Gladstone near Haycock Point.
Exploring Nature Near Merimbula
Merimbula is close to some beautiful national parks. These include Bournda National Park, South East Forest National Park, and the northern part of Beowa National Park. You can take a coastal walk through Bournda National Park. This walk goes from Tathra to Tura Beach, just north of Merimbula. It offers amazing views of the coast.
During certain times of the year, you can see huge humpback whales and Southern right whales. They are a big highlight in the area!
It's also a short drive to other pretty places like Tathra, Eden, and Bermagui.
Adventures and Attractions
Merimbula offers many exciting activities. You can try standup paddleboarding and kayaking on the water. The town also has some of the best surfing on the Far South Coast.
Magic Mountain is Merimbula's very own theme park! It has a roller coaster and one of the best toboggan slopes in New South Wales.
The Merimbula Wharf has its own aquarium. It's filled with many sea creatures from the Sapphire Coast. The wharf is also a popular restaurant for both visitors and locals. The Aquarium has 25 tanks with a wide variety of marine life. You can see everything from sharks to shrimp, and octopus to tropical fish!
You'll find many restaurants and places to eat in Merimbula. There's even a small bar.
About 10 kilometers west of Merimbula, towards Bega, is Potoroo Palace Wildlife Sanctuary. This nature park is home to many native Australian animals. Kids can even have some hands-on experiences! The sanctuary also cares for injured or orphaned animals.
Historical Places in Merimbula
Merimbula has some important historical sites. These places are listed for their heritage value, including:
- Monaro Street: Courunga
