'I've just discovered this hidden beach gem less than three hours drive from Sydney.'

It's my first child-free weekend since my second son was born, and absolutely nothing will get me out of bed earlier than 8am. 

Absolutely nothing, that is, except the message from my friend Chloe that comes through at 6.18am, which reads, simply, "Dolphins!". 

And it's true: as the sun rises directly in front of our oceanside AirBnb in Callala Beach, a pod of dolphins is frolicking off the coast. 

Perhaps it's the comparison to my normal morning routine, which generally involves making porridge for two starving toddlers while Paw Patrol blares in the background, but it's the most peaceful morning I've had… perhaps ever. 

I'll admit that Callala Beach wasn't on my 2025 travel radar. It's less well-known than its fancy South Coast cousins like Huskisson and Hyams Beach, but I was thrilled on arrival to realise it's just as beautiful. If anything, its seclusion makes it even more gorgeous — for our whole weekend visit on a hot weekend in early February, we only saw a handful of other beach-goers. 

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How to get there.

Callala Beach is a fairly comfortable 2.5 hours from Sydney (closer if you're coming from the airport), which makes it a really doable drive. It's close enough that you can leave Sydney straight after work on a Friday and still arrive at a decent hour, especially in summer.

For full disclosure, given I was unencumbered by my children, I probably would have thought a 10-hour drive was a delightful bit of alone time, so the actual drive absolutely flew by. 

Where to stay.

Callala Beach is a hotel-free zone, which, in my view, lends to its charm. If you want to stay in the area, it's an AirBnb or a holiday rental, which just adds to the relaxed vibe of the place. 

We stayed at Matilda's on the Beach, which is, as the name suggests, directly on the beach. Frankly, when your backyard is white sand and turquoise water, you don't need much else, but the whole house was adorable and stocked with useful extras, like the big stripey beach towels I liked so much I nearly took one home (I didn't, though, I swear!). 

Fellow parents will get me when I attest that tucking myself into my single bed (just for me! Shared with no other adults and no children! Can you even believe it?) to the sound of the waves outside was one of the best parts of the whole weekend. I slept, not like a baby — anyone who has met a baby can attest to that simile being an out-and-out lie — but like a grown-up lady with no dependents. Ahhhhhhh, the serenity. 

What to do.  

As mentioned, I was on a girls weekend away without my two kids, so the number one activity on my list was "do nothing (except maybe drink a cocktail)".

The uninitiated might mistakenly believe that "do nothing (except maybe drink a cocktail)" is an activity that can be undertaken in any location, but I am here to assure you that isn't true.

The conditions for "do nothing (except maybe drink a cocktail)" must be absolutely perfect, and Callala Beach delivered on all the points that matter: a beautiful ocean view, uninterrupted sunshine, a slight sea breeze, and a fridge less than 25 metres from the water's edge. This allowed me to perform all sorts of variations on "do nothing (except maybe drink a cocktail)", including: reading my book on a sun lounge (drinking a cocktail), talking nonsense with my friends in the sparkling ocean (drinking a cocktail), sampling a cheese platter (drinking a cocktail) and watching the sun set as yet more dolphins swam past (drinking a cocktail). 

Image: supplied.

Where to eat.

If you absolutely must do an activity, I was thrilled to learn that — according to my friend and long-time South Coast local — all the best food and drink in the area is sold out of people's front yards. Nothing says "laid back" like drinking a cappuccino on an upturned milk crate in someone's yard with a bunch of other locals and holidaymakers, so the local coffee shop — a coffee van parked next to a driveway — was a massive hit for me, as well as a lovely place to stop for a coffee and toastie while on a morning beach walk. 

Image: supplied.

Evidently, the front-yard business model works, because the "best gelato on the South Coast" is scooped from a freezer in someone's garden, with flavours like Piña Colada, Tiramisu and Licorice Bullets. I didn't get to visit this trip, but I hear that Peel's Juice Bar — also, if you can believe it, located in a front yard — does great juices and homemade ice blocks. 

What to pack.

There's a little IGA in Callala Bay, the next town over, but no big supermarket within a 20-minute drive. If you're just heading down for the weekend, I'd suggest bringing groceries with you, or stopping on the road to grab provisions. Trust me, once you arrive, you won't want to be faffing around with shopping — you'll be too busy doing nothing (except maybe drinking a cocktail).

Image: supplied.

Feature: Supplied.