Beach Treasures and Treasure Beaches

Pebbly Beach, Murramarang National Park, NSW, Australia (Photo: Klaus-Dieter Liss/Wikimedia Commons)

Sand, surf, sun, and kangaroos? Yes, kangaroos!  Eastern Grey Kangaroos (Macropus giganteus), also known as Forester kangaroos, hop about freely and mingle with the visitors on the beaches of New South Wales, Australia. I had no idea!

When I heard about these coastal critters, I just had to explore further. I haven’t been to Australia, so I don’t have any first hand experience with kangaroos on the beach, and somehow there doesn’t seem to be a lot of information about Eastern Grey Kangaroos on the beaches of New South Wales at official Australian travel sites. Maybe kangaroos on the coast are just accepted as common knowledge!

Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Murramarang National Park, New South Wales, Australia (Photo:Danielle Langlois/Wikimedia Commons)

According to the New South Wales official tourism website, “Murramarang National Park can boast some of the best beaches in Australia in idyllic settings. Pebbly Beach is just as well-known for its kangaroos as it is for its waves.”

The South Coast area of New South Wales lies along  the Tasman Sea, a segment of the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The South Coast begins about 65 kms (40.4 miles) south of Sydney. It includes Murramarang National Park and its famed pristine beaches spanning over 27 miles of stunning coastline. South Coast.com tells us:“Pebbly Beach is already known widely as the home of the “surfing kangaroos” (a myth arising from a photograph of a kangaroo in the low surf – probably chased there by a dog). Although they will not be surfing when you visit, you will find a large resident kangaroo population at Pebbly quite happy to be patted or to pose for a photograph. The Pebbly Beach turnoff is about 10k south of Termeil and it is about 8k over a gravel road to Pebbly itself.”

Say “Cheese!”

From the videos I’ve seen, these furry residents of Pebbly Beach are very comfortable with people. Being the city girl I am, I’d probably take my time before giving them a friendly little under-the-chin scratching.

Hoo-roo &  Have a great day at the beach!