Tathra Wharf

Tathra Wharf is a heritage-listed timber steamer wharf off the northern side of Tathra Head — first built in 1861–62, extended in stages to 1912 and saved from demolition by a National Trust appeal in the 1970s and 80s — and it puts a land-based angler over genuinely deep, clean ocean water without setting foot on a rock ledge. Coastal storms closed it for repairs, and Crown Lands reopened it on 10 August 2024 after replacing 54 of its 78 in-water pylons, all the handrails and about 760 square metres of deck. Flathead, snapper, leatherjackets, salmon and red rock cod are the regular catch. The museum and cafe at the head of the wharf make it as much a family outing as a fishing spot.

Most anglers fish off the end and the seaward side, either straight down beside the piles for leatherjackets and snapper or cast out onto the sand for flathead. A light berley trail of bread and pilchard pieces drawn off the wharf brings fish up, and a lightly weighted pilchard fillet or squid strip drifted down the trail is the standard snapper method. Salmon are taken on metal lures or ganged pilchards when schools push along the headland. The wharf stands over open ocean, so the swell and wind direction decide which side is fishable.

Snapper are the prize — 30 cm minimum and a bag of 10, with no closed season in NSW. Australian salmon come through in schools, with no minimum size and a bag of 5. Leatherjackets hang around the piles in numbers (no minimum size, a bag of 20 in total across the species), and flathead come off the sand around the wharf. Red rock cod turn up on baits fished hard on the bottom; their spines are venomous, so handle them with pliers.

Berley is what makes this wharf work — little and often, so the trail stays in the water column rather than sinking at your feet. Leatherjackets will strip soft baits fast, so a small, long-shank hook and tougher squid strip saves bait. Fish early or late on summer days, when the wharf is quieter and the fish come closer to the piles. The resident goannas have form for stealing anglers' catches, so keep the bucket lidded. Keep clear of the stairs and landings if a boat is coming alongside.

Follow Wharf Road down from the centre of Tathra to the wharf on the northern side of Tathra Head; parking is along the approach road and at the top of the wharf, and it fills fast in summer. The wharf deck is level timber with handrails, so it suits kids and less mobile anglers far better than the local rocks. The Tathra Wharf Museum and a cafe sit at the land end of the wharf. The town's shops, bait and the surf club are a few minutes' drive up the hill.

The wharf faces the open Tasman to the north and east, so a north-easterly swell or a strong nor'easter makes it rough and hard to fish, while a southerly or westerly leaves it in the lee of Tathra Head. A small swell and clean blue water pushing in close is the ideal combination for snapper and pelagic visitors. After heavy rain, discoloured water from the Bega River mouth to the north can reach the wharf and slow the bite. Low light around dawn and dusk is the best window for snapper.

The deck is well above the water, so a fall from the edge outside the rails is serious and climbing the rails is not on. Swell surges around the piles in a north-easterly, and the wharf can be closed in bad weather or for maintenance — obey any signage. Red rock cod and other spiky reef fish carry venomous spines, so unhook them with pliers. The wharf is busy in summer with families and sightseers, so check behind you before every cast. Leave the rock ledges below Tathra Head alone in any swell — the wharf is the safe option here.

Yes. Crown Lands reopened Tathra Wharf on 10 August 2024 after storm repairs that replaced 54 of the 78 in-water pylons, all the handrails and about 760 square metres of deck. Fishing from the wharf is a long-standing local use; obey any signage if a section is closed for weather or maintenance.

Flathead, snapper, leatherjackets, salmon and red rock cod. Snapper are 30 cm minimum with a bag of 10, salmon have no minimum size and a bag of 5, and leatherjackets have no minimum size with a bag of 20 in total.

No. The wharf's recent closure and restoration were for coastal storm damage, not the March 2018 Tathra bushfire. The storm repairs were completed and the wharf reopened on 10 August 2024.

It is one of the safer land-based spots on the Sapphire Coast — a level timber deck with handrails, a museum and cafe at the land end and parking nearby. The water below is deep open ocean, so children should stay inside the rails and be supervised.