After years of focusing his adventurous spirit on the Snowy Mountains, columnist and explorer Tim the Yowie Man has made a triumphant return to the New South Wales South Coast. His renewed exploration, part of a fresh New Year's resolution, has revealed a startling truth: the coastline he remembers has undergone a dramatic physical transformation.
The Constant Battle Between Land and Sea
While mountain landscapes maintain their fundamental shape over years, Tim observes that South Coast beaches are in a perpetual state of flux. A decade of powerful east coast low-pressure systems has left some stretches almost unrecognisable. One stark example is the coastline from Yellow Rock to Three Islet Point, north of Batemans Bay.
Here, the cliffs bear fresh scars. Massive boulders, some as large as cars, have crashed down from the clifftops, leaving behind pockmarked cliffs and deep depressions. The relentless power of big swells has undercut the shoreline, causing significant rock falls. Trees that once stood firm now cling precariously to life, their roots exposed in rock crevices smoothed by daily tides. Others have already been claimed by the sea, their trunks half-buried in sand.
This is not the death of these beaches, Tim notes, but a vivid illustration of the ever-changing interface between land and ocean. "The ocean is winning this battle," he writes, "slowly taking one tree and rock at a time."
Three South Coast Landmarks Reshaped by Time
This coastal weathering is a powerful natural process, responsible for creating iconic sites like Victoria's Twelve Apostles. You don't have to travel that far to see it in action, however. Tim highlights three local spots where change is clearly visible.
1. Hole in the Wall, Jervis Bay
Once a picturesque natural arch in a sandstone ridge when documented by Europeans in the 1800s, this feature is now just a gap. The arch collapsed several decades ago, most likely in the 1970s, though the exact date remains a minor mystery. Visitors can see the remnant on a short walk from Jervis Bay Road.
2. Billys Beach, near Narooma
This beach is a shapeshifter. Depending on the seasons and storm activity, it can appear as a classic golden sand beach or be covered in a thick layer of black pebbles. The pebbles were dumped on the beach by a massive storm in 1974. Geologist Dr E. Anne Felton correctly predicted the beach's dynamic nature, explaining that sand erodes offshore during storms and returns in calmer weather. Billys Beach has alternated between its two distinct looks several times over the years.
3. Australia Rock, Narooma
This famous rock formation, shaped like the map of Australia, has its own legends. Some say its form was helped along by chains from a ship or even enthusiastic locals. Geologists, however, attribute it to natural weathering. Historic photos prove the point, showing the distinctive hole has grown larger over the last century. The rock join connecting it to the cliff is also steadily eroding, leaving one to wonder how many more winter storms it can withstand.
Readers Share Their Natural Encounters
The column also sparked responses from readers about their own observations of nature. John Connelly of Wallaroo reported a massive meat ant nest on his property measuring 6.8 by 2.9 metres, visible on Google Earth. Meanwhile, Melbourne Museum's Maik Fiedel explained how they collect ants for display, using a clever Vaseline barrier on gumboots and a low-speed handheld vacuum to avoid becoming a target for the agitated insects.
Echidna sightings also featured, with readers sharing remarkable stories of the spiky monotremes swimming across dams and even being revived after being found frozen in a winter lake.
Tim the Yowie Man's return to the coast is a powerful reminder that our landscapes are not static postcards but living, changing entities, constantly being rewritten by the elemental forces of wind, water, and time.
