Things to Do in Mallacoota
A guide from Hammond Properties
Swim in the inlet shallows, hire a boat or kayak, walk the Double Creek rainforest loop, book a Gabo Island trip or visit Genoa Falls. Here's what to do in Mallacoota, with the details.
Browse Our Guides by Category
Our Discover Mallacoota guides, sorted by what you want to do.
Waterfront Adventures
Our guides to the beaches, the water and fishing.
Map of Things to Do
The beaches, walks, places to eat and day trips around Mallacoota.
Mallacoota Through the Year
When things happen, from the summer peak to the wildflowers.
Christmas to mid-January
The peak
Mallacoota goes from a few hundred people to several thousand over Christmas. Book boat hire, charters and tours as early as you can.
Late January and February
The warmest water
The water is warmest in late January and February. Early February is the sweet spot: the crowds have gone and the water hasn't cooled.
November to April
Flathead
Flathead fire in the warmer months, roughly November to April. Bream are caught year-round.
Winter
Winter temperatures
Parks Victoria describes Mallacoota as having Victoria's warmest winter temperatures.
Winter and spring
Whales
Humpback and southern right whales pass Mallacoota on migration, heading north in winter and south with calves in spring. Bastion Point and the coastal headlands are good lookouts.
Mid-September to late November
Wildflowers
Wildflower season peaks from mid-September to late November, with orchids, banksias, everlastings and purple flag lilies.
What to Do in Mallacoota
Each one below has the key details, and most link to our full guide.
Swimming
The inlet shallows near the Main Wharf are calm and shallow, the best spot for little ones. At Betka Beach, about five minutes' drive south of town, the Betka River meets the sea. When the river mouth is closed, the lagoon is shallow and still, which suits small children, and the ocean side has surf, rocks and currents. Before any surf swim, check beachsafe.org.au, which lists each Mallacoota beach with its hazard rating and live patrol information. The water is warmest in late January and February.
Read more: Where to swim in Mallacoota, Betka Beach
Secret Beach and Quarry Beach
Secret Beach is about 7 km south of town along Betka Road, then a short walk and stairs down to the sand. It isn't patrolled, and swimming there can be dangerous because of rough waves and rips. A sea cave at its northern end can only be reached safely at low tide. Quarry Beach, about 10 minutes' drive south of town, is known for colourful rock formations and rock pools, best explored at low tide on a calm day.
Boat hire
Mallacoota Hireboats is family-run and has been going since 2012. Grant Cockburn hires out power boats, the fast boat Kermit, the Inlet Barbie pontoon, kayaks, SUPs, pedal boats and bikes. It's at 10 Buckland Drive (0474 818 058), open seven days, 7:30am to 6pm. A power boat is $150 for a half day (4 hours) and needs no licence. Kermit and the Inlet Barbie do. Mallacoota Barbie Boats hires out barbie boats through Scallywags, and you don't need a licence to drive one. Buckland's Jetty Boat Hire on Lakeside Drive (0428 580 660) has boats that carry up to eight people.
Read more: Boat hire in Mallacoota, Barbie boats
Cruises on the inlet
Mallacoota Cruises runs lake cruises, scenic cruises and eco tours aboard the M.V. Loch-Ard, which dates from about 1910. Dale runs guided birdwatching cruises on the inlet, booked through Mallacoota Cruise & Eco Tours.
Read more: Boat hire and cruises
Kayaking and SUP
Mallacoota Hireboats hires single kayaks from $30, or $50 for a half day (4 hours). The Narrows join Top Lake and Bottom Lake. Double Creek Arm is a sheltered arm of the inlet, good for a sunrise paddle among overhanging trees and birdlife, and Gipsy Point is up the inlet, a quieter, more remote stretch for paddling. Guests can access launch points for a kayak or paddleboard from three of our houses: 7 Allan Drive, Gabo Views and Four on Stingray Point.
Read more: Kayaking in Mallacoota
Fishing
Mallacoota is best known for dusky flathead and for black and yellowfin bream. Flathead fire in the warmer months, roughly November to April, and bream are caught year-round. Kids can fish off the jetties and the Main Wharf, in sheltered water with no boat needed. You need a Victorian Recreational Fishing Licence (under-18s are among the exemptions), and you can buy one online. For offshore trips, Mallacoota Fishing Charters, run by Matt and Luke from Bastion Point Road, targets kingfish, snapper and bottom fish. Phone 0455 190 000.
Read more: Fishing in Mallacoota, Fishing charters
Walks
The Double Creek Nature Walk is an easy 1 km loop through warm temperate rainforest, about 8 km from Mallacoota, with a picnic ground. Lyrebirds are common, and koalas are possible. The Betka Beach loop track is an easy walk of about 2.2 km with river, heath and ocean views, and the Mallacoota Coastal Walk is about 9.5 km one way. The beach walks, the coastal walk and the lake foreshore suit children and bikes.
Read more: Walks in Mallacoota
Croajingolong National Park
Croajingolong National Park covers about 88,000 hectares and 100 km of coast in far-east Victoria, and it has been a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve since 1977. Point Hicks Lightstation, inside the park, was built in 1890. The Wilderness Coast Walk runs about 100 km, from Sydenham Inlet in Croajingolong to Wonboyn in NSW's Nadgee Nature Reserve, and usually takes 8 to 10 days. Genoa Peak in Croajingolong is currently closed to the public. Before heading to Genoa Peak, check parks.vic.gov.au or call Parks Victoria on 13 19 63.
Read more: Croajingolong National Park
Genoa Falls
Genoa Falls is about 27 km from Mallacoota, around 25 minutes' drive, just off the Princes Highway about 4 km west of Genoa. It's a short walk with stairs, about 800 m return, to small falls spilling over wide rock shelves. The turnoff is unmarked. There's a small unsealed car park and no toilets or picnic tables, and the rocks can be slippery.
Read more: Genoa Falls
Gabo Island
You reach Gabo Island by boat or light plane, weather permitting, and you have to book. You can't just turn up. The island sits about 14 km from Mallacoota, and its lighthouse, built 1858 to 1862, is 47 m of local pink granite, the second-tallest lighthouse in Australia. On Gabo you see the lighthouse, sometimes little penguins, and fur seals on nearby Little Gabo. Mallacoota Lake Adventures runs Gabo Island tours for groups of 3 to 4 at $250 a head, and you can stay overnight in the old lightkeepers' cottages, booked through Parks Victoria.
Read more: Gabo Island tours
Markets and the seafood festival
The Mallacoota Artisans and Produce Market runs on the first Saturday of the month, 8am to 12pm, at Lions Park and the Mudbrick Pavilion. It doesn't run in January or at Easter. Community markets run every Saturday through the summer school holidays, and at Easter. The Wild Harvest Seafood Festival most recently ran 25 to 27 September 2026, and the next date hasn't been announced.
Read more: What's on over Christmas and January, The Wild Harvest Seafood Festival
Eating out
Scallywags Restaurant & Bar is a waterfront seafood restaurant on the inlet at 14 Allan Drive (03 4110 2059), and it takes bookings online. The pub, the Mallacoota Hotel Motel at 51–55 Maurice Avenue (03 5158 0455), has a Family Bistro open seven days for lunch and dinner, and it now does pizza. Cafe 54 is open year-round, seven days, for breakfast and lunch. Lee's Takeaway has closed. In January, book a table a few days ahead.
Read more: Where to eat in Mallacoota, Pizza and fish and chips in Mallacoota
Coffee
Origami Coffee is a tiny kiosk that sells drinks only, on a grassy slope near Scallywags and Sue's Bribes on Dorron Avenue. Its Instagram lists it open Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 3pm, so check there before you go. Sundayss, a seasonal café and juice bar on Allan Drive next to the Bakery and Scallywags, is closed over the cooler months and generally reopens in the early summer period. Mallacoota Bakery opens early for pies, pasties, bread and coffee.
Read more: Coffee in Mallacoota
The Bunker Museum
The Mallacoota RSL Bunker Museum is on Airport Road, inside a WWII operations bunker built in 1942 as an RAAF Advanced Operations Base. The Mallacoota and District Historical Society runs it, and its displays cover coastal defence, ships attacked off the south-east coast in WWII, and the 29 aircraft types that used the airfield. It opens Tuesdays 9:30am to 12pm and Sundays 1 to 3pm. Check ahead.
Bringing the dog
15 of our 17 houses take dogs, with a limit of two dogs per booking and no size limit, and seven have a fully fenced yard. Dogs are welcome at the outdoor tables at the pub and at Lucy's. Dogs aren't allowed in most Victorian national parks, and Parks Victoria doesn't list Croajingolong among its dog-friendly parks. Bring tick protection.
Read more: Bringing your dog to Mallacoota, Our pet-friendly houses
Stay With Us While You Explore
Hammond Properties looks after 17 holiday homes in Mallacoota. Waterfront houses for late December are often booked well before September, and January school-holiday weeks fill up in November. Booking direct means lower fees than Airbnb or Stayz. Book by phone on 0401 825 547 or through the enquiry form.
Mallacoota Activities - Your Questions Answered
Get answers to common questions and make the most of your Mallacoota experience.