Mystery Bay

Mystery Bay is a small coastal village and beach in Eurobodalla Shire on the New South Wales South Coast, about 15 km south of Narooma within Eurobodalla National Park. It is known for its sheltered sandy beach, rocky headlands, clear waters and low-key campground. The bay is notable for its natural setting, Aboriginal heritage and the 1880 mystery of the disappearance of geologist Lamont Young and his party, from which it takes its name.

Visitors can expect a quiet, undeveloped beach set within Eurobodalla National Park with a curved sandy shoreline, rocky headlands, rock platforms and clear water. The area includes Mystery Bay Beach for swimming and snorkelling, nearby 1080 Beach for surfing, a beachfront campground, picnic and barbecue areas, and coastal walking tracks through coastal forest and heath with views of Montague Island.

Mystery Bay is named after the mysterious disappearance in 1880 of government geologist Lamont Young and his four companions while surveying the area. Their boat was found damaged and empty, but the men were never located, giving the bay its name. The area also has a history of small-scale coastal settlement and fishing.

The area lies within Yuin Country, traditionally associated with the Djiringanj people of the Yuin Nation. The coastline, headlands and waters hold cultural significance for Aboriginal people, with evidence of long-term occupation and use of marine resources. The natural landscape remains important for cultural connection and interpretation within Eurobodalla National Park.