When it comes to bushwalking in NSW, the South Coast is often overlooked in favour of more popular destinations like Kosciuszko, Barrington Tops and the Warrumbungles. But for those who do penetrate this lightly trodden area, so much the better!

Meandering in a south-westerly direction from Wollongong's Illawarra Escarpment State Recreation Area to Nadgee Nature Reserve on the Victorian border, the South Coast is home to a rich array of landscapes, vegetation and wildlife. Close to a dozen national parks are virtually secreted away between quaint farming towns and small fishing villages.
 
Compared to well-known places like the Royal National Park south of Sydney and Myall Lakes National Park near Forster, north of Newcastle, South Coast parks are places of idyllic solitude, particularly for walkers with the freedom to visit mid-week.

Depending on the season, you can bask alone in a sun-drenched cove or expose yourself to nature's fury on a coastal headland blasted by wind and waves.

Just 65km south of Sydney, the Illawarra Escarpment State Recreation Area offers great coastal views from vantage points including Bulli, Mt Kiera and Mount Kembla. Here you can walk through a variety of forests and rest in cool patches of rainforest. Many lookouts are easily accessed by wheelchair.

Further south, a few kilometres west of Ulladulla, keen bushwalkers can tackle the climb up Pigeon House Mountain in Budawang National Park, appreciating spectacular views first noted by explorer, Hamilton Hume, in 1822.

But one of the best things about an expedition to Pigeon House is the proximity to Pebbly Beach in Murramurang National Park, east of Bateman's Bay. After your exertions, retreat to this beachside haven where campers and picnickers mingle with friendly kangaroos and wallabies.

Experienced bushwalkers seeking an off-the-beaten-track adventure can continue south to Deua National Park, inland from Moruya. This remote and wild park hides its main attractions, like Mother Woila, from all but the most determined and well-prepared visitors.

This is a wilderness area where self-sufficient, low-impact camping expeditions of up to one-week are necessary to reach the highlights. More than 90 species of birds, hundreds of mammals, reptiles and invertebrate species find refuge in the wet and dry sclerophyll forest. Isolated patches of the rare leaning eucalyptus fraxinoides can also be found.

For a sample of the park's offerings the Bendethera Caves Walk on the upper Deua River is recommended. Allow three hours to cover the 7km round trip along an overgrown fire trail through pleasant forest to a large limestone cave with impressive stalagmites.

Chains are installed to help you through tricky sections of the cave and bats will flit in and out of your torch beam ? but relax, they're not vampires!

There are several creek crossings as you head back down Little Con Creek gully with eyes searching for the rare silver-blue Bendethera wattle tree.

By comparison the Mother Woila Circuit presents a real challenge through some of the most rugged terrain in NSW. Four days is needed to cover the 48.6km trackless route through thick vegetation clinging to wild topographical variations.

The objective is to camp in a saddle near Mother Woila's summit, but climbing the 1104m peak is hardly worth the effort because thick vegetation obstructs any view. You can climb Big Badja Hill, however, for stunning views (on a clear day) from the ocean in the east to the Alps in the south-west.

Not so challenging options further south along the coast include Eurobadalla National Park around Narooma, Mimosa Rocks National Park near Bega and Ben Boyd National Park north and south of Twofold Bay near Eden.

Ben Boyd offers rocky stretches of coast with contorted rock formations, heath and banksia forests. There is also a 1km wheelchair accessible walk to Boyd's Tower, which was built by the whaler whom the park is named after.

Last but not least, Nadgee Nature Reserve, in NSW's south-east corner, is the state's only coastal wilderness area, covering 20,671ha. Here you can spend four days exploring a 42km route along sandy beaches, rocky headlands and magnificent coastal heathlands between Merrica Crossing and Black Head.

Secluded coves with turquoise waters and wildlife including ground parrots, eastern bristlebirds, potoroos, pygmy possums and dingoes are among the highlights of a visit to Nadgee Nature Reserve.

And for those who make the effort, that visit can make one wonder why the South Coast is not right up there with the Warrumbungles, Barrington Tops and Kosciuszko when it comes bushwalking in NSW.

NSW National Parks can be closed at times of bushfire and bushfire danger. It is advisable to check with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service before you set off. Either phone 1300 361 967 (within NSW) or (02) 9253 4600 or visit www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au.