7 Best Places to Propose in NSW, South Coast around Broulee
We recently received this question from a guest planning a stay at The Bower, and it got us thinking.
“I’m hoping to scope out a spot to propose! Do you have any suggestions?”
After living at Broulee for more than 30 years, there are quite a few places around here where we’d happily recommend dropping to one knee. We’ve found quite a few romantic places to propose in NSW
The best proposal location isn’t necessarily the grandest lookout. Sometimes it’s a quiet patch of beach with nobody around, a forest walk where you can hear little more than the birds, or a headland you discover together.
So, if you’re planning to propose during a romantic escape to The Bower at Broulee, here are some of our favourites.
7 Best Places to Propose in NSW, South Coast
1. Illawong Nature Reserve, almost on our doorstep
If privacy matters more than having an enormous ocean panorama, this may be our pick.
The Bower adjoins Illawong Nature Reserve, and the surrounding forest offers some wonderfully quiet walking.
Rather than announcing that you’ve organised a “proposal”, simply suggest a walk together.
Find a quiet spot among the eucalypts, stop for a moment and let the forest do the decorating.
No restaurant crowd. No audience. No elaborate setup.
Just the two of you.
Open Illawong Nature Reserve in Google Maps
Best for: Someone who would rather be proposed to privately than in front of strangers.
Our tip: Take the walk beforehand if you can and choose your spot. Forest light and track conditions can change considerably through the day.
2. Shark Bay and Broulee Island
Don’t be put off by the name.
Shark Bay is a sheltered little cove beside Broulee Island and is considerably more romantic than its name suggests.
This gives you a few possibilities of NSW South Coast proposal locations
You could propose beside the protected water at Shark Bay, walk further around Broulee Island and find your own favourite outlook, or simply wait until one of those moments when you realise everyone else has disappeared from view.
Open Broulee Island Nature Reserve in Google Maps
Best for: Bare feet, beach people and a relaxed proposal that doesn’t feel staged.
Our tip: Scope it out first and consider the tide, weather and wind on the day.
3. Broulee Beach at the quiet end of the day
Beach proposal NSW – Sometimes simple wins.
A long walk along Broulee Beach gives you plenty of opportunity to wait for the right moment rather than having to hit one exact location at one exact time.
Early morning or late afternoon can be particularly good if privacy is important. You’ll have the ocean in front of you, the bush behind you and considerably fewer people wondering why you’ve suddenly stopped walking.
Open Broulee Beach in Google Maps
Best for: The person who loves the coast but wouldn’t enjoy being the centre of attention at a busy lookout.
Our tip: Don’t over-plan the exact spot. Walk until it feels right.
4. Mossy Point Anchor Lookout
This one works particularly well if you want beautiful scenery without turning the proposal into an expedition.
Mossy Point Anchor Lookout sits above the coast near the Tomaga River, with lovely views across Mossy Point, Tomakin and towards Broulee.
It’s easily accessible, which is useful if you’re dressed for dinner rather than a bushwalk.
There’s also something rather appropriate about proposing beside an anchor.
We promise not to labour that metaphor.
Open Mossy Point Anchor Lookout in Google Maps
Best for: Easy access, lovely photographs and a proposal that can be combined with a leisurely drive around Mossy Point.
Our tip: Because it’s accessible, you may have company. Visit beforehand at roughly the same time you plan to propose and see how busy it feels.
5. Melville Point Lookout
If you’re after the big reveal, Melville Point deserves a look.
The headland has sweeping coastal views across Barlings Beach, Mossy Point and towards Broulee Island.
There’s plenty of coastline filling the background, so this is also one of our favourites if you’d like a photograph of the moment.
It feels expansive without requiring a long hike to reach it.
Open Melville Point Lookout in Google Maps
Best for: Panoramic coastal views and that classic “one knee, ocean behind us” photograph.
Our tip: Check the wind before you go. A dramatic headland can become slightly less romantic when you’re both trying to keep your hair out of your mouths.
6. Guerilla Bay
A little further north is Guerilla Bay, with secluded coves, rocky coastline and some wonderful coastal scenery.
It’s a completely different mood from Broulee Beach. Smaller bays, headlands and rock formations make it feel a little wilder and more tucked away.
Rather than nominate one square metre of ground, we’d suggest exploring the area beforehand and choosing the place that feels like yours.
Open Guerilla Bay in Google Maps
For the lookout area, try:
Open Guerilla Bay Lookout in Google Maps
Best for: Couples who like discovering places rather than arriving at an obvious tourist viewpoint.
Our tip: Wear sensible shoes for the scouting mission. Save the good ones for later.
7. Burrewarra Point Lookout
For maximum coastal drama, continue to Burrewarra Point.
The walk through coastal vegetation opens onto a spectacular headland setting overlooking the coastline around Guerilla Bay and further north.
This is probably the strongest contender if your proposal brief reads:
“Big ocean. Big headland. Big moment.”
Open Burrewarra Point Lookout in Google Maps
Just remember that you’re on a natural coastal headland. Stay on formed tracks and viewing areas and don’t let the pursuit of the perfect photograph tempt either of you towards cliff edges.
Best for: The dramatic proposal.
Our tip: The walk in actually helps. A few minutes together through the bush builds anticipation before the view opens up.
So, which one would we choose?
That depends entirely on the person you’re proposing to.
If they value privacy, we’d look closely at Illawong or find a quiet section around Broulee Island.
If they love beaches, Shark Bay or Broulee Beach would be hard to beat.
If they want the view, we’d scout Melville Point or Burrewarra Point.
And if you’re not sure?
Don’t choose from photographs.
Come down a little earlier, visit two or three possibilities and trust your instinct. You’ll probably know the right romantic proposal spot in NSW when you stand there.
And then there’s what happens afterwards…
This is where staying at The Bower at Broulee can become part of the story rather than simply somewhere to sleep.
You can disappear for a walk or drive without revealing what you’re planning, make the proposal somewhere along the coast, then return to the privacy of your own Bower.
No crowded hotel lobby.
No need to immediately tell the world.
Just close the door, open that bottle you’ve been hiding, light the fire if it’s a cool evening, sink into the spa and enjoy the rather extraordinary fact that you’ve just become engaged.
And perhaps that’s the nicest thing about proposing around Broulee.
The spectacular bit doesn’t have to end after the words “Will you marry me?”
You get to come back to your own private place in the forest and let the moment last a little longer.
Find The Bower at Broulee in Google Maps
Planning a proposal while staying at The Bower?
Feel free to ask us before you arrive. Tell us what sort of setting you’re looking for, private forest, secluded beach, easy-access lookout or dramatic headland, and we’ll happily point you in the right direction.
After more than three decades at Broulee, we have a few favourite corners for:
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