Batemans Bay sits where the Clyde River opens into the Pacific. It is the closest proper seaside town to Canberra, so summer brings a big holiday crowd, but the better reason to stop is the mix of estuary, oysters, beaches, and bush.
The town centre is practical rather than pretty. The reward is around it: Clyde River National Park for views over the river, the Eurobodalla Regional Botanic Garden for local South Coast flora, and oyster sheds where the meal still feels tied to the water outside.
Batemans Bay clears the spare-day test if you treat it as a small coastal base, not as a resort strip. Swim, drive to a lookout, eat Clyde River oysters, and keep moving along the South Coast.