Historic village full of quirky boutiques and sophisticated shopping plus cafes and restaurants serving the freshest of local produce all day long? Or stake a claim on some of the whitest sands in the world (Guinness Book of records will confirm that!) for a day of sea, sun and surf with awesome sunrises and sunsets an unforgettable bonus.

The choice becomes so much easier when that village is Berry, just a few minutes drive from Linnaeus Farm or Far Meadow Cottage, and ten minutes drive further on are beaches that stretch 170 kilometres, north and south.

So let’s make it the beach this time round and which one of more than 100 in the region it will be will depend on how you want to spend your day. Is it stretching out on a towel and letting the world slowly pass you by, or surfing, snorkelling, scuba diving, kite-boarding, kayaking or stand-up paddle boarding? Maybe it’s a spot of fishing, or dolphin, whale or seal watching. Decision. Decisions. Decisions.

A good starting point is Seven Mile Beach which is just 10 minutes drive away. It’s 12 kilometres of seaside joy, stretching from Gerroa in the north to Shoalhaven Heads in the south and it’s pet friendly too. If we’ve got family in tow, Gerroa is a great spot with its toddler-friendly shallows at the mouth of the Crooked River and gentle beach waves. It’s a great spot too for a few surf lessons and a bit of snorkelling.

And when life’s busy and we need to reconnect with the simple things in life it’s the south end of Werri Beach, Boneyards at Kiama Downs or a bit further south at Callala Beach. Wildlife your thing? Head to Depot Beach or Pebbly Beach, both of which form part of a fabulous coastal walk, and you’ll soon have some kangaroos as beach buddies.

Just 45 minutes drive and you can be in our old holiday stomping ground of Jervis Bay which, next to Berry, is still one of our favourite places in the world. It was the starting point for our journey to create the Linnaeus Collection. From the white, white sands of Hyams and Murrays Beach to the stunning natural rock pool at Currarong, snorkelling and scuba diving or getting up close to seals and dolphins, days can be spent either jam-packed with activity or just soaking up the sunshine looking out across the bay to the ocean beyond.

Make life easy. Check out the Shoalhaven’s 100 Beach Challenge website (https://www.shoalhaven.com/100-beach-challenge/) where you’ll get the lowdown on all the beaches in the region from which ones are best for families, pet friendly, surfing and other water sports to ones that incorporate spectacular bush walks through the lush coastal wilderness to the water.

We truly are in the lucky country.

Download the Shoalhaven 100 Beach Challenge Map here