Best of Bermagui

It's with some small sadness we leave Merimbula to continue our meanderings up the very beautiful South Coast of NSW. We head inland and retrace yesterday's trail past Bega where we headed to catch up with Ross' cousin and his family. Lovely people who live in a multiple occupancy, they actually played a part in the setting up, in a brilliant owner built house using all recycled timbers and mud slurry style frameworks. Ross was most impressed with the upstairs composting loo.

Speaking of which even the road toilets this way are composting worm farms as you can read.

We headed to Cobargo for a look and a coffee, an old style of town made up of a Main Street full of historical buildings. Very hot, we later read it was 31.

Over the ridge and down to Bermagui where it was far cooler and we lined up to check in behind an identical Melaleuca - what are the odds? The lady behind the counter thought we were travelling together. The other van was was occupied by a lady who works for Forestry and does her work one day a week on the internet, $1000 a day - great job if you can get it.

We were lucky enough to fluke site 1 up on the ridge overlooking the bay and so we could angle and look away from the other vans. Ross had bought me some beautiful flowers - so we put them in Kate's jar and even had them out on our table. Drew lots of comments.

Bermagui is an old style seaside town, lots of little shops, cafes, a beautiful marina, seafood and wildlife. The sort of town from our childhoods where you book the same site or cabin from year to year and run rampant over the Christmas holidays. They even have a sea pool that is spectacular. The nights are still chilly, the days are spectacular.

The wildlife abounds; rascally rabbits everywhere, seals bobbing outside the surf break and whales jumping so close to the shore they look like they are going to run into the rocks.

Again we find great coffee at Mister Jones, a funny little cool and trendy city coffee hangout in a Side street. Well patronised by the locals, where I hear all about the Orcas.

The Orcas have been harassing the Humpbacks lately; they attack them for days in groups wearing out the new or inexperienced mothers, finally separating her from her calf. They drown the calf and eat it's tongue and lips and then head of to find some new victims. Nature in action without censorship, evidently there have been some very upset whale watching expeditions.

Merimbula Meandering

On the road to Merimbula we stopped at Boydtown for a look see, not much to look at or see and then on to Quarantine Bay, a nice little bay for a lazy day and finally into Eden. Last time we passed through Eden was a bit sad and sorry, this time it's looking good. The Marina being upgraded to accommodate cruise ships and the town has an air of hustle and bustle about it.

We headed up to Rotary Park, a walk along the cliff tops, spotted a whale or two from the lookout and back to the BBQ for an egg and bacon roll. A local dog was scamming the tourists and came away with a few tidbits - bet his owner can't work out why he's putting on weight.

After lunch to the Eden Smokehouse, a great guy who has ties with Norfolk somehow and who smokes local seafood. He is a Food Technologist and the local high school Food Tech teachers would love him, very knowledgeable and really friendly - an hour later and some smoked mussels, gravlax and directions to an oyster lease and we are on the way again.

Oysters at Pambula Lake and we stock up, eventually going back and having a dozen each, each night for $7 each - superb!

Merimbula Caravan Park puts us on the cliff top where we sit and watch whales whilst eating oysters and having evening drinkies. Check out a blood moon that evening but couldn't get a decent photo so here is one from the net.. Watch whales while we eat our breakfast and have lorikeets trying to eat out of our bowls. Ross finds a red belly black snake but it's just as scared as he is and slithers off.

Pambula is a favourite; lovely town with good coffee and top bakery, great beach and river mouth where we throw in a line and don't care at all that there aren't any fish around. Little beach shacks on the river edge add a touch of the romantic and days gone by.

Plenty of wildlife around and we stop so an echidna can cross the road, Ross terrified that someone would run up the back of us and out at Pambula Beach kangaroos everywhere just sitting around checking out the locals.

Home to Merimbula and a walk along the boardwalk, a couple of ks along the river and we spotted some samphire growing wild. James and Ruby will be proud, we picked some and then checked it on the internet, didn't want to kill ourselves, then cooked it up with garlic and butter and into our salad with prawns for tea. We are just such foragers, watch out Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Mallacoota Moorings

Head from Cooma down to Bombala, Ross did a prac here in 1977 - ancient history. So we had to find the infants school, now a Tafe and do the walk down the Main Street. Had a coffee and a cake at the bakery, an old fashioned one that had custard slices, neenish tarts, caramel tarts, chocolate eclairs and more. No we don't just eat our way around Australia it just seems that way.

On to Mallacoota in Victoria and we arrive in the afternoon with the sun shining on the estuary and it's spectacularly beautiful, aqua blue, boats, birds and lovely walkways. Mallacoota has 1000 people in low season and as many as 10 to 15,000 over summer. We are staying in a caravan park about a k out of town which is much quieter. The town park has over 900 sites and they are right on the water. 8 amenities blocks - amazing.

The town has a couple of cafes, small supermarkets, a butcher, baker and a noodle shop of all things, so we head there for lunch - Lucy makes her own rice noodles and yum cha - the food is really good but the service is slow and confused - 3 cooks with about 50 people and nobody to take orders or deliver food - amazing kaos. But we will still head back tomorrow for more. Back to the park to recover and settle in for the rugby grand-finals, go the Rabbitohs!

We do a walk around the waterways, lunch on the headland and visit a WW2 bunker out in the bush. There are kangaroos on the road and front lawns in the town. The small beaches are pristine and the lake, come estuary,is lovely. We even find a Bruce's Cabin, Bruce's Fishermans Cottage, Bruce's Road and Bruce's Jetty. Bruce was a big player in the town at some time, makes us smile.

In the arvo we call in to pick up some milk and find scallops in the fridge - 16 scallops for $5 - bargain -out to the little beach at dusk, BBQ scallops for tea with a glass of wine and an early night.

Heading back north to NSW tomorrow.

Chilly in Cooma

Another brilliant day of sunshine as we leave the Capital and head for the hills. Cooma comes up fast and we head into the Snowy Hydro Tourist stop where we run into a young guy - doing a traineeship straight out of school. Very personable, very knowledgeable and a breathe of fresh air. It's an amazing scheme, well before it's time and something Aussies should be proud of.

We park near the goal in the town and visit the tourist info centre to have a chat with the nice lady who gives us a good rundown and then head off on the Historical Walk. Through town and around the various churches, town hall, schools, a plane crash memorial and lots of Snowy Scheme memories. Finally along Lambie Street, the original Main Street with beautiful old homes, one converted into a gallery, exhibiting a group of local artists work. Great pieces, great gardens and venue and a lovely volunteer who took a shine to Ross (don't they always) and chatted to him at great length about the town and gardens.

A top little town, friendly people, great coffee (Kettle and Seed) and nice feel to it.

The Caravan Park isn't too busy so we can get the washing done before an early night. Freezing and below overnight - Doona, blanket and heat packs and even the aircon for half an hour before we venture out of bed. Crispy nights and warm, warm days.

We pay Jindabyne a visit and check it out, a good lookout on the way shows us a stunning vista with mountains topped with snow around the edges. Jindabyne is glowing and the lake shimmering, ready for the summer fishing season to kick off this weekend. We had lunch on the lake edge and take a walk around the Lake. Strezlecki the explorer did lots of work here in the 1800's and made many discoveries.

Checked out the winter specials in the shops and managed to find a vest to keep me warm in the evenings. RM Williams, Aussie to the core.

Back to Cooma, another walk around town, another coffee and home to snuggle up for the evening.