As sad as we were to say goodbye to beautiful Bermagui it was time to head to our final stop, Kiama. We set out early and had plenty of time to make the approximately 3.5 hour allowing some detours along the way.
Tilba Central
First detour along the way was just north of Bermagui on the tourist route through Tilba Tilba to a cute little town called Tilba Central. Tilba Central is set in the countryside on the side of the mountains. The quaint shops and cheese factory make it a popular tourist attraction. If you are heading north or south along the Princess Highway, it is well worth the short 3km detour.
After a quick stop in Tilba Central, which wasn’t quite open yet for the day, we headed along the coast enjoying the scenery as we drove. I was keen to drive through Burrill Lake as this was where we had gone each year for holidays when I was a kid. It was very different than when I had last been, probably 40 years ago. There were many more houses and shops but the lake looked familiar where my brother and I had spent our summer holidays rowing around in our inflatable boat. Just up the road was Ulladulla where we stopped for morning tea and to stretch our legs.
Our journey continued along the coast with stops at Hyams Beach and Jervis Bay. All very busy but equally as picturesque as the rest of the Sapphire Coast.
Kiama
When we arrived in Kiama the grey clouds had gathered and after a short drive around we checked into The Sebel Kiama Harbourside to park the car and unpack. The room was clean and comfortable with a small verandah. Centrally located we could use it as a base to explore the town. As we arrived on Sunday the Kiama markets were on. It was getting quite late for lunch so we went in search of food. We didn’t find what we were hoping for in the market stalls so headed to Moon Sushi for a fabulous late lunch / early dinner. I highly recommend trying out this restaurant if you find yourself in Kiama and you like sushi, it is all freshly made to order and worth the wait.
Bombo Quarry
Next morning we headed to Bombo Quarry before sunrise. The carpark was empty when we arrived probably because the prediction for sunrise was not very good. As first light broke we made the short walk into the quarry area. The rocks there make you feel like you are on another planet. They also make moving around a bit tricky especially if you are recovering from an injury.
Although the sunrise quality was not the best, we made the most of what we had and took pictures from a few vantage points.
After sunrise we headed back into town for a shower and breakfast in our room, porridge pots are great easy breakfast when travelling. Pro tip add some blue berries and LSA to make them more filling. We made a quick detour to the blow holes on our way to our hotel. The big blow hole was a no go but locals know if the blow hole is quiet then the little blow hole is usually blowing.
Kiama has lots of lovely cafes and restaurants and some iconic tourist spots to enjoy. Check out the Hungry Monkey if you are looking for burgers or salads, you will enjoy quality food, quick service and friendly staff.
Even though we had plenty of options to choose from our main focus was Bombo Quarry and with storms predicted and with not much hope of a pretty sunset we headed back to Bombo Quarry to photograph it in the afternoon light. It was still hot there at 5pm and we we not the only ones with the same idea. There were a few others with cameras and some people walking their dogs in the off leash area along the headland.
Sadly the next morning our road trip had come to an end and it was time to head back to the Hawkesbury. There was time for a yummy breakfast at Wild Patch Cafe before packing up and getting on the road.
This blog post is the last in my South Coast NSW series. Let me know in the comments what you think of the blogs and what you would like me to write about next. Thanks for reading.