Melbourne
We set off on our girls’ trip to Melbourne and the Sapphire Coast of NSW on a rainy Saturday. As we drove south to our overnight stop in Holbrook we eventually drove out of the rain towards sunny Melbourne.
It was only an overnight stay in Holbrook and an early start to make the most of our time in Melbourne. We did make time for some shopping at DFO Essendon before heading to our hotel to drop off our gear.
Our main purpose for the Melbourne detour was to visit with Corina’s daughter. We had a lovely day at our favourite Melbourne spots. No visit is complete without a visit to Melbourne Central or Hosier Lane.
We got to ACM with enough time to check out the animation exhibition. If you find yourself in Melbourne, I highly recommend taking the time to walk through this free exhibition. It’s very interesting seeing the process of how the animations are created for video games and looking at the history of Australian TV.
A walk across the Yarra to South Bank for a lovely dinner overlooking the water completed our brief but enjoyable visit in Melbourne.
Lakes Entrance
The following day, after the morning Melbourne peak hour, we headed for our next stop, Lakes Entrance. Driving almost directly east to Victoria’s coast, we made Lakes Entrance for a late lunch.
The last time we stopped at Lakes Entrance, we were going south along the coast to the Great Ocean Road. After checking into our very modest accommodation and having a good laugh about it, we headed into town to look for the fish shop “Wild Catch” we had eaten at the last time with the most amazing fresh seafood. My highlight is the sea scallops fresh caught on their own trawler. Very generous serves and lovely owners. We also got our girls at home some dog treats made from left over shark cartilege and fish skins.
As modest as our accommodation was it, the location was first class, right opposite the lookout for Lakes Entrance. After a relaxing drink at the pub, which was within walking distance, we grabbed our cameras just in time to catch the sunset. All jokes aside the accommodation was clean and comfortable with everything we needed for an overnight stop.
The only sunset we got on the trip was at Lakes Entrance. Not the best but better than the rest. And it was delivered to our door at the lookout.
Bermagui
Our last stop of the trip was 4 nights in Bermagui in beautiful Yuin country. This was a stopover in the past, and we had to return for a more extended stay to enjoy and explore. Although the weather wasn’t great for swimming or photography, we had a fabulous and relaxing visit. We stayed again at Harbour View House which is comfortable and in a great location.
There are some great little shops to browse when the weather is not as good. If you visit be sure to go into She Fashion Bermagui. The owner is lovely and the prices are reasonable. If you try on the clothes she gives you an honest opinion which is refreshing. She also recommended Octopii Cafe for our lunch where we got the best meal of the trip. The menu highlights for us were the calamari salad and prawn fettucine.
No visit to Bermagui would be complete without a visit to Harbar who serve the best cocktails and mocktails or prawn sandwiches made with fresh local prawns purchased from the fish shop at the dock.
Other highlights in Bermagui included the Growers Markets each Thursday at 3:30 pm at the Country Club and dinner at the Bermagui Hotel.
We discovered Beares Beach a little too late to catch the sunrise after abandoning Camel Rock, where sunrise was a fizzer. On the next visit, we will head straight to Beares Beach, which is much closer and easier to access.
Camel Rock
Camel Rock is the most amazing rock formation about 10 minutes north of Bermagui. We had two visits this time. One in the afternoon and one the next morning where our hopes of beautiful sunrise photos were dashed. You can read more about the traditional owners of the land and the history of Muranna in a blog post from my previous visit.
Cuttegee
Cuttegee is a pretty beach and inlet a short drive south of Bermagui. It was an uninspiring photography day when we went and not warm enough for swimming so we had a quick look at our favourite spots and snapped a few shots for the memories.
Tilba Tilba
The cooler weather meant we replaced beachgoing with exploring. Tilba Tilba is a cute village not too far inland from Bermagui. There are art stores and places to eat and the cheese factory is a must visit for yummy local cheese.
Cobargo
Most people in NSW would remember the town of Cobargo from the news when it was devasted by bushfires a few years ago. The town is resilient and is rebuilding. We visited the gift stores and stumbled upon the best Op shop thanks to a recommendation from the Lazy Lizards Gallery.
As well as walking around the town, we also explored some of the countryside and discovered these picturesque views over a dairy farm.
Narooma
After a lovely morning in Cobargo, we headed to Narooma for lunch and to visit the seals. We enjoyed a nice meal at a pub that overlooks the water, and then we made our way to the breakwall to see if the seals were present. Luckily, they were there, entertaining the crowd. As a bonus, we also enjoyed a view of Australia Rock while visiting the seals.
Rock Narooma
Sadly, it was time to come home. After over 2300 km in the car, lots of laughs, good food and some old lady naps, we have our memories and photos to sustain us until the next adventure.