We’d only been back from Vietnam a few weeks when my Boss reminded me that is still had a bunch of Leave available to take.
That was all the encouragement I needed.
Next minute? Planning a two week roadtrip with our little camper trailer to some places we’d not had a chance to visit before.
I’d always had a yearning desire to visit what I consider the Mecca of Australian Surfing, where the Easter Classic has been held every year since the early ‘70s – Bells Beach and the surrounding Torquay area.
So that was the basic premise of this getaway – just needed to fill in either side of a few days around Bells.
We set out reasonably early on the day after the Melbourne Cup, so the first Wednesday in November.
Car and van all checked and ready to go with everything we thought we may need for a two week trip.
And a nice bright and sunny day meant a fantastic first day driving south from our place along the most magnificent Coast Road through Batemans Bay, Moruya, the stunning Narooma and onto Merimbula and Pambula.
After around three hours leisurely driving, we made a quick stop in Pambula at one of our favourite places on the Coast to pick up some simply gorgeous, fresh and plump oysters, straight out of the leases that day from Broadwater Oysters
They never disappoint. We travel with a portable refrigerator in the car, so the oysters were safely secured and after a couple of other little pit stops we continued our most enjoyable journey South.
The roads down this way through the Sapphire Coast are not fabulous – one lane each way, not well sign posted and windy and narrow ducking in and out of the Coast relentlessly. The scenery is simply stunning – but you need full concentration on the road.
Half an hour down the road we reached the historic whaling town of Eden, whose history and importance in the whaling industry dates back to the 1840s.
There is so much to do in and around Eden a few days is probably not enough. Twofold Bay, which is the centrepoint of this beautiful little town is the third deepest harbour/bay in the Southern Hemisphere and still attracts thousands of whales each year.
Great beaches, mountains, bushwalks, food and people. Put it on your list.
Our first night was spent not far across the border into. Victoria at the very pretty Lakes Entrance.
We’d been here a couple of times before but probably 15 years ago the most recent.
By now the weather had started to change for the worst and we had a rush to set up camp before the deluge. This was just an overnight stay so we set up the bare essentials just in the nick of time.
It had been about 6 hours since we left home so a good opportunity to head into town, have a walk and a stretch – and find somewhere to have a beer.
On the main drag across the road from the River we found this old repurposed petrol station that is now a pub serving their own pretty good craft beers.
The wind was starting to howl so two beers was all we managed.
Besides it was now time for a well earned dinner – so fish and chips was a no brainer. And it was sensational ! Good old fashioned hand cut chips and beautiful fresh fish fillets was exactly what we were after.
We made it back to the van just before the deluge haha. Perfect timing and a perfect opportunity to sit inside and “relax” over another challenging game of Scrabble
Little did we know that this weather was to be the standard for the next two weeks……
Ralph and Karen's Tours 