Monday, November 16th
Out into the great unknown. From now until we get to Phillip Island the area is largely unfamiliar to me. I know we have to be on the island on Wednesday evening but how we get there and what we do along the way is up to us. The only thing I am really worried about is accommodation along the way as we will be a bit off the beaten track (which would be the motorway that links Sydney to Melbourne). The idea is that we, roughly, follow the south-east coast around until we get to Phillip Island. This is largely a tourist area so the roads are fine just not exactly direct…
Today started with breakfast in the hotel at 9:15. Always sad to be leaving…checking out we then got in the car and headed out of town on the B52, a reasonably sized road, that took us past the small Canberra airport. Mel has been talking about some of the odd things here in Canberra so we took a picture of a bus shelter on our way out…
Yeah, ok, they are a bit odd. Very retro.
We were headed to rejoin the coastal road, the A1 to Batemans Bay. A brief stop for fuel (very cheap here compared to what we pay in the UK - $38 to fill the tank!) and we were on our way.
There were not a lot of towns along the way but what towns there were had the same look about them - A strip of shops with an old-style covered pavement outside (like in the old western movies you see) and cars parked head-on along the road.
The scenery outside of the towns along the way to the coast was quite sedate - Small rolling hills with a few bushes and trees here and there. There was a bit of excitement with the winding roads up and down Clyde Mountain but that is about it.
We did spot some kangaroos along the way - Our first wild kangaroos! But, unfortunately, we were unable to snap pictures…perhaps we will be lucky and spot some more.
Batemans Bay is, no surprise, on the coast and seems to be a bustling gateway to “cottage country” with a marina, restaurants (mostly fast food) and shops including a post office.
The parking is a bit confusing. We stopped initially on the main road parking head into a spot marked “1/2P”. In a shop we were told that this actually means “½ hour” parking which was not good to us as we had a few things to do, including having something to eat as it was already 1 pm, so we moved the car around the corner into a longer-term car park where we were able to put money into a machine for a ticket.
Neither of us is really any good for clothes shopping but Mel found a shop where the clothing was really right what she was looking for - Mostly quite light and airy style - So she spent a few minutes trying on things.
We headed down the road to Bay Central Pharmacy where I had a seat and talked to the pharmacist about my sunburned feet. I am wearing sandals today because even with the cream my feet the large blisters that had formed over the past few days have now popped so I am very concerned about infection. She was very busy so I had a seat to wait watching her while people came and collected their prescriptions. When she came to me she pointed us to these very skin-like square bandages - About 10 cm on a side - that she suggested we apply to the top of the foot. These are quite organic so they breath well and will allow the wound to breath. She said by the end of the week they will have done their work and fall off.
We walked behind the shops along the waterfront looking out in the small harbour at the scattered pleasure boats. A few of the piers had pelicans sleeping on them and the sun was out. Very peaceful.
Looking for somewhere to eat eventually we settled on “Chicks and Sticks” - A local “chippie” as we would call it in the UK - Fast, fried, food that the locals eat at. They had a few stalls to sit in so we had a seat and Mel tucked into the biggest falafel sandwich we had ever seen and I had an equally massive chicken schnitzel sandwich (I seem to be establishing a pattern after that place we visited in Wollongong).
Picking up the car we headed a short distance and pulled off to the side so Mel could dangle her feet in the water at a small sandy strip between the road and the harbour. The water fascinates both of us though I had to hold back and sit in the car with my feet being so damaged.
Now refreshed, we headed to a local McDonald's for a bit of a dessert. We have been seeing these ads on television for this amazing looking chocolate sundae they have for $1 that is served in a waffle cone with a stick of chocolate sticking out of it so Mel wanted to give it a try…that and we needed to use their toilets. On entering the store we were surprised to see they also had quite an amazing selection of baked goods on offer - doughnuts, cakes, muffins, cheesecakes, macaroons…We don’t get those in the UK at McDonald’s!
It was quite busy in the store but we ordered and stood back away from the till with the others. I had another frozen coke ($1!) but Mel was upset with her sundae…a bit of a disappointment from what it looked like on the TV!
We continued following a small road around the coast from Batemans Bay around to where it joins the A1 at Moruya. The area is full of small towns and cottages as well as spectacular ocean scenery. Rejoining the main road we stopped at an eye catching small wooden shop along the road the “Bodalla Lavender Shop” painted all in purple.
It was a bit tricky actually as I had driven past it and the road was a bit tricky to turn around in but eventually we parked out front to have a look.
It certainly was all things lavender with chocolates (she had us try some), tea towels, scented candles, scent bags, and anything else you can think of. Smelled nice. The lady was very pleasant and we had a bit of chat as we were her only customers. We also visited a small shop next door the “Bodalla Harmony Centre” “Artisans Nest” which consisted of the work of a number of local artisans including jewelry, clothing, paintings, and carvings. It was a hodge-podge of things in four small rooms so we had a bit of a wander. Mel eventually bought some earrings including some made of out shark-skin (nice turquoise colour).
Back on the road we continued to follow the A1 along the ocean. The scenery is quite varied with many bridges taking us over small stretches of water and the road winding around. It is quite flat and there are not a lot of people here. There was not really a lot of traffic either. A few bridges are more like causeways - One was a single track wooden bridges only a short distance above the water with traffic controlled using traffic lights at either end.
Occasionally as we came over a small rise we would be rewarded with views looking down the coast with sandy beaches and lots of greenery.
Where possible we would leave the bigger road and take smaller roads that more closely followed the water. This was much more relaxing and more interesting. We were, after all, not really in a big hurry.
After one bridge over a small creek emptying into the ocean we stopped to have a walk on the sandy beach. It was nice to get out of the car rather than driving all the time. We enjoyed just looking at the plants growing in the sand (a lot of “succulents” - plants you really only see sold in nurseries in the UK).
On the other side of the bridge, away from the ocean, we could see a few people coming towards us having gone for a bit of a swim. It seems you just stop and do what you want here…very relaxed.
Later we were able to finally get a picture of a kangaroo as it bounded away from us into the bushes…true, a bit blurry but a picture nonetheless.
A few miles later we spotted some in a field off to our right.
Later we were much luckier to spot, well in advance, a wallaby sitting up on the side of the road. Snapping pictures like mad we slowed the car right down and got quite close before it bounced off.
On the picture front, Mel has also been looking at the enormous termite mounds - Looking to take a picture of the biggest we can find.
As the day wore on we agreed that stopping at “Tathra”, a spot on the map near to the ocean, would be a good place at which to stop for the night. I am not so sure this was a good choice but it was a choice we made. As I had been driving Mel agreed to get out and ask about accommodation wherever we stopped. Entering the sleepy town we looked around for possibilities of places to stay. We first tried what looked like a caravan park but there was no one around and we continued on. In the distance, at the end of a road leading to the ocean, I spotted a sign for the “Tathra Hotel”. There is a building housing a restaurant and large bar beside which, separated by a car park, is a two story motel. Mel went in and said there was only one last room available so we took it for $80. No breakfast.
It turns out our room is on the ground floor and looks like a dorm. The main room has a double bed and three singles then another room has another single bed and two bunk beds. Absolutely enormous for just the two of us! The toilet and shower area is all tiled much like you would see in a YMCA. It is not fancy and the furnishings are certainly basic but it is clean, they have a TV and the ocean is only 30 feet away - at the bottom of the cliff we are on top of.
With the ocean so close we decided to have a bit of a wander to get a better look. There is scrub at the top of the cliff at the end of the car park but there was a path we followed down to the rocks at the water’s edge.
Down there you can see nothing of the town and hotel above.
We gave up on the idea of going to look for something to eat and just ate from our supplies. We watched a bit of television but I did take a bit of time to go outside to have a look at the stars in my pyjamas. It was pitch black outside and, other than the noise from the bar and some of the other hotel rooms, very quiet.
We put the bandage on my foot. It seems quite tough so I hope it does the trick. I a bit worried about removing it later this week - Will it take off all my skin when I do?
Today was about 350 km. We were on the road for a long time. It has been quite a nice day. Hopefully the neighbours will shut up so we can get some sleep though…
Our route today…