Exploring New South Wales: Wollongong to Narooma via St George’s Basin

Under Australian Skies

Back around Christmas Eve, I promised a series of posts (drawn from my diary) recounting some of the road trips we have taken in recent years  (http://wp.me/p3n9hn-qh).  Hopefully, these posts will introduce international readers to places away from Sydney.  I also hope Australian readers may find something of interest.  So here goes …….

November 2010

(Day 1 – 115klms) The first stop was only ninety minutes down the road, south to our friends at Sanctuary Point, a pretty coastal spot on St George’s Basin.  It is an area set around the protected waters of Jervis Bay – much favoured by migrating whales – and surrounded by typical Australian bush scrub. Our friends’ Maltese terrier “Bubbles” agreed to share his humans for an overnight visit.  L has a dress shop in town, which she hopes to sell in the future, and at the time she allowed herself one day free each week.  So she was available for a long, long walk around the edge of the bay, where there is a rough track through the bush – relatively easy walking.  As we walked through the dense bush, catching glimpses of the water along the way, we heard much rustling in the leaf debris.  Probably lizards – but there is always the chance that it could be snakes………  (the photo below is of Bill relaxing, not a reference to a snake),

Bill – kicking back at Sanctuary Point

On the bushwalk at Sanctuary Point, St George’s Basin

(Day 2 225klms) Next was another shortish drive (some hours), still heading south and hugging the coast until we arrived at Narooma, a large coastal town, blue waters, white surf, and oyster leases. Our friend here works at the local high school and lives in a new two bedroom country cottage, the last house at the end of the road leading away from town into the bush, overlooking the waters of Narooma’s inner harbour. Her efforts to raise a hedge on the road side of the house are severely hampered by hungry wallabies.  She has had to put wire netting around each young plant or they get eaten to the ground.  “Whopper” – possibly he’s a Jack Russell terrier – so named because as a puppy his ears were huge in proportion to his body, is of no use in scaring them off.  We relaxed here for a couple of nights, taking walks along the board walk and catching up with a cousin for dinner on the second night.

Part of Tilba historic township

This cousin and his partner run a cabin for tourist hire.  It is called Lyrebird Lodge and is set near an historic area called Tilba. It’s a fifteen minute drive down a dirt road deep into lonely bushland to arrive at the three bedroom self-contained cabin that runs on solar power and tank water.  He and his brother built it a few years ago.  We saw it under construction, and have viewed the finished pictures on the Internet, (http://www.tilba.com.au/lyrebirdlodge.htm)   but it is so popular that on this particular visit it was occupied, so we couldn’t go out to see it. Nevertheless, we met up in town for a feed of fish and chips at a restaurant that stretches out across the water, while their dog (Boss?) waited patiently to the side, ignoring the seagulls who were stalking us for anything that might drop off our plates.

Lyrebird Lodge

Next Destination: Tumut