Beautiful Bermagui 2023
22 February 2023 / Words: Steve and Cecelia Wakeling. Pictures: Rod Nicholas
Yes, we are off to Bermagui again. I had nominated the Bermi run as we had such a great time last year it begged for a repeat.
Ian and Robyn's flashy 'Bumblebee' is no shrinking violet
This time the weather was definitely in our favour, so it was no surprise the four cars heading off from Bungendore for the start of our four-day adventure had their roofs open. We hit the road at the respectful hour of around 11 am and headed down the Clyde Mountain to Mogo for lunch. We caught up with a couple of our members who had relocated to the Bay and met another couple from the South Coast Chapter who were joining us for the entire run. After lunch we spread out to visit the shops. The highlight (perhaps) was the kitchen gadgets shop (In and Out at Mogo) where a bunch of the blokes on the run picked up the little kitchen knick-knack that was, until then, missing in their lives (how can you live without a jam scraper?).
Leaving Mogo, we headed south to Bermagui arriving about 4 pm. The countryside had certainly greened up and all the lakes and rivers were full.
After booking in at the Bermagui Motel, right in the middle of town, there was a brief discussion about what to do. The planned 30 minute bush walk out to the mouth of the Wallaga Lake was cancelled it was just too hot. Some headed off to check the place out, but the more sensible group proceeded directly to the only pub in town for some refreshments. It overlooks the bay and serves Reschs (it’s an acquired taste). Dinner that night was in the pub’s restaurant next door and reservations were essential.
Bermi beach from the headland
Our group was complete when another couple, who had chosen to make their own way down to Bermi, met up with us, making a total of six cars and 12 people.
Saturday morning saw us head down the back way to Tathra for a light lunch at the Wharf. We hadn’t booked, which apparently is the thing to do, but our hosts accommodated us, with a little squeeze. The meals were large, not light, and very tasty. We were entertained during lunch by a young local goanna which wandered the wharf looking for anything to eat. According to a fisherman its favourite was small freshly caught fish.
George the Goanna was just 'pot sized' according to the locals
After lunch we headed to Central Tilba via Bega and Cobargo for coffee or tea (or, for our craft beer aficionado, a sample of the Tilba Brewery’s fares). The weather was perfect, and this is just a great drive.
Testing the wares at Tilba Brewery (aka The Dromedary Hotel)
Journeying back to Bermagui some of us stopped at the Camel Rock Brewery for a cold one.
Dinner that evening was on the large grassed area under the trees at the motel. The motel owners John and Sue supply the tables and chairs. This is an excellent location for low key social gatherings. On the menu was fresh fish and chips or pizza from nearby shops, all within walking distance (and refreshments from the liquor shop is across the road).
Sunday was our ‘Big Day Out’. An early start of 8:30 am (pushed back to 9 am due to requests) saw us off for an hour’s drive to the Candelo markets. Well placed in the park by the Candelo Creek, the markets feature70-odd stalls on the first Sunday of each month and operate from 8:30 am to 1 pm. Apart from the usual honey and jams I managed to find an old heavy duty bench vice to replace my broken one. Luckily one of the six cars in our entourage was a MX-5 Benz that had room in its boot for my purchase.
We had arranged something special for lunch. Mimosa restaurant and winery is in the middle of nowhere. It’s on the back road from Bermagui to Tathra, about an hour from Candelo - another beautiful drive along winding country roads in surprisingly good condition. One end of the restaurant is open to the views over the vineyards and to the mountains beyond, and although sunny, it was a little cool in the shade of the deck. Regardless, lunch was long and excellent. This was our fourth visit and the food and service were excellent as usual.
Mimosa Restaurant, a few k down the road from Bermagui, was a delight ... again
Dinner that evening was on the lawn under the Motel’s trees again. Cecelia and I had planned to have pizza as we had the fish and chips the previous night, but the fish was so fresh and tasty that we purchased it again.
Monday morning saw us depart and head back up the Clyde for brunch at Mogo. The Clyde Mountain traffic was very light so therefore an enjoyable (and quick) run.
Overall, a great drive again and a magnificent time was had by all.
Cheers Steve & Cecelia.
You can see where we went on the run down to Bermagui and our run to Candelo by following the two links below:
Relive 'Down to Bermi'
Relive 'Down the road to Candelo'
