Trooper's Rest
16 August 2026 / Story: Roger & Lesley Brook; Photos: Anda Clayton, Rose Smith
Trooper's Rest
13 August 2026
Thursday 13th August was a perfect winters day for our latest run. Light winds, clear sky’s, and beautiful sunshine was organised by Anda and Brian, who must have a direct line to whoever decides the weather!
6 MX-5’s, consisting of Geoff & Rose, Roger & Lesley, Paul, Keith & Sue, Phillip & Helen, and Steve & Lisa, all met up at The Heritage Bakery at Milton, for a catch up and coffee before hitting the road in earnest.
The Bakery is having some major work done, and looks like the original veranda is being refitted. It will be interesting to see how it looks when it’s finished…..
We set off, following Anda and Brian in their CX-5, like 6 chicks behind their Mazda mother hen! The traffic kept us separated, but by the time we got south of Ulladulla we were neatly formed up in line astern for the lovely sweeping road down to Batemans Bay, then right onto the Kings highway towards Braidwood. The Kings Highway is actually numbered the B52. I wonder how many houses along the road are named “The love shack”? we know ours would be!!
The odd car / SUV / truck tried to separate us, but the regular short overtaking lanes gave those towards the back a chance to test the rev limiters! (Authors note, - I am not technically minded, and don’t actually know if the MX-5 has a rev limiter!)
Our good pace had us arriving at our lunch destination, The Troopers Rest, fashionably 5mins late at just after midday. We had been allocated a private dining room at the rear of the building, which also doubles as the gin making classroom for Hold Fast Distillery. An excellent venue, with a roaring log fire at one end, and many small gin stills arranged along one wall, making it look very much like a science classroom for grownups!
For those history buffs amongst us, The Troopers Rest is steeped in history. If only the walls could talk. It was originally constructed in the 1840’s and was called “The Dog and Style” personally I like the name it has now. By the early 1850s it was a valuable stopping off place to the Araluen Gold field sites. It didn’t obtain its first alcohol license until 1853 to quench the thirsts of fortune-seekers and travellers. Over the decades the building has been adapted to many things to meet the needs of the locals. It became Torpy’s Restaurant in the 1980s as a tribute to a popular local family. Now known as the Troopers Rest it retains many original features including its doors and sturdy wooden floorboards. In November 2025 it celebrated 180 years of hospitality. Cheers and beers to the next chapter.
The food was excellent, with all sorts of choices from soup and toasties to nachos, butter chicken, and even bangers and mash, Lesley got the last serve of that which some of the group would have also liked to partake in. It was all lovely. The staff were friendly and even had to bring in a second chef on their day off as the place was packed out.
Anda and Lisa also tried the Gin tasting paddles, which seemed to go down a treat! I wonder if they slept for the drive home! Many members also were ‘supporting local’ with a number of gin bags seen leaving the premises!
Following our convivial lunch, there was time for a small amount of retail therapy, kept even smaller due to the chocolate shop being closed on Thursday’s, much to Rose’s disappointment.
The route home was either back down the Kings Highway for our southerly members, or North East from Braidwood along to Nerriga. Although Main Road 92 is much improved, there is still about 3km of unsealed road to contend with. It’s no problem in the dry, however we did get a little concerned when the dust suppression truck came our way, water spraying and no doubt looking with glee at the open-top car in his path! He did the right thing though and switched the spray off just before reaching us! But he had us worried for a minute or two.
So in all a very nice day. Beautiful weather, good roads, great food, and fine company! Thanks all.
