Aussie Roadtrip: Merimbula

A very early start to catch sunrise meant we were on the road ahead of a lot of the other traffic. Drivers were blinking their car headlights left, right and centre as we headed out to the highway and I assumed a police car detecting speed would be round the bend. Slowing right down turned out to be excellent timing as I avoided a small kanga positioned in the centre of my lane. (So far the only incident has involved a suicidal kookaburra.) Around the next bend there had been a nasty head on collision with police and fireys in attendance. Turning around Percy, we needed to take another route to the highway. 

With such an early start, it was easy work to get to Nooroomba (an Aboriginal word for "blue water").  Allegedly due to a spelling mistake on the part of the postmaster, its name changed to Narooma. 

Beautiful Narooma

Violent pelicans in a feeding frenzy

What bird is this?

It seems that early attempts to set this up as a busy port failed, mainly on account of the fact that it seems a pretty lousy spot for a port.  It seems like ships had to intentionally beach themselves on the bar, then wait for a wave to bring them over the top and make a sharp left turn.  Various attempts at creating a breakwater seem to have had little effect on making it a safer place to access, and I think people may have given up by the early 20th century.  Nevertheless many have recognised it as a beautiful place to visit, and regular tourism seems to have been a feature since the 30's. 

This breakwater makes it "safer?"

We discovered that the couple behind Streets ice-creams retired to this community and put a lot of effort into community projects.  Kat couldn't help but get into a giant paddle pop they had left just lying there.  

Paddle Pops!

Our plan to catch some waves was thwarted by numerous nasty looking bluebottles, and we opted to briefly read in the sun before kicking on.  

No swimming - bluebottles everywhere!

What trip of these parts would be complete without stopping at Bega to try out all of the cheeses with which we are already very familiar?  The Bega experience was worth the stop, not just for the cheese, but running through their museum and arts and crafts from the region upstairs.  The main takeaway, in case anyone cares to travel so far for petrol, is that the local businesses seem to have lost all sense in a race to the bottom on prices.  For the first time in many years, you could get petrol for less than a dollar a litre!  For those without a Coles voucher, you had to pay a measly $1.03/L!!!   The teller obviously had many people commenting on it to him throughout his day, and was not at all interested in my enthusiasm.  The rule of our roadtrip has been if we see it for less than $1.20/L, we stop.

Crazy competition!

Bega Cheese Museum

The views from our temporary home at Merimbula were magnificent.  It would have been a great spot to whale-watch if we were there in the right season.  It seems that very few people camp anymore, and less care to camp or caravan in an unpowered site, so we had the run of the unpowered section of the park effectively to ourselves, it was a beautiful space.

TENT PHOTO! - Note my beard is now visible in shadow

Sun set near our Merimbula campsite