Narooma, highway closures, Nowra, Kiama and Corrimal

Hi all,

We left Merimbula in the pouring rain this morning and thankfully had some brighter weather as we headed north. Eliza was in a bit of a grumpy mood in the car to start the day so we were glad it cleared so we could stop and let her stretch her legs. And no wonder - the poor girl’s nappy had leaked at 5am and she couldn’t get back to sleep for a while after I changed her.

After about 1.5 hours of driving we stopped in Narooma that Rob had visited as a kid. The rain cleared and we were able to head to a lookout and wharf area where we saw lots of seals lounging about and playing in the water which Eliza loved. Then we enjoyed an early lunch and a coffee at a cafe called Honorbread. Eliza had a grand old time here running around, waving at dogs and laughing at random people!

We continued on and Eliza fell asleep. Rob and I drove through Batemans Bay for a quick look and then continued up north, it got wetter again the further we went. I can imagine the beaches here would be absolutely stunning on a nice day, but we both commented on how exceptional the Great Ocean Road is compared to the drive up here which is all inland until you turn off for a coastal town. We are a bit unlucky weather wise as next week up here looks beautiful again, but our forecast out at sea looks pretty wet. It might change though and we can’t control it, so we will just make the best of it. Please cross your fingers for no rain in Sydney tomorrow afternoon though, as we need to walk Eliza to sleep pre cruise because we won’t have our car anymore!!

The weather was quickly put into perspective though after we passed Ulladulla and reached a red patch on Google Maps. We slowly approached a highway turnoff and police were present, and we realised the Princes Highway was closed ahead in both directions due to an accident. I mapped Rob onto a detour, but so began a 2.5-3 hour extra journey for us with a toddler. Nearly a hundred cars were parked already waiting for the highway to open but we decided to try the detour which turned out to be the right call, the highway was still closed hours later.

We along with many others drove on a sketchy dirt road in the middle of nowhere. We had a laugh when a McLaren and a BMW drove past us the opposite way. The guy in the Ford Fiesta in front of us did really well we thought. A stick caught under our car for a bit too which was stressful, but Rob pulled it out and our car was ok. We finally reached a proper road 1.5km away from the highway, but the queue to get back on was so long that this took another hour. For the first time ever I gave my phone to Eliza and let her watch a video on it - Ms Moni saved the day. We watch TV sometimes at home but she’s usually ok out and about with toys and food. Until that point she had been so good and so brave despite having been in the car for ages and the road being quite bumpy and probably scary for her. We were lucky we had made Narooma our lunch stop or we wouldn’t have eaten anything proper. She was happy learning about emergency service vehicles ironically!

We finally got back on the highway and headed towards Nowra. We ditched our planned stop in Jervis Bay as we were so late and the weather was still terrible. It’s a shame as we drove instead of flying so we could explore, but at the end of the day I’m just glad we weren’t the ones in the accident. Apparently a truck hit two cars and there’s been at least one fatality. We are all together and ok, our little girl is still happy and we had a full tank of petrol. And it would’ve been far worse if this happened tomorrow as we would’ve missed our cruise!! We will have to come back one day.

We let Eliza out at a shopping centre in Nowra so she could run around. Kmart was a big hit, we played with lots of toys and read some books before enjoying a double decker bus climb on ride then heading off. Despite the shocking weather we then decided to still stop in Kiama for a quick look at the blowhole, and we were so glad we did. The rainy and stormy conditions meant it was HUGE and really wild. It cheered us all up after a long, tough drive. Eliza got into a really funny mood here and ran around screaming with laughter, jumping in puddles, laughing at seagulls and climbing the stairs. We are so lucky she has such a beautiful disposition. She brings us so much joy. She had a t shirt on with a sun on it today and we kept calling her our little ray of sunshine and then she would point to her shirt.

Back in the car we set off on our final stretch to Corrimal, just north of Wollongong, where we are staying. We enjoyed some beautiful old buildings in Kiama as we left. Eliza had a dinner of champions of cheese and bacon rolls, corn thins, a banana and blueberries (luckily we had lots of snacks!). I had had some sushi in Nowra and Rob had some McDonald’s. The thought of going out after our long day was not appealing. We did go for a very quick wander to the beach as our cabin is 50m away, but that was it. I was going to try and quickly visit my friend Lisa in Wollongong tonight but we have had such a huge day and have only just put Eliza down at 9.30pm due to unpacking etc so late, so sadly it wasn't meant to be.

Tomorrow we drive early to Sydney where we will park at the airport and catch a train into the city to board our cruise ship. I’m hoping to be able to post again then before we set sail but it’ll depend on timing etc. So glad the traffic delays weren’t tomorrow or we would have missed our boat!!

Love to all,

Claire

Xoxox

Looks like it reopened at 4pm - I am glad we made the detour!!!

Bega and Tathra

Hello everyone,

We had fish and chips for dinner at “home” last night. Eliza was in a hilarious mood, making a mess and laughing so much. She then occupied herself playing with the recycling, plastic plates and bowls, and climbing the stairs outside. We chatted to some other travellers that were missing their grandkids and enjoyed waving to her. But I jinxed myself yesterday, as we were up for our usual 2am cuddles today. I’m enjoying them though as one day I’ll miss them. Nothing a coffee and washing my face can’t fix.

When we got up today it was pouring rain which we expected. We planned a day of wet weather activities as a result. Our first stop was Bega and the Cheese Heritage Centre. Eliza started off terrified of the cow and horse sculptures, but eventually warmed to them and even gave them a pat. She loved visiting overall as there was a huge flight of stairs that her and another little boy kept climbing up and down (and holding up a queue of tourist bus people!) and she ate her body weight in cheese samples. I figured who can tell a toddler off for going back a few times?! She likes cheese as much as both of her parents!!

The exhibit was interesting as we got to see the original wooden cheese factory from 1869 which was moved and reassembled inside, and a lot of old machinery that used to be involved in making butter and cheese in the Bega Valley area. But it lacked proper signage and information about the history of the site. I ended up doing a bit of a Google search to find some information. Bega Cheese began as a small butter factory established in 1899 and has grown into one of Australia’s best known dairy brands (they also incapsulate Farmer’s Union, Yoplait, Vegemite and more these days). The company still remains connected to its homegrown town of Bega and expanded from local milk and butter production to cheese manufacturing, creating lots of jobs in the area and supporting local dairy farmers.

It was raining quite heavily as we left, so we drove into the town of Bega and visited the Bega Pioneers’ Museum, housed in an old hotel building constructed in 1857. The entrance was the original bar. Eliza was such a good girl here, walking around and pointing at things and taking it all in. It was basically a collection of old items and photographs from the area which occupied us for the best part of an hour. Eliza made me laugh when she pointed at a painting of an old bearded man and said “dada”. You’ll see how unimpressed Rob looks in the photo I’ve included! We particularly found the part outside that included an old tractor steam engine and Bega’s first ambulance, that looked like a big silver refrigerated truck to us.

We had a quick bakery lunch in town and then hopped in the car for Eliza’s nap. By this time it had stopped raining for the most part. We drove back to Merimbula via Tathra, which was a nice little coastal town. I don’t have any photos except for one from a lookout carpark because Eliza was asleep! We’ve gotten really good at communicating silently and opening and closing the car doors quietly. She had a really decent car nap just over an hour today. Once back in Merimbula we headed to Woolies and Aldi to buy Eliza some snacks. She ate three free bananas and was so vocal and cute running around in the shops that people later recognised her in the street and said “look, it’s the banana kid!” I love her vibrant personality, she turns heads everywhere we go.

We headed home and then went for a walk on the beach. She kept trying to run into the cold water in her clothes! So we wore her out at the playground for a while instead (and saw our lorikeet friends again!) and then went home. Tonight we had dinner at a restaurant called Dulcie’s Cottage housed in a 100 year old cottage. It was really disappointing. The cottage itself was very cute and atmosphere nice, but they didn’t have high chairs. We should have left at that point, but we didn’t. Our burgers were nice but very expensive and we spent our meal alternating running around with Eliza while the other ate quickly. It was not worth what we paid, but these things happen.

Tomorrow we drive to Wollongong. We’ve really enjoyed Merimbula, especially in the off season out of school holidays. It’s been relaxing and really enjoyable as a family.

Love to all,
Claire
Xoxox