We finished our last blog by stating that we were just going out for dinner somewhere. We in fact went to Wheeler’s Seafood Restaurant, directly opposite the golf course. Like the golf course, the food is expensive. But unlike the golf, which you may recall was skewed toward the crap end of the curve, the food was excellent! Ann had a prawn entrée-size meal, and I had and entrée calamari dish. Both were first class, and the serving size generous, to the extent that we by-passed the main course, and went direct to the sticky date pudding. We can really recommend the Wheeler’s restaurant.
On Friday we decided to head into the hinterland, to visit some of the smaller places we had been to before, and made for Candelo. Now there never was much happening at Candelo, just a pub, a bowling club, a couple of rather quaint cafés, and, surprisingly, a golf course, albeit with sand greens. Well, the cafes have closed, maybe just for this out-of-season time, or maybe permanently. And despite the signposts still pointing to a golf course, we did not manage to find it again, so that has probably closed too. So we headed for Kameruka, an old pastoralist estate built something like an English village, complete with its own church, cricket ground, and village pond. It was originally settled by a chap from Kent, a Mr Tooth, who established Tooth’s breweries. Well, that is now all closed up and no longer open to the public as a tourist attraction. According to the lady that served our lunch a bit later in the day, it has been sub-divided and is being sold off.
So we headed for Bega, but just before we got there, we spotted a sign post for Tathra, so we bent our steps in that direction. Or, to be more accurate, since we were in a car, we turned our wheels in that direction. Tathra was just as we remembered it. The pub, still picturesque, the village store (with a large sing saying ‘your friendly grocer’. We wondered where the unfriendly grocer might be). Feeling peckish, we decided in favour of having some lunch before going to the old wharf, and went into a cafe with stunning views across the bay. Pea and ham soup and some crusty bread went down very well, and we headed for the wharf, where we found a delightful café and museum sort of shop, with the shuttered windows fully open to the sea. But of course we had no need for further food, but next time…..
There were a few men catching mackerel from the wharf, and surprisingly, a huge seal was swimming around. It was interesting to watch him. He, or perhaps she, took no notice whatsoever of the fish, and what is more, the fish, clearly visible to us, took no notice whatsoever of the seal. The seal did look rather plump, and probably not hungry.
A brief drive along to the mouth of the Bega river; an even briefer inspection of the golf course, and we headed back for Merimbula. On the way, we called into a cabin resort called Mandini, which has a ‘golf facility’. This comprises a 9-hole full-length course, a 9-hole pitch and put course, and a driving range. Now, many golfers find that if they have to hit anywhere near water, the ball is drawn inexplicably toward, and into, it. The driving range at this park would be ideal for those golfers in that it is a huge lake, and the balls, supplied at $8.00 per bucket, actually float! So, a bucket was purchased, and we began hitting, rather well, I must say, into the middle of the lake. However, a text message from our grand-daughter advised that she had just e-mailed a draft of her assignment, and would we proof-read it for her. It was due for submission at 5.00pm, and the time was now 3.30. So, we rushed the remaining balls, losing all concentration, and spraying them all over the lake. But we got back to the flat in time to do the proof-reading and return the draft in good time.
Saturday, after walking the 6 km into Pambula, we decided to catch a nice flathead for dinner. However, the fish were not so keen on the idea as we were. In fact, they were decidedly unco-operative, and so once again we had to go out for dinner. But, whilst on the beach at the mouth of the Pambula river, it was very nice to see a pod of dolphins swim by, and to watch the sea eagles again. Come dinner time, as we had already decided that we would have fish, we went to the other seafood restaurant, Captain John’s, where we both had the chef’s special prawns, which were excellently presented in a delicious mild garlic/citrus/cream sauce with rice.
Sunday dawned with a strong north-westerly wind blowing, to the extent that there were white horses on the waves in the lake. We thought a trip to Severs beach would be good, as the path is amongst the trees, and very sheltered. Interestingly at the beach there are signs warning us not to interfere with the middens of ‘cultural significance’, under pain of being fined if we did. The middens, or to use a more common name, the scrap heaps, have been carbon dated and are over 3,500 years old. It is fascinating how old rubbish tips are protected, but if today we started building a scrap heap in the same National Park, there would be public outcry, and an individual throwing away picnic scraps would no doubt be fined if caught. Rubbish is rubbish after all, and even the now-protected middens were once new.
Severs Beach is a wonderful place for bird watching, and the masses of small soldier crabs, advancing in armies across the sand banks, provided nearly half an hour of entertainment.
A new touristy development on the flats just out of Pambula combines an art gallery with a nice café, a shop selling local produce, an extensive garden shop and plant nursery, and an animal nursery. The caramelised pork belly on an orange and fennel salad at the café was excellent. Then it was off to Tura Beach golf course for nine holes at the bargain after 2.00pm fee of $9.00. We have been going to Tura for some 30 years now, and it is amazing how the hills in the fairways have got steeper over that time. Normally one would expect erosion by wind and rain to have reduced them, but not so, they are definitely steeper. Any way, we played some golf in which the curve swung ever so slightly back in favour of the brilliant—but not by much.
This is our last night at Aquarius Resort, as tomorrow we head back to Melbourne. .
Tomorrow has dawned, with the sun shining, and the lake like a mirror once more.
In a few moments, we shall leave the apartment for one last walk to Fishpen before driving home. We hope you have enjoyed this couple of Sketches of Merimbula
Slingsby's Miscellany 