After 5 wonderful days, today we leave the Sapphire Coast and head north to Batemans Bay.
The Sapphire Coast is the tourist name for Bega Valley Shire. It stretches from the Victorian Border in the south, to Bermagui in the north. Being peak summer holiday season, all camp grounds including national parks are booked out along the beach. We stayed at Kalaru Countryside Caravan Park, a very pleasent, spacious and shady camp ground 10 minutes drive to the coast. They also sell nifty tick removal twisters which we found worked extremely well….on humans.
New Years eve they had a live band at the Camp Kitchen which was a fun way to welcome in the new year. The other great thing about this place is that its only a five minute drive to the award wining Tathra Oysters. I (Helen) have never had an ‘unkilpatricked’ oyster before, but now I have tasted freshly shucked, straight from the ocean oysters, I am a convert, they are FANTASTIC. A little squeeze of lemon juice and some freshly ground pepper, YUM!
Tathra Warf and Pambula Beach. The cafe on Tathra Wharf introduced us to a new word – Locavore, something we are passionate about, and can now use the correct terminology for.
Bermagui. The beaches are so picture perfect and the locals have a great sense of humour. A few food places worth visiting, Cream Patisserie which makes all its breads, cakes and pastries on site from local produce. Blue Wave Seafood at Fishermans Wharf sells fresh local fish and fantastic fish and chips. The Gelati Clinic, sadly we were too full after the fish and chips and didnt get to have any, but it sounds great. It was originally the old vetinary clinic, but 10 years ago when the owns opened they just painted Gelati over Vetinary and it has stayed that way ever since. ”Customers come with their own fruit – whatever they have – and we swap with gelato. There is no money involved, it’s old commerce,” store manager Mary Lurve said in an unmistakable Italian accent. ”It’s working well, it’s something different … and it’s all organic fruit grown in the backyard.” If you dont have fruit to swap you pay for the gelato.
But the MUST SEE place is Bermagui’s famous Blue Pool. A natural rock pool washed with sea water each day. A magical place to swim, wish we’d taken our snorkels and goggles as there were fish swimming in the bottom amongst the rocks and seaweed.
It was called the Blue Hole until 1940 when the locals doubled its size, concreted around the edge and added a wading pool. In 2010 showers, toilets and steps were added as well as a viewing platform with majestic coastal views perfect for whale watching.
Its not well sign posted and we had to ask the locals how to find it.
Farewell Sapphire Coast, we will be back again someday.
THe long paddock 