Ulladulla, now there’s a name to strike fear into any non-Australian and I can just hear the differnt pronunciations as it rolls around non-Aussie speaking tongues. Todays journey is an eye-opener regards raw scenic beauty against a dark haunting landscape of post wildfire decimated areas of the recent massive bushfires. More on that as the story unfolds.
Leaving Canberra and the rarefied atmosphere of our National Capital we head east to nearby Queenbeyan, then on the Kings Highway through beautiful pastureland via Bungendore and Braidwood before the edge of the Great Dividing Range has us dropping down to sea level at Batemans Bay. From Batemans we head north along the Princess Highway to Ulladulla!
First stop, with mild hangover, is Bungendore for a coffee and a comfort stop. By Australian standards this is an old township founded in the 1800’s, with emphasis on rural industry, sheep and cattle. The township is small, quaint, and given its close proximity to Canberra it caters very well to the weekend travel market with many cafes, restaurants, pub and boutiques. One shop certainly took Roscoe’s fancy, Bungendore Leather, not to mention Evi who forced herself into a retail frenzy as well. The two main items were a narrow brim leather hat for Roscoe, a drizabone vest for Evi.
Next major centre is Braidwood, another old settlement with a downhill (or uphill coming the otherway) main street lined with two storey brick shops. After our recent retail effort we only stopped here for fuel and were soon on the road again. From Braidwood we really began to notice the destruction caused by the massive bushfires from a few months back. At first it was burntout fence posts and some trees. Due to recent heavy rain the pastures were verdant green, thick and lush giving lie to the burnt stubble of only a few weeks beforehand.
As we left the farmlands and entered the National Parks and State Forests at the top of the range the landscape became a mixture of horror at the burntout timbers with no undergrowth at all, yet many trees were shooting with clumps of dense bright green leaves along the main trunk. Death with new life from such catastrophic events.
Now travelling down the steep mountain pass we glimpsed valley after valley of black tree trunks supporting equally black major branches. All signs of life, signs of smaller branches were gone, a dead area on many tens of thousands of hectares, a wasteland yet. In places new roadworks replaced the bitumen that had melted and ran off the road, the devastation was total. Near the bottom of the range are private landholdings and some houses survived with black countryside all round them, we marvelled at the personal fight that some of these people and the volunteer Bush Fire Brigade waged against a mindless monster.
The devastation continued across the coastal lowlands as we arrived in Batemans Bay, one of the many settlements that had been threatened. Here we call to have a beer with an older couple, Molly & Bill we met whilst travelling in far North Queensland several years back. Their home backs onto a forest reserve which was threatened, however, a wind change saved them.
From Batemans Bay we tracked north through more fire ravaged lands for about 80 minutes to Ulladulla and took a campsite at a coastal caravan park here which occupies a towering headland with magnificant views. We had stayed here in 2013 and really enjoyed the feel of this coastal beach holiday haven. Though our ultimate destinations are south we undertook this detour to catchup with Queensland friends who were taking a weekend off volunteer work with BlazeAid at Cobargo (more on this when we also arrive there for duty).
Saturday 15th and we drive a few kilometres north to Mollymook Beach where we meet up with a mutual mate who has come down from Wollongong to watch the Australian Surfboat Championship at Mollymook. Awaiting the arrival of our volunteer mates we watch the Surfboat spectacle, and spectacle it was as the waves increased in size well above expectations. One race had 6 of Australias top crews leave the beach to row out through towering surf to round a bouy a few hundred metres from shore. Five boats capsized as large green walls thundered down and churning white water caused mayhem. The single sucessfull boat out behind the waves then capsized on the way in leaving an ocean filled with scattered boats, oars and bobbing heads of the competitors. Fortunately injuries were few and relatively minor compared to what may have occurred.
By 7pm we were comfortably seated around a table at the Mollymook Country Club, situated right on the southern end of the beach with marvellous views. With us the volunteers, Peter and Lindy Kinnane, Rodney and Janene Goff, Peter and Suellen Byrne and also Bazza and Carol Lowe from Wollongong. What promised to be a big night with this crew somewhat fizzled as we were all wearied from travel, but we did make 9:30pm!
Sunday morning and we had suggested to the group that we meet for breakfast at the restaurant of a good mates daughter, Danielle, called the MilkHaus, about 8klm from Mollymook. Here we had a delightful morning of coffees and breakfast from local housmade products. Big tick of approval from all. Soon the time came and we said farewell for a short time till we joined the group at Cobargo.
Australia. Dust, Fire, Flood & Pandemic 