🎼 Headin’ down the highway 🎼! The A1, Princess Highway, which roughly follows the coast, except when it doesn’t. Todays destination is Mallacoota past the NSW border in the state of Victoria, 180klm south. A warm sunny day is perfect for a country coastal drive, and with only a few hours drive before us we will visit some communities off the A1, however, we are not in a hurry. After breakfast in the M.A.S.H. tent and farewell to new friends, especially our two Dutchies, Lars and Patrick, fellow caravaners Phil and Julia (who we will catch up with in Tasmania soon), then goodbye to our travelling mates, the Goff’s and Kinnane’s. It’s 11am already!
South we turn our rig and head straight through Bega, and on a Saturday morning it’s unusually quiet, hardly a vehicle on the A1 as there are no holiday makers or weekend tourists from Sydney, Canberra or Wollongong due to the recent fires and now the shadow of CoVid 19. We take the next turn east to the coastal hotspot of Merimbula situated on the northern ocean inlet of Merimbula Lake. It is a really inviting and attractive town, yet we just do a slow drive through, over the bridge to the south-side and back out to the A1, but, Merimbula is on our destination list for another time.
South we continue through Pambula and on to Eden on a peninsula and headland of the very large Twofold Bay. Eden faces due south overlooking the smaller Weecoon Cove, which in itself is still of considerable size. We do a drive through then head to the lookout on the headland offering a great view of this wonderful coast. looking at views is hungry work, so back down the headland to Eden Wharf where a local told us of an excellent seafood cafe on the harbour, that’s us for fish and calamari and a couple of ciders to fortify the spirits. T’was all very excellent, love Eden, also on our To Return list.
Soon out of Eden, through Boydtown and Klah and the A1 does a long run through Nadgee State Forest and Timbillica State Forest to the Victorian border. Outside severe evidence of the recent fires there’s nothing to see here as we rumble along. The way is hilly and steep in parts, but still no traffic. About 18klm south of the border we take an east turn to Mallacoota only 23klm from the A1. Mallacoota and surrounds was a badly devastated by the bush fires as Cobargo, yet no BlazeAid camp has been established yet, though it is soon to arrive locals tell us.
The town has a well presented main shopping street, treelined with plenty of parking. The Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park lies at the eastern end of the main street on waters edge. It is huge, stretching along over 1klm of foreshore, yet it is eerily quiet, of hundreds of sites there are probably no more than 35 in residence. It’s late afternoon by the time we have setup and completed a brief drive around town to check it out. We find surrounding bush burnt bar, nothing but dead timber sticks standing where once all was green shelter. Mallacoota was surrounded by flames for two days forcing the residents onto the beach to survive, a beach shared with horses, livestock and wild kangaroos. People fled into Mallacoota Lake by boat to watch in horror as the enveloping bush and many homes ignited. Being here it was not hard to imagine the scene, yet we have no real concept of the fear of losing their lives and those of the children huddled close.
On the plus side, we enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Mallacoota Hotel, an easy 5 minute walk there, and perhaps 8 minutes back! After Cobargo we spend the next day here just relaxing and taking a walk and a drive to continue our education. That afternoon Phil and Julia arrived at camp, so we headed up the street to try dinner at Lucy’s Homemade Rice Noodle House, an excellent evening it was at that.
Australia. Dust, Fire, Flood & Pandemic 