It does stop raining at our holiday house in Gerroa and we have a wonderful few sunny days there and exploring the surroundings. Our house overlooks headlands with rocky platforms below. Just down the road is the start of seven-mile beach, a spectacular curve of yellow sand stretching into the distance, fading behind a curtain of its own wind-blown spume. We have a walk along the beach and see the usual few dead fish, lots of shells – and a giant round hay bale that has been washed down some river by the floods and ended up on the sand. The surf is huge, which makes for good spectator sport watching the brave surfers having fun, but it is a bit too rough to swim. We make do with the pool at the holiday house for a refreshing (brrr!) morning dip.
The rainstorm has flooded the roads and some small towns to the north of us and brought some landslips and other catastrophes. We are cut off! We find food in a Chinese restaurant in the local bowling club which is very good.
We have an expedition to the Fly Tree Top Rainforest walk up in the hills. We
go through the little town of Jamberoo to get there, but find the road is closed because the storms have washed away some bridges. We go instead via the tiny town Robertson. Lovely walk along a special gantry high in the forest with spectacular views of Wollongong and the coast. We have a look around Robertson and lunch at the “famous” Robertson pie shop – simple but damned good! Parked outside is an old Morris Minor in good condition with the number plate QT PIE!
Of course we cannot resist the allure of the blowhole, who can! So we go to Kiama – passing the remains of the landslips that had earlier blocked the roads – to look at the natural rock fissure that produces a spectacular plume of spray when the waves shoot into it. Lovely views all around. We also catch some spectacular sunsets while having a sundowner at the Gerroa Boat Fishing Club.
Our last night we have a fab meal at the Gerroa Seahaven Café. Upmarket prices, but great food – first rate Sydney standards. I have a fabulous cheese souffle then kingfish. Everyone is ooing and aahing at the grub – excellent place.
We have a leisurely trip back to Sydney via the harbour in Wollongong, Austinmer, the beach kiosk at Stanwell Park, Stanwell Tops and the Royal National Park.
