A quick week away to Melbourne. Given we’re heading that way we electing to take the coast road and that will in some way complete the coastal lap that started 5 years ago.
While the initial plan was to leave early, as we’ve got 500odd K’s to do today, that changed recently when we realised we were just swapping Sydney peak hour for south Sydney or Wollongong peak hour. So, a later getaway, and it’s not till after 9:30 that we pull out.
We take the M8/M5 to make it a bit easier on ourselves before heading to the coast at Punchbowl.
South on the M1 and then the outskirts of Wollongong.
We’re nearing Bomaderry, when Justine recalls an online shoe shop that operating form here (I was equally confused!). Although they are mostly online, they do allow drop-ins. She’d like to try some on before ordering online, so we make the small detour. We should have called ahead, as apparently, and only today, they are closed for some family reason. Anyway, not too much time lost.
We aiming for lunch and see what seems to be a pretty good bakery in South Nowra, as we arrive, South Nowra is much busier than we anticipated. The bakery was also on the other size of what ended up being a divided road, with nowhere to pull over. We’ll have to keep looking.
We see another decent bakery up the road just outside a town called Milton. While the town is also super busy, as this was on the outskirts we do fine a spot to pull up with the van just around the corner. My steak pie was pretty damn good 
(4 / 5)
Through Mollymook, over the new flash bridge at Bateman’s Bay, Morya, Narooma and they’re all really busy. I know is school holidays and all, but it so much busier than I expected.
We turn off the main Princess highway at Tilba Tilba and drive through Bermagui. Justine has booked us into a National Park site called Gillard’s Beach Campground, in Mimosa Rocks National Park.
So, after a long drive around 4ish, we reach the turn off to the campground, a 4km, rather rough as it turns out track, and we arrive. The road forks, normally these places are one way track, but if it is, someone off’ed with the signs….. We pick one track, but of course it’s the wrong one. Not easy doing a U turn with a van and I’m sure the campers in this section are thinking “where the hell does this guy think he’s going?” Anyway, we turn around leave and follow the other road around.
Even though we have a photo of the site map, it’s more suggestive that an accurate layout. We pull up and Justine jumps out to work it where we to go. She ends up asking a bunch of campers, who seem to be on for a chat and we workout our spot is in the next block of sites. Usefully, however he does clear up, that while there are all these “No Campfire” signs up, that only takes effect from tomorrow at midnight. As just about every site seem to have a campfire going, that’s a relief.
One other thing that is all over the place is Roos. They are everywhere, and not really bothered by us at all.
We find our site, in a block 6 or so. there are already 2 groups setup. We reverse in, and are level enough pretty quickly. As we’re only here for one night just a minimal setup.
We have a fantastic view of the beach and ocean here, but while is been a sunny warm day all the way today, here now, while nice, is certainly overcast and the wind is starting to get a chill to it.
A coffee and we think it’s time for a walk along the beach, well all but Liam, he needs to be dragged kicking and screaming and not long after pikes out and returns to the van.
We see some rocks just off the beach a little way down so decide to walk that far. As we reach them, we’re looking out at the ocean, taking in the view before starting the walk back, when Justine thinks she’s spotted a dophin or whale, it ends up being a small whale, a baby maybe? We spend the next near hour eagle eyed looking for them. We see them breach a few more times and then think we see another pair not far behind them. While they are 500mts or more off shore, so not the easiest to see, it’s so special to see them like this, and so unexpected. We think we do spot a dolphin too, but the more we think about it the more we certain this was probably just our eye playing tricks with the ocean.
Back to the van and we get a campfire going and crank up the BBQ for dinner. Trying to get back into the swing of caravan life. Along with the Roos and a paddymellon, what we’re pretty sure was a bandicoot makes an appearance too. So a pretty good haul on the wildlife front.
Other groups come in and soon enough all six sites in our block are occupied. Only 2 vans the rest are in roof top tents and swags.
The fire is fantastic, all the better for the sounds of the ocean roaring away. Although, soon enough the kids have had enough and head inside. We have just enough phone signal for them to watch a couple of things on TV before bed.
All up a pretty great first day, normally day 1 is just about driving, and we did a lot of that, but this place ended up being a pretty quick antidote to all that driving and a great way to kick start such a short trip away.