Visiting Kiama, Gerringong, Gerroa, Berry, Huskisson, Kangaroo Valley, Burrawang and Bowral.
We left Sydney on a Saturday morning, hoping to stay a night in Huskisson. The plan was to explore the coast between Sydney and Jervis Bay over the next two days. It was what we call in our family ‘a flash tour’ – touching on many places in a short time, with a view to going back to where we liked the best.
Kiama
Our first stop was Kiama – what a pretty place. We strolled along the waterfront (above Black Beach) to see the stalls of the produce market – held on the 4th Saturday of each month. On sale were home-made biscotti and delicious biscuits, honey, pastries, vegetables, herbs, etc. A very small market and items were a bit pricey (for example medium sized jar of honey $8).
We walked on to the historic Kiama Terrace Houses plus shops in Sandstone Walk. The terraces are a row of weatherboard cottages that were built in 1886 for workers in the local quarry. Loved the restored terraces that have been classified by the National Trust. We had coffee and delicious cakes at Amaki Cottage Café. Very pleasant sitting outside in the sun.
Kiama is famous for the Blowhole on the point, below the lighthouse. It’s spectacular when it’s “blowing”.
We also visited the Little Blowhole – really worth the visit as there was a good swell due to north-easterly winds.
Gerringong and Gerroa
From Kiama it was a short drive onto Gerringong. Great surfing beach and pretty main street. We found a very good homewares store called Oak Home – with friendly staff and good quality kitchenware.
Next stop was Gerroa and a walk on beautiful Seven Mile Beach.
Berry
It was getting late in the afternoon, but we had time to drive to Berry. Very cute town with pretty shops. We loved Huckleberry Home – a gorgeous homewares store at 94-96 Queen Street, Berry, telephone 4464 3881. Not enough time to explore here as everything was closing! Warrants a weekend on its own.
Huskisson (Jervis Bay)
It was getting late, the shops were closing, so we headed for Huskisson. Kate and Stephen run the gorgeous Huskisson Bed & Breakfast, a 1930s cottage that has been beautifully renovated. It is stylish, clean and comfortable – very welcoming. We were lucky to get a room as there had been a cancellation. There were three of us plus our little poodle and we were so happy in our “family suite”. If we had been dog-free we had heard great things about Seagrass Brasserie, Stonegrill Restaurant and the local Thai café. However we bought take-away from the local Indian restaurant and ate our dinner at the B&B. We spent such a pleasant evening chatting to other guests in the cosy lounge in front of the fire.
Hyams Beach, Jervis Bay
Next morning, after a delicious breakfast we walked around the little bay at Huskisson. There were three dolphin/whale-watch cruise boats on standby. From May through to August the humpback whales make their way up the coast to breed. The view down Huskisson Beach is very pretty. The waters of Jervis Bay look perfect for kayaking.
We then drove on through Vincentia to Hyams Beach. The white sands of Hyams Beach are world famous. Hyams Beach Store & Café is a great place for a meal or coffee. We loved the look of the Hyams Beach Seaside Cottages for accommodation. A place to put on our list!
Kangaroo Valley
A drive across a scenic, winding mountain road brought us to the Kangaroo Valley and the National Trust-listed village of the same name. To eat, we liked the look of Hampdens, the Friendly Inn pub and Jing Jo Café. Unfortunately we ate at a terrible pizza place! Our favourite shop in town was Kangaroo Valley Collections, a homewares shop with French linen, antiques and gifts. The friendly owner has lived in France and returned to live in Australia a few years ago, so she is very knowledgeable about her stock. She also serves coffee and cake.
Burrawang and Bowral
Countryside around Wildes Meadow
Leaving Kangaroo Valley we took the Moss Vale Road towards Robertson. The drive through Wildes Meadow is particularly beautiful with rolling green hills and very expensive looking farms and houses! Short on time we by-passed Robertson in favour of the pretty village of Burrawang. At Burrawang we stopped at the local pub which on a cold day is a cosy place to be. It has two fireplaces, sofas, dining area and the food is great. On sunny days, there is no better place to be than enjoying lunch in the garden.
From Burrawang it was a short drive to Bowral. We’ve been to Bowral many times before and can highly recommend a visit – preferably staying overnight. My favourite season to visit is in autumn. After a quick snack at the Bowral Café (delicious pastries, chocolates, etc) we headed back to Sydney – a one and a half hour drive on the freeway.
Where would we like to go back to and spend more time? Every one of the places we visited warrants a longer stay! Each place was special. Kiama, Gerroa and Gerringong for the beaches, Jervis Bay for the bushwalks, pristine beaches and waterways, Berry and the Southern Highlands for the cafes, galleries, shops and clean country air.
AccommodationGuru.com
May 2011