South Coast Secrets – Narooma Oyster Festival

Tell someone you are going to Narooma and they will most likely reply “Where’s that?”. Of course, those who share the secret know that it is on the South Coast of NSW, about 5 hours drive south of Sydney.

The first sight of Narooma is when you approach the bridge over Wogonga Inlet. This photo is at a lower angle from the best view from further up the road. It  alone is worth the trip.

You won’t need an excuse to spend a few days in this beautiful seaside environment.

But, the Narooma Oyster festival is certainly an excuse to visit friends in the area. The best event of the festival, apart from eating the oysters, is the cooking demonstration program.

Local chefs as well as Julie Goodwin, demonstrated seafood dishes using mainly local produce.

Michael Stokes, a popular chef in Narooma, makes tasty food preparation look simple.

I am sure many in the audience would be keen to attempt his dish of pappardelle and seafood.

Huw Jones from Zanzibar Cafe` in Merimbula (another wonderful secret further south), created an amazing dish: Marinated yellow fin tuna, black lip abalone, squid ink consomme` and beach herbs. His restaurant is definitely on my ‘must do’ list.

Those who were fortunate to taste this dish would surely agree that it tasted amazing.

Alex Dawkins  announced that he would soon be opening a new restaurant in Ulladulla at the Habourside restaurant site. Great news for the improving food scene in that area.

He used native flat angasi oysters in his dish of oysters with nori, foam and ocean trout roe.

After the buzz of the Festival, there are plenty of ways to relax. An enjoyable walk along the boardwalk will take you to the boat ramps where fishermen clean their catch after returning from ocean fishing. Giant sting rays wait in the shallows for scraps.

For the energetic there are boat trips to Montague Island or if you want to relax there are many beaches to choose from. Hiring a tinnie is a relaxing way to explore the inlet.  Through the clear water see many of the baby fish, such as yellow fin tuna, that develop here as well as magnificent birdlife.

Narooma, well worth the effort to visit. Many more secrets to discover along the way.

Ulladulla contd… Fossils

The Gondwana Coast is abundant with shallow water marine invertebrate fossils, of which the Ulladulla area is a part. At low tide, an ancient world is exposed on the Ulladulla rock platforms.

During the summer months, guided walks are provided by volunteers. At other times, adventurous fossickers may locate fossils in the rock platforms.

These shell fossils are easily identified.

This is my favourite, it could be a lamp shell. As I am in no way an expert on fossils, my identification of these photos are only suggestions. A pamphlet is available from the Visitor’s Centre in Ulladulla.

This could be a sea fan.

This is interesting. Maybe it is a sea lily, or it could be a ‘trace fossil’ from the track of a worm.

There are also interesting rock formations like this one which seem to be of a great significance to the formation of the area.

These images are from a small part of the area. Next trip we will explore further. Not everyone is interested in fossils. I find it fascinating and wish I had listened more carefully in Geology!

South Coast Snippets – 2

The ‘summer that wasn’t’ has officially ended, but I did manage to enjoy one week of summer on a recent trip to the South Coast. This time we spent a week relaxing in  Ulladulla/Mollymook and surrounding areas.

Ulladulla is a fishing port, 226kms south of Sydney. The town may be not the most glamorous coastal village but it certainly makes up for it in natural beauty.

Every day was near perfect summer weather, even an afternoon ‘southerly buster’ thrown in. Each morning we looked out to see the sunrise or in the north, glimpses of the sea through these fabulous trees. Throughout the day their trunks would change colour depending on the angle of the sun. They remind me of an artist’s impression of the tree.

Breakfast would have to wait until our morning walk, usually along Mollymook Beach.

I love the colour of this piece of sea lettuce washed up on the sand.The birds were enjoying the early morning as well!

All day could be spent on the beach. The temperature was perfect with a gentle breeze to keep it from being too hot. My favourite time is at low tide when the waves are the right size for me, especially at North Mollymook. The water temperature was perfect! But there is more to do at Ulladulla at low tide! More about that later.