south coast odyssey part two: bodalla, mogo and berry

We woke up on Monday morning to this:

Tee hee! I think the family in the campsite near us had sprinkled some bread around. But they were very friendly, especially the curious one in the first photograph!

A quick shout out re our accommodation - we stayed at the Island View Beach Resort which is in fact a caravan park, which you definitely can't tell from the name! I was a little trepidatious about staying at a caravan park for the first time in my sheltered life, but we had a great time. We stayed for 2 nights in a cabin with an ensuite, and found it very handy to have a kitchen. We'd actually tried to book at Easts Narooma but got a call saying that it was in fact fully booked (despite the online booking system accepting the booking). I was glad in the end that we stayed at Island View because it's a little bit (approximately 3km) out of Narooma - all the more peaceful and relaxing, while Easts was in fact in the middle of town.

After checking out we headed back north. First stop, Bodalla Dairy Shed which features in NotQuiteNigella's twin posts on the South Coast (which of course I'd printed off as reference material before our trip - thanks NQN!):

We sat out on the back deck where I noted home decorating idea number one:

And here is home decorating idea number two:

In fact, the table top was made out of an old door! Yes, we I do plan to have small plastic animals scattered about our home.

All that being a plastic animal is thirsty work! And who could resist a butterscotch milkshake in an old school milkshake cup? I slurped mine up so quickly (and noisily!) that the waitress asked, "would you like another one?"

There was a slight mix-up with our order but in the end we did receive one traditional scone with jam and cream and one cheese scone. No photos as I was too distressed at not receiving two traditional scones as we had ordered (can you tell I really love scones? They're in fact just a vehicle for jam and cream in my opinion. The cheese scone was still quite nice - reminded me of the vegetarian muffins that I used to get from Muffin Break during their end-of-day buy one get one free promotions. Now it's buy two get one free. I'm showing my stingy side here...)

After this delicious morning tea, we headed north to Mogo, where I had my heart set on going to the zoo. I was pleasantly surprised by how clean and well-maintained Mogo Zoo was. We went to Taronga Zoo last year for the Roar and Snore, and I have to say I was a little distressed at the behind-the-scenes tours where I honestly found the conditions, particuarly for the chimpanzees, a bit too crowded and bare for my liking. The animals at Mogo all seemed fairly content, with plenty of room to play:

Look at that little darling face. Chapflap said that I wasn't allowed to have one, unfortunately (I'm not sure it would've got on that well with catflap anyway!)

Meerkat getting annoyed at the fact chapflap was taunting it with a bag of kangaroo/deer feed.

The village of Mogo was also lovely for those into trinkets and crafty things (i.e. me and not chapflap). I spent a bit of time pottering particularly around Jellybeads and Amanda's of Mogo, picking up enough supplies to keep me occupied for a little while. By the time I finished, it was late afternoon and the lunch places around Mogo were a bit empty for our liking. We ended up heading to Ulladulla where we picked up some take-away which we ate here:

Anything would taste good with a view like this! Although saying that, our fish burger, hamburger with the lot and scallops were very fresh and tasty. Perfect holiday food (along with oysters and gelato!)

We passed Hayden's Pies on the way through Ulladulla, which we worked out we'd actually tried before on a previous trip down the South Coast. So much for threatening chapflap with the prospect of camel pie! They mustn't have had camel that time, because we do remember having the rabbit pie.

Speaking of perfect holiday food, this is pretty much the perfect pick-me-up spot on the drive back north - particularly for the bargain basement price of $1 each? (6 for $5.50! Not that we got 6, as that would pretty much mean heart attacks for both of us)

With our oil levels satisfyingly elevated, it was left to chapflap to endure the end-of-long-weekend traffic jam while I blissfully snoozed. This is the life...

Island View Beach Resort
7323 Princes Highway (approximately 3km south of Narooma)
Narooma NSW 2546

Information and bookings here

Bodalla Dairy Shed
52 Princes Highway (on the right hand side of the road as you head north)
Bodalla NSW 2545

More information available here

Mogo Zoo
222 Tomakin Road (approximately 2km off the Princes Highway, just before Mogo as you head north)
Mogo NSW 2536

Recently featured in SMH. We in fact first heard about it on Getaway

Berry Donut Van
Princes Highway
Berry NSW 2535

Cute article about the van here

road trippin with my one favourite ally: bermagui and narooma

The Anzac Day long weekend saw chapflap and I heading down the coast to Narooma, approximately a further 2 hours south of Batemans Bay from Sydney.

First stop was the sleepy town of Bermagui, where one of my workmates had suggested we head to the "fab gelato and coffee place". Her directions? "It is in a street just off the main drag. Ask people - it is well known. There is a petrol station on the corner of the street it is on. There is a Mitre 10 or Bunnings or something like that hardware store almost next to it." Her directions were spot on! There is a Mitre 10 almost next door. For even easier identification, the Bermagui Visitors Centre (where you can pick up as many free maps as you want and get the assistance of lovely volunteers) is across the road.

My lilli pilli gelato. The fact it's almost exactly the same colour as my recently acquired wallet has nothing to do with the fact I chose this! I washed this down with a long black from...

Possibly the world's coolest coffee machine. We must get to Italy sometime soon!

Chapflap's triple: mango, macadmia nut and pineapple/feijoa. He initially asked for it in a cone, to which the (rather handsome, not that I said that to chapflap at the time!) shop assistant said, "usually we do triples in a container, as it melts rather quickly". Delicious (the gelato, of course, nothing else...)

After a wander around the Bermagui country markets (on every last Sunday of the month) and the lookouts around the area, we headed back to Narooma for lunch. A dozen local oysters...

And half a lobster made it really hit home that we were on holidays! (As we do often eat gelato while we aren't on holidays. Maybe me moreso than chapflap).

After the lunch, we hopped back in the car and headed to another one of my workmate's recommendations - Mystery Bay. Utterly gorgeous, with clear, clear water - a bit too cold this weekend for a swim, but I can imagine that it'd be the perfect spot in summer!

Look at that water!

After a fair bit of splashing around (from chapflap) and squealing (from me), we headed back to Narooma. "Look, a fish auction!" we said as we spotted this sign near the visitors' centre. "Would that be like the auctions at Tsukiji in Tokyo?"

I won't post the photos here of our haul, as they are a little confronting for non-fish eaters. It turned out that the fish auction was in fact a reverse auction, as in 3 men stood on the back of a truck with trays filled with salmon, blackfish, morwongs, leather jackets and various other fishies (some described by the particularly colourful fishmonger as "slippery fish" or "pointy nose fish"). We ended up with about 6 different types of fish (2 salmon for $6! And big salmon too, not little weeny ones) for less than $30 all up. This is probably what cemented our plans to return, and soon! Here, fishy fishy...

After that wonderful day, it was time to head back to our accommodation to cook dinner. 2 dozen oysters in one day... my kind of holiday!

Bermagui Gelato Clinic
Lamont Street
Bermagui NSW 2546

Another food blogger beat me to it - see here

Narooma is approximately a 5 hour drive south from Sydney along the Princes Highway. Bermagui is a further half an hour or so south, and Mystery Bay about half way in between Bermagui and Narooma.

bar 333, city

Had a triple-decker toasted sandwich tonight (Thursday) with my friend who induces me into eating hot dogs.

I think it was missing that essential club sandwich ingredient which makes them taste so great (and which brings me back to childhood days in HK) - mayonnaise.

I could've stolen some off my friend, who had chips with mayonnaise (which is basically aioli minus the garlic).

Worth popping in though considering its convenient location and $10 cocktails (tonight they had lychee martinis, something with apple, the "Ni How Ma" featuring watermelon and ginger and a passionfruit caprioska, which was very nice) on Thursday and Saturday nights.

Bar 333
333 George Street (near cnr Martin Place)
Sydney NSW 2000

nsw school of massage student massages, city

My work friend (the same one who inspired an insatiable Harry's Hot Dog craving the other day) put me onto this beauty service a couple of weeks ago and I've become hooked. For $30 ($25 for your first time), you can have an hour's massage from a student who is supervised. Sure, it's in a room with about 10 other people, but I actually find I personally prefer that to the whole one-on-one massage experience (in which I inevitably start thinking, "should I start talking? Will he/ she initiates a conversation?") And they're very good with the towel maneuvering to ensure no awkward flashing occurs (although the room is nicely darkened, and soft soothing music plays in the background).

Student massages are currently available on Thursday mornings from 10am to 1:30pm and on Saturdays. It's in a good location too for popping out to during work hours if your boss happens to be working from home, plus you feel as though you're helping the students out tin a way. The quality of the massage has varied a little bit (as in they've all been good, just some better than others), but for $30, I'm not complaining!

NSW School of Massage
Level 1, 225 Clarence Street (closest cross-road is Market Street)
Sydney NSW 2000

Bookings essential (they only bring in as many students as bookings) on (02) 9262 2654

You can get more information here

david jones nail bar, city

I'm a relatively late newcomer to the whole beauty services scene. While some girls seem to have grown up with regular salon treatments, nail appointments and be on first name bases with their masseurs, I've only recently discovered the delights of primping and pampering. I've only ever had one professional manicure prior to this experience, and that was with friends during a holiday at a salon that I'd probably never get the chance to go back to. I've decided that it's time to start become a little more polished in my image - as much as I'd like to, I probably can't keep rocking up in thongs to work (for any American readers, that's thongs as in the footwear), having only barely managed to brush my hair and teeth.

I scoured my favourite source of info in relation to all things girly and didn't find a whole lot of recommendations for manicurists in the city. I was particularly looking for somewhere clean, having heard horror stories about re-used tools and infections (argh!) David Jones at Elizabeth Street seemed to fit the bill, being a 10 minute walk from my office and open until 6pm on weeknights (9pm Thursdays and Fridays). I called in the morning and booked for 5:30pm for the same day (being a Monday though, so maybe less busy than other days). So far, so good.

When I arrived the manicurist told me to pick a colour from the vast array of polishes lined up on the wall. I had no idea whatsoever - just wanted something relatively light so it wouldn't be so obvious when it inevitably chipped! So she chose for me and it was fine - the whole thing took about 20 minutes; she chatted to the other manicurists for most of the time which was great by me because I just wanted to zone out after a hard day's work (cough). The result? Shiny shiny nails that apparently will last at least a week. Hopefully a $30 well spent.

David Jones Nail Bar
Basement, corner Elizabeth and Market Streets
Sydney NSW 2000

(02) 9266 5424

Appointments recommended

Price list:

karaoke, city

Karaoke. Love it or hate it, there's something quite cathartic about wailing Avril Lavigne into a microphone in a darkened room after too much whisky and green tea.

I've discovered during my relatively recent introduction to the sport (chess is a sport too, right?) that there's not a lot of information on the interwebs about Sydney karaoke establishments. Here's what I've experienced to date:

Karaoke World - 185 Elizabeth Street (near Sheraton on the Park) - (02) 9267 5011

My first karaoke experience took place in these hallowed halls. They actually do have a fairly comprehensive website, which is partly why I used them to book a room for my 21st (all the way back in 2007!) They don't seem to have upped their prices since then, at least on the website. This place provides books with codes for songs in them, if you prefer picking your songs that way, which I can't remember having seen anywhere else.

Big Echo - 104 Bathurst Street (next to Oporto, near corner with Pitt Street) - (02) 9283 2666

A favourite at my last workplace due to the $10 6-9pm happy hour (hours?) promotion, including free Asian drink (lychee water, anyone?). Oporto being next door is handy for those late-night munchies.

Viva - 210 Clarence Street (near QVB) - (02) 9283 7733

Another favourite at my last workplace as it ran the same $10 for 3 hours with drink promotion. Also was relatively lax with BYO until recently. Probably has the best selection of English songs along with Karaoke World of the Sydney karaoke places that I've been to. There's a Japanese grocery store (along with the excellent 100 yen shop!) across the road for snacks. Has also been recently refurbished and ran a Ladies' Night promotion where girls got in free on certain nights, but that's unfortunately ended now. Still wondering where you've heard of it before? A man died after a brawl there in December 2009.

Greenbox Plus - 591 George Street (near World Square) - (02) 9283 8806

The original Greenbox on Pitt Street is now a Japanese bbq restaurant called Shinara. Greenbox Mark II, named Greenbox Plus (edited 17/04/2010 - this place seems to now be just called Greenbox), is tucked away up one flight of stairs what appears to be a residential building. Probably the cleanest place I've been to, but has a reputation for being exxy - a group of 4 of us went for 2 hours on a Thursday night for $12 per person (Asian drink included). Not sure how much it is for Fridays/ Saturdays, which is when prices tend to go up for prime warbling space. (edited 17/04/2010 - a group of 8 of us went on a Friday night from 11am to 1am for $60 an hour, so $15 a person for the 2 hours. Not bad, but no Asian drink included).

Phoenix - 90 Hay Street (in the Chinatown pedestrian mall) - (02) 9211 1776

The only place I can remember that involves going up more than one flight of stairs for a k session. While that was fairly novel, we won't be returning here anytime soon. I've been told they've already cleaned it up a bit from the good old "hire a room complete with companions that will cater to your every need" days, but it was still pretty seedy last time we went. Plus, of course, someone got stabbed there in 2008.

CEO Karaoke - Basement (where else?), 1 Dixon Street - (02) 9283 7883

It has a website! A bit more upmarket than the others, being modelled on the chain of CEO karaokes in HK. Cleanliness on par with Greenbox Plus or thereabouts.

Mizuya - 614 George Street (near the Metro Theatre) - (02) 9266 0866

A relatively recent addition to the Sydney karaoke scene. A package for 10 people set us back $488, including all food and beverages up to that amount and 3 hours' room hire, which is alright value taking into account the range of food and drinks (if you eat/ drink more than the basic $488 amount, you just pay for the extra). The first place I've seen in Sydney with touch-screen song picking systems. Rooms were rectangular though which makes it harder to mingle.

All of the places seem to have cracked down on BYO, which definitely wasn't the case back when I first started going. But of course, going to karaoke isn't just incidental to the primary purpose of drinking, right..

Other places to try which I haven't been to myself: Redbox, Cashbox (? chapflap's not sure if this is still around),  K Square... actually I lie as I have been to K Square (Capitol Square building), just that I don't remember so much about it. Same with Echo Point that I've been to once only (apparently it's haunted).

Outside of the CBD there's Ding Dong Dang (Surry Hills), Swing Box (Neutral Bay - we only found out about this place on a late night visit to Maisy's... there was just a door which looked kind of freaky), Juju's (Kings Cross - a Japanese restaurant which has karaoke late at night... I've been for the food which was good)... let me know if you konw of any others!

coolendel camping and cabins, west of nowra

Look Ma, wombat!!

Coolendel is located about 30km west of Nowra, and features camping grounds as well as cabins set in a nature reserve. We camped for just one night and enjoyed getting to know the local wildlife...

We spotted a peacock being shooed out of a family's tent - definitely keep the doors zipped up!

It was amazing how nonchalant the animals were about the humans hanging around. This wombat was very content just to keep munching grass and grooming him/herself. One of his/her friends woke me up in the middle of the night with his/her very audible late night snacking.

There's a wallaby hidden there in the undergrowth...

The wildlife theme continues - I thought that the end of the branch right at the top of the picture here looked a bit like a wombat. Or was I just imagining things?

Apart from the wildlife, there's also canoeing to try in the Shoalhaven River, plenty of space to pedal around in and bushwalks to wander through. It's definitely a very family friendly place, with hot showers, free BBQs/gas stoves and flat fields perfect for kicking a ball around. My only miff was loud music/conversation continuing beyond around midnight; the group of teens were good about turning it down though once chapflap had a word to them about it.

Aaaaww... we love camping :) Definitely a change from my high school Duke of Ed days, when a rolled up jumper serving as a pillow was the height of luxury! Not only does Coolendel have hot showers (and very clean toilets) and cooking facilities, but there's safe drinking water which I was told is sourced from the Shoalhaven River and treated on-site. So even though you could readily bring your own drinking water in (since you can camp right next to your car, saving the need to lug things from a carpark to the actual site), there's really no need.

Coolendel Camping and Cabins
Grassy Gully Road
Coolendel NSW (approximately 30km west of Nowra)

(02) 4421 4586

Cabins from $100/night (off peak season, sleeps up to 6 people)
Camping from $16/night (off peak season, per adult)

You can find more information here

Coolendel was reviewed in the Sydney Morning Herald a month or so back but I can't find the online version now. All I remember was that it was a very favourable review. I actually found out about the place before the review came out (just by looking around on the web, there are a lot of reviews of the place on 4WD websites and the like) and was worried that it'd get booked out with the SMH review! There's definitely no need to worry though, there was plenty of camping space to go around when we were there.

Note that the 30km drive out of Nowra to get to Coolendel is very straightforward for the first 20km or so (100km/h, excellent) but then the last 11km is windy and unpaved (but fairly compacted, so it's not like there's dirt flying everywhere or anything). The drive's do-able in a 2WD (good suspension will make the ride more comfortable...) but try to set out a bit early so you can get through it before dark (and setting up a tent is always much easier with natural light... no, there were no hissy fits when we were setting up our tent at 6pm, none at all...). If you don't want to risk the 11km windiness, we saw the entrance to another campsite along the 20km paved road called Grady's Riverside Retreat. Looks like there are no wombats resident there though unfortunately :( There are clear signs leading out of Nowra to Coolendel, just follow the directions on the Coolendel website (and once you turn out of Nowra towards Coolendel there's only really one road you can go on, so it's unlikely you'll get lost)

illawarra fly, knights hill

On top of the world at the Knights Tower, Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk, Knights Hill

This tourist attraction opened in 2008 and had no shortage of visitors on the Saturday of the long weekend that we were there. The walk itself doesn't take very long to complete (give it about 45 minutes to an hour, maybe more if like an adorable girl we saw, you require a bit of coaxing to get up the Knights Tower) and the views are great; but is it worth the $22 admission fee for adults ($9.50 for children between 6-16 and $20 for seniors)? I'd read on a blog (that I can't find the link to now, argh) that you can get similar views from lookouts in the nearby Budderro National Park, but I figured that if we were in the area, we might as well buy into the whole commercial experience. No shame in that, right?

Overall I think admission was fairly pricey in relation to the experience, but it was a well-constructed walk with lovely views, so I won't complain about that.

I think I saw a sign saying that the Minnamurra Rainforest Centre in the Budderoo National Park is currently closed for renovations - it looks like it's re-opening in July 2009. So maybe wait until that re-opens before heading down to the area and taking in both the Illawarra Fly and the Rainforest Centre.

Illawarra Fly
182 Knights Hill Road (off Jamberoo Mountain Road, all very well signposted)
Knights Hill NSW 2577

1300 362 881
You can find more information here

Open 9am to 5pm seven days a week

greater union drive-in cinema, blacktown

After waddling out of Toan Thang we headed to the only remaining drive-in cinema in Sydney, the Greater Union at Blacktown. There used to be one at Bass Hill too, but unfortunately now it's Blacktown or nothing. It's a shame really, because there's such a feeling of nostalgia around the whole drive-in experience...



The box office opens at 7:30pm, with the movie starting at 8:30pm. They show 2 movies on each field every night, with no ability to purchase tickets before the night. They assured me though that with 400 spaces, they never sell out. Fair enough, our movie (the first night of Quantum of Solace, so I expected it to be pretty packed) wasn't even half full.

The movie itself wasn't that great (I think I heard a critic say earlier that "it commits that cardinal sin of movies - it doesn't quite make sense") but it was a good night out. Bring your children, bring your pets! (We saw a couple with a dog. I wonder if he/ she enjoyed the movie?)

Greater Union Drive-In
Cricketers Arms Road
Blacktown NSW 2148

(02) 9622 4170 for movie session times
(02) 9622 0202 for general information

Open 7:30pm 7 days
Tickets $15 for adults, $10 for concession

Tickets are currently $10 for adults if you're a Cinebuzz member. Cheap cheap!

Take the Reservoir Road exit if you're heading there on the M4 from the city (the exit after the Prospect Highway). Turn left at the first intersection, then left again at the Cricketers Arms Hotel and you'll see the entrance for the box office at the end of the road. It only took us about 20 minutes to get there from Flemington.