The Big Drive

Armed with a selection of drive tunes on CDs and MP3s (how we miss mixed cassette tapes!) and warm clothes (the weather forecasts weren't that great), we left Sydney on Monday (the boyfriend's birthday) for our week-long roadtrip down south with the aim (mine, really) of visiting as many bakeries (with helpful pointers from my boss), thrift stores and antiques/collectables shops as possible.

The boyfriend simply wanted to drive on open roads. And to see as much of country NSW (and their pubs) as we can. And ultimately end up in Eden (a small coastal town near the border of NSW and Victoria) where the Killer Whale Museum is located. Yet another geeky pursuit of his.

We have taken the scenic coastal road down south before so this time round, we're travelling the inland route. Oh, the joy of not having any expectations and not knowing what we will find!


Day #1 - Monday 20 August 2007

Mittagong
About two hours' drive out of Sydney on the Hume Highway. Our first stop in the Southern Highlands.

Was really excited to see the sign "The Crystal Palace - Antiques/Vintage Homeware/Retro Clothing" the moment we exit the highway. But it was closed! On Mondays and Tuesdays. Boo! Peeked through the big glass windows and they had some really good stuff especially the racks and racks of clothes. Made plans to drive through on our way back to Sydney at the end of the week even though it would mean making a big detour. Anything for shopping, right?

Driving further into the town centre, we found a St Vincent de Paul (St Vinnie's) Opportunity Store (Op Shop) - they are thrift shops like the Salvation Army ones except the money goes to a different charity. It's a few doors down from the Fire Station. Nothing of interest to us in this one.

Bowral
It's a cute little town. The main drag is Bong Bong Street which is lined with quaint little shops. We didn't do every one of them but one that was really worth a studied browse was Three Wise Monkeys. At first glance, it looked like one of those hippy-drippy shops selling only Thai fishermen's pants, Chinese lanterns and incense (which almost stopped us from walking in) but once you step inside and have a look around, you will find modern objects like chunky moulded plastic jewellery, colourful metal chests of drawers of different configurations. a small but carefully-selected collection of graphic design and coffee table books amongst predictable handicrafty things from Cambodia, Indonesia and other parts of Asia.

The street that is parallel to Bong Bong, Station Street, is good for a nosey-around too.

We chanced upon a temporary antique shop in an old silo. The stuffed Bambi in the front caught my eye but it was $850.00.

The Bluebird Emporium down the road was architecturally-interesting - an old cottage with a modern corrugated metal extension at the back - but not as exciting inside as the tourist brochure touted it to be. We expected "a wide variety of furniture, homeware and giftware" but found only a few cushions, throws and candles. And we were not tempted to stay for a bite at the cafe which "provides a light breakfast and lunch in a bright, airy, award-winning designed building".

Berrima
The towns kept getting smaller and smaller! But we had to stop for lunch. This, we have gathered after we've made the small drive around, is a one-pub town - The White Horse Inn seemed like the only place where we could stuff our face and have a refreshing frothy beverage.

I had the two-course set lunch while the boyfriend went for the three. We cleaned our plates! It was a unpretentious and delicious meal in a beautiful setting with service that was impeccable. Would have stayed for their afternoon tea too if we weren't so full.

Goldburn
The home of the Big Merino - a gigantic ram made out of concrete (I know they are super-touristy but the sites of the "Bigs" like the Big Pineapple, the Big Potato have always fascinated me with their kitschy-cool).

The Merino looks like it's sitting in the middle of a construction site because it is - the townfolks had to move him a few months ago (and it was not easy, according to the newspaper) to his current site because a new highway was built and his previous home, which was the gateway to the town, is not anymore. So he now stands at the Hume Highway exit to Goldburn with a missing hindleg (workmen were plastering it) waiting for his underbelly to be filled with souvenir kiosks again.

Lunch was still trying to settle in our stomachs but we thought we should eat. So while doing a little recce around the town centre (it took less than 10 minutes) for note-worthy shops, we stopped for charcoal chicken, chips and coleslaw to take-away with us to...

...Willows Motel - our stop for the night and the night after. We booked it online and the room was better than we thought. Besides the nanna-esque floral sheets, we were happy with everything else especially the heating lamps in the bathroom as it was cold cold cold!

Distance travelled (Sydney to Goldburn): approximately 200km
Roadkill sightings: 2 big black birds


Day #2 - Tuesday 21 August 2007

Woke up with the worst neck-ache ever from sleeping on a unfamiliar pillow. Looked outside and it was cold and grey, as forecasted. But we had to a schedule to keep so we rugged up and ploughed onto the Federal Highway to...

Canberra
The Capital of Australia. It was our first ever visit and we really didn't know what to expect but what greeted us was pretty surreal. It was like a make-believe city, almost like someone decided to build a huge movie set for a "reality" show about life in a Jetsons-esque city somewhere on earth. And it's not a complimentary first impression.

After driving around the city around endless roundabouts, it got worse - Canberra started to remind us of the light-industrial areas in Singapore where character-less buildings and streets all look the same and have no design merits whatsover.

We were missing the little towns from yesterday already and decided to sweep through the places that we really wanted to visit "guerilla"-style and leave the city as soon as we are done.

Silo Bakery in Kingston - the first bakery on my list. The facade was so nondescript that we had to drive up and down the road twice before we spotted it. But once inside, the smells, the array of baked goods on display and the cosy dining area quickly made me forget the ugly checked tiles on the outside.

My boss (with the helpful bakery tour pointers) had suggested that we have lunch there but we couldn't wait so we had breakfast there instead.

The boyfriend had eggs baked with mascarpone, washed rind cheese and celery with walnut bread. It was like a really thick egg soup with stinky cheese thrown in. Two of our favourites things in one dish!

I had the brioche pudding with rhubarb, strawberry and mascarpone. I've never been a big fan of bread and butter puddings but when it's done this way with the brioche and the thick custard within, I couldn't stop stuffing my face.

And the cheese room! Yes, this bakery has a cheese room! A tiny glass-enclosed and temperature-controlled space that has a small but well-represented selection of some of my favourite local and imported cheeses.

Shopping in Manuka - Another district in Canberra with a tiny mall chockful of cute little shops. We went there specifically to find Department of the Exterior, a boutique that stocks some funky labels (according to the shopping guide) but we couldn't find it no matter how many times we walked round the mall (seemed like a recurring theme for the day).

Instead we stumbled upon Home by Creations, a homeware store that carries a pretty good range of merchandise by two of my favourite creators-of-all-thing-nice - Marimekko and Alessi plus many others. Was tempted to buy two more pair of gumboot/rain boots /wellingtons there -

one with big red flowers by Marimekko

and another by Tamara Henriques

But there wasn't much point now, really, with winter coming to a close pretty soon.




Our next destination was The National Gallery of Australia for some art-viewing but the moment we stepped into the building, the magpie in me got distracted by the shiny objects in the glass cases at the Gallery Shop. Fell in love with a green metal bangle and blue brooch by an Australian artist who makes wearable sculptural art. I've seen her work before in a small design gallery in Sydney but have since forgotten about them until then. Spent the rest of my time in the National Gallery deliberating which piece to buy while looking at Monets and Warhols and other artists from periods in between which I have to say was pretty amazing. Was looking forward to the Australian Contemporary section after but when we got there, I was kind of disappointed with what was on show - not enough of Howard Arkley and Brett Whiteley and where was Margaret Olley?! Left without buying jewellery because I couldn't decide and when I know which piece I eventually want, I can always buy it in Sydney.

More shopping indecisions at the next stop - Bison Homewares in Pialligo. I've been a big fan of their ceramic numbers since I laid eyes on their adorable milk bottles which led to my first purchase of a vinaigrette flask and dipping dish set in raspberry at one of their stockists in Sydney. Somehow, in my head, I've always associated them with cool and funky Melbourne so you can imagine my delight when I saw them featured in the Canberra shopping guide!

There were so many pieces that I wanted to take home with me but the boyfriend gently reminded me that the fragile things might break in the boot of the car with days of travelling ahead so I left the showroom, sensibly, with another flask and dish set in gunmetal (Father's Day present for a friend), a sugar bowl in willow, an aromatherapy oil vapouriser in apple (which is kind of like a limited edition because Bison was commissioned to make them for a spa and the one I bought, the only one in the shop, was excess stock) and some old-school stripey tea towels.

Got to chat with Brian, the founder of the company, who told us that they've recently opened their own concept store in Melbourne and are looking for a suitable site in Sydney to do the same! Yippee! And the friendly lady who served us kindly offered to take us to the studio/workshop next door for a behind-the-scene peek at the artisans at work and the kilns. Really made my day!

The National Museum of Australia was next on the (boyfriend's) agenda. After making him drive me from one roundabout district to the next for my shopping pleasure, I think it was time we did something he wanted to do. Nothing much to show here except this:

the cutest-ever pink caravan from the 50s (i think). Fully-furnished! I know how I want to travel on our next road trip.





After an hour in the Museum, we were ready to eat and shop again. Yes, even the boyfriend. Off we drove to Garema Place, a mall in the middle of the CBD to track down Landspeed Records which has a vintage clothing shop in the back called Salvage.

But first, a light lunch and a refreshing beverage, or two. At Milk and Honey, just across the square from Landspeed. Love how the cafe is decked out with colourful and retro-stylish furnishings. Good food, cocktails and lovely staff.

With our tummies happy, we too were happy to continue with our mission. According to a blurb in a magazine, "Self-confessed vintage addict Abi Barry opened Salvage at the rear of her boyfriend's record shop to create more space for her overflowing wardrobe. We love the range of pieces from the 50s to the 80s, especially the latest shipment of gorgeous dresses".

What a great way for a girl to shop. Plonk the boyfriend at the front to browse through racks and racks of music while we try on as many things as possible without feeling the stress of having a might-get-impatient-soon boyfriend.

Not at all plagued with shopping indecisions here! Saw a pair of Frye boots the moment I walked in, seemed like they were in my size, in the colour that I want, tried them on and hey, they were REALLY meant for me! Have been eyeing a pair of Frye Campus in Saddle on their site for a while now - love how they are shaped chunky like a pair of wellingtons but in leather. Left the shop on a real shopping-high and kept going on about them boots till the usually patient boyfriend had to tell me to shut up.

It was nearly 6pm by then and we were pretty happy to leave Canberra for our one-and-a-half drive back to Goldburn. It has been a really productive shopping day - not too bad for a city that we wanted to get out of the moment we arrived. Maybe we'll go back again some day but it'll be only be because we missed the award-winning Old Bus Depot Markets which are open only on Sundays and the Canberra Glassworks which was closed (Mondays and Tuesdays) when we were there.

Goldburn
Was hungry again when we got back. Must be the cold. No more chicken and chips tonight. Couldn't finish the half-chicken between us last night but not because it was not tasty (it was super smokey-tasty from the charcoal), it was the huge lunch we had.

So we drove the along the main drag of Goldburn trying to find a place to satisfy my sudden craving for a hot bowl of soup and I saw a place that we completely missed last night. We could have blind-driven passed it before maybe because it was early and the neon signs and the lights weren't switched on. But tonight, the pink and green neon "Paragon Cafe" sign shouted out at us and I knew that's where we had to eat.

This was how Paragon looked inside - a glammed-up kitschy old milk bar from the 40s (our really friendly waitress gave us a brief historical overview). On the left wall was a long counter with cute little hanging signs

and on the right wall was a alternating line of gilt-edged mirrors and framed black and white photographs of people who used to work and dined there in the early days.

I got my wish - a huge bowl of steaming homemade creamy pumpkin soup with garlic bread and on top of that, greedy me also ordered a Greek prawn dish. The boyfriend had himself the surf-and-turf special - a big slab of medium-rare steak with chunky scallops and prawns in a superb red wine sauce plus a bowl of crispy steamed vegetables. It was another great meal! We 'heart' Paragon Cafe.

Distance travelled (Goldburn to Canberra): approximately 93km
Roadkill sightings: 4 kangaroos, 1 wombat, 1 dog-like thing (dog or dingo?)


Day #3 - Wednesday 22 August 2007

Bye-bye Willows Motel and neck-ache-causing pillow (slept on a different pillow last night and felt better today). We had a lot of distance to cover so we decided to leave early instead of waiting around in Goldburn for the few thrift and antique shops to open at 10am. The boyfriend wanted to do the Old Goldburn Brewery tour and tasting but we had to skip that too.

Braidwood
Where the second must-visit bakery on the boss' list is - The Braidwood Bakery.

The taller building on the left is the original bakery where the first loaf was baked in the 1850s and where the original bread ovens are still kept. The one on the left is a relatively new extension housing the eating-in area.

The bakery is the home of the famous giant high top which is a loaf so huge that it will take the two of us at least a week to eat it, if we have bread three times a day everyday! All for the price of $6.25! We didn't buy the famous loaf but I had the biggest apple turnover with cream ever and the boyfriend had a chunky chicken pie for breakfast.

Braidwood is the first complete town in NSW to be listed as a historical entity by the NSW Heritage Office. And after our visit, I can see why. It is just so quaint and full of old-world charm that I want to move there. I could already hear an imaginary conversation with the ever-so-sensible boyfriend in my head.

He'll say, "You're such a city girl. You're going to get bored even before you start unpacking, in a country town where it takes less than a minute to drive along the main drag. What are you going to do for work?"

I'll say, "I can always find work in the bakery."

He'll say, "What's going to keep you entertained? There are no trendy boutiques miles around. The only two shops of interest to you this morning sell antiques and collectables."



I'll say, "There's the local film club. They seem to show a great selection of films and have fun themed nights.






Or I can join the ladies at the volunteers' club at the Braidwood District Hospital and write and compile recipes to raise funds.







And I can always open my own boutique in the old abandoned drapery store."

He'll say, "Who's going to buy your city-slicker stuff in this little town?"

Hmmm...a girl is allowed to have silly notions sometimes, right?

Bungendore
The Bungendore Woodworks Gallery looked interesting on paper but not exciting enough to make lazy us get out of the car.

Queanbeyan
Not one of our designated stops so we didn't know what to expect. It's a pretty big town with a mall filled with the usual Australian supermarkets, chain stores and fast food joints. We drove around and spotted not one but three (!) op shops.

The Salvation Army Family Store (or "Salvos" in Australian but I like "Sally's Army") - A cute little stand-alone shop. Found a beige pair of men's brogues but were a size too big for me. Grumps.


Another St Vinnie's - In and out in five minutes.







A few doors down the Vinnie's was The Bargain Hunter! From the name, I thought it was a $2 shop-type place but on closer inspection, it was another op shop from which proceeds go to The Brotherhood of Saint Laurence! Salvos and Vinnies, I've been to quite a few, but it was my first time in a Bargain Hunter. It was huge and well-organised but it was not my lucky thrifting day. The boyfriend scored a Kramer-esque striped shirt and a 50-cent World Wildlife Fund panda calico shopping bag to put his purchase in.

We drove for a long time along the Monaro Highway, passing loads of cows and sheep grazing on pastures, before we had to stop in Cooma, a town near the ski slopes, to use the toilet. We decided to not stop for lunch and ploughed on to our next marked stop as it was getting pretty late and we still had quite a way to go before our final destination for the night.

Bega
The home of the famous "coaster" cheese. Not our favourite type of cheese but we wanted to see how it was processed and sliced and wrapped in plastic to look like something we can rest our cold beverages on. We were under the impression that the Bega cheese factory conducted tours around the facility but we were wrong. All we got was a video, a tiny museum and bits of cheese to taste.

We drove around the town and found a Salvos and a Vinnies but it was past 5pm and they were closed.

Eden
Finally! We made it! The southern-most port in NSW. Had a little trouble finding the Bayview Motor Inn - our pre-booked motel for the night but when we did actually find it, we wished that we didn't and were really glad that we were only spending that one night there.

Determined not to let a yucky room spoil our evening, we headed out to look for some dinner and a few well-deserved refreshing beverages. Not many places were open so we settled for the Eden Fishermen's Club which is the equivalent to a RSL or veterans' club in any other city/town in Australia - nothing glamourous but you'll be guaranteed cheap booze and a decent meal.

The cold coastal air made me crave soup again but I was advised against it by the kind old man behind the till after we've ordered a seafood platter for two. "You're going to have too much food, darl. Trust me." he said.

We didn't believe him until the platter arrived at our table. It was actually three platters, tiered like a tea stand but bigger and laden with the freshest seafood ever (it's the Fishermen's Club, afterall) - oysters (natural and kilpatrick), mussels, prawns, chargrilled baby octopus, calamari rings, two different types of battered fish and chips and lobster mornay with a salad on the side and loads of tasty dipping sauces. All for $85.00! Where's the photo? Well, my camera's battery died

Distance travelled: approximately 400km
Roadkill sightings: 1 wombat, 7 kangaroos, 1 rabbit


Day #4 - Thursday 23 August 2007

Eden
Survived the night in the not-so-ideal motel room.

We were told by the friendly bartender Rosco last night to go to the Eden Wharf early if we wanted to see the boats come in with the catch-of-the-day.

We got there at 8am but I guess it was too late. The colourful boats were happily tied to the wharf and their owners were nowhere to be found.

Decided to have breakfast by the water at a little place called 'A Taste of Eden'. I had pancakes with maple syrup and a scoop of ice cream while the boyfriend ordered a bacon and egg roll (eggs from Fiona's chickens). Huge huge portions!






And next, the highlight of the trip for the boyfriend - The Eden Killer Whale Museum!










"Old Tom" is the only Orca (killer whale) skeleton on display in the Southern Hemisphere.

This was what the plaque in the museum said, "Eden residents thronged to the cliffs watching wild Orca packs herding great blubber-bearing Baleen whales into Twofold Bay for the whalemen to harpoon and kill. A spectable of cooperation between Orca and Man that was unique to the world.

As leader of the pack, Tom would swim to the whaling station at Kiah Inlet, leap out of the water and splash about until the whalers launch a boat, then lead the way to where the Baleen whale had been rounded by the pack.

In his impatience, Tom sometimes seized a boat's harpoon line to slow a Baleen down and even towed boats holding the tow ropes in his teeth. Over the years, his teeth on the left side became worn down to the gums, rope grooving being clearly visible.

When the killing was over, the carcass would be anchored and buoyed, then temporarily left to the killer whales who ate only the huge tongue (often weighing over four tonnes) and lips. This suited the whalerswho wanted only the Baleen's oil-bearing blubber.

After their "payment", the Orcas would leave, often cruising far offshore, using their echo-locating ability to find more suitable whale victims for their whalemen "partners".

The killer whale (Orcinus Orca) is the only whale that preys on other warm-blooded marine animals as well as fish.

Tom's body was found floating in the southern part of the bay in September 1930 and some said that he'd come home to die.

Not a single killer whale showed up the season following Tom's death, and without their help, shore-based whaling, already on the decline through scarcity of Baleen whales, came to an end."

Such a sweet story!

Pambula
A small town (yes, another!) north of Eden. We were slowly making our way back up to Sydney via the Princes Highway.

An op shop! Yay! Nothing for me! Boo!

Found the boyfriend a vintage white lawn bowl shirt with two thick red and navy blue stripes running across the tummy. In mint condition but I think it was made for a man who was short and wide. The shirt was more a "square" than a "rectangle"? We put it back onto the rack.

Merimbula
A slightly bigger town - one with a mall with supermarkets, chain stores and fast food joints.

Saw the St Vinnies around a corner as we were leaving. It was quite a big one but again, found nothing.





Tathra
Lunchtime! At the old Tathra Hotel. From the bistro, smokey potato and leek soup (yes, soup again) and garlic bread for me and beer-battered barramundi and chips for the boyfriend. Tasty!

View from the sunny deck - stuff that the typical Australian male's dreams are made of: beer, ute (pick-up truck), sun and surf.

Would have stayed longer basking in the sun if not for the scavenging seagulls after our food scraps. Flying rats!

Tilba Tilba
The Foxglove Spires Open Gardens was a recommended stop in this pretty
picture-book town. At the entrance to the gardens were a cafe and cute little shops like The Pineapple House and Gramophones 'n' Old Stuff. But we spent too much time browsing in the shops and totally missed the gardens because it started drizzling when we were ready. So into the car we went and on to the next town.

Central Tilba
We thought Tilba Tilba's prettiness was too-good-to-be-true but when we got into Central Tilba, the perfect-ness of the town just weirded us out. Like it was too pretty and too peaceful to be real? It felt like one of those towns in horror movies where everything is just a front for something evil lurking in the shadows, biding time, waiting for the right moment to pounce.

The rain had stopped so we we got out of the car and walked the main drag starting at Bates Emporium Store & Post Office. Built in 1894, it is also the town's one-pump petrol kiosk, tourist information centre and home of Tilba's famous fudge.

Then Mockingbird Lane Antiques.

The ABC Cheese Factory has been making cheeses since 1891 and has won numerous awards for their Tilba Club Cheeses. No factory tour again but we bought some pretty tasty cheeses.

The Tilba Woodturning Gallery where I bought a beautiful rolling pin made from Huon Pine which is a protected timber and the only way the pine is "harvested" nowadays is from logs salvaged from rivers and forest floors.

These are just a few of the shops in Central Tilba Village, here is the full list.

Bodalla
The home of the third must-see bakery on the list - Bodalla Bakery - where we stopped for a late afternoon snack. A warm and absolutely delicious honey soy chicken roll in shortcrust-y pastry for me and a steak and kidney pie for the boyfriend. With a bag of scrumptious coconut crisps to munch on on the road.

Loved the newly-renovated dining area with its mismatched furnishings and crockery - shabby-chic done well.

And this is the bakehouse next door where the original woodfire oven dating back to the 1870s is housed and is still being used to bake the loaves that are sold here.



Bateman's Bay
Our stop for the night. Didn't pre-book any room so drove around and decided to stay at Argyle Terrace Motel.

Not many places were opened for dinner so we went to the Bateman's Bay Soldiers' Club and had one of the worst meals ever.

Distance travelled: approximately 200km
Roadkill sightings: 0


Day #5 - Friday 24 August 2007

Bateman's Bay
Sighted a St Vinnie's last night on our little drive around town after dinner. Went in first thing in the morning before we continued with our drive. Didn't score huge but scored.

A vintage original Glomesh handbag in brilliantcondition for $3.50! And it was in a speckled (quite like a quail's eggshell - little brown speckles on beige) form that I've not seen before.

Saw a really old but mint condition Mark and Spencer's brown zip-up suitcase (to haul the recent purchases home) but decided against it. Storage is a big problem in our little apartment.

Then fell in love with a Laminex dining table from (the label said) the 70s. The laminated top was in a funky repeated pattern print! And it was in pristine condition. Only$35.00! Our orange 50s diner chairs would have so loved their new friend. But what are we going to do with their current mate? Hovered around it for the longest time, wondering if it would fit in the backseat of the car and if we should really take it home. We left it - couldn't help wishing that we had a larger apartment.

Milton
Quaint little town #101 on our road trip.

Wasn't expecting to find much there and was planning to just drive through it but Bunyas Antiques caught our eyes. Beautiful pieces to be found in there! Beds, chest of drawers, sideboards, vanity tables...we didn't buy any but it was worth a stop. And the owners sold organically-grown fruit and vegetables from their garden at the front of the shop, creatively displayed in old tubs, crates and trays which were also for sale.

Turnbull Bros Antiques was another joint that we might have missed if we had driven right through Milton. It was on a little residential street lined with cute little houses. I forgot to take a photo but behind the last house on the street was this huge old wooden barn that was filled to the brim with curios painstakingly arranged and displayed.

Nowra
A, what we consider, bigger town. This was the part of the trip where everything started to look and feel familiar because we had travelled through before last year.

However, we weren't expecting to find a Salvos here! Must be new.









Saw many more old-school zip-up suitcases in there so gave in and bought Mr Mustard for $2.00 - will worry about storage when we get home. He's quite small so he can always live in our bigger cases.


Lunchtime again! Pub grub and frothy beverages were what we were craving so the Bridge Hotel was where we stopped. The boyfriend has bangers and mash and I had a salad of panfried prawns with lime and coriander. Followed by a short walk to the shops.

Born Again Bargains - Cute clean shop but nothing of interest.






St Andrew's Op Shop - A little space next to the mall's carpark. Dug deep but came up with nothing.





The Hip Op Shop - What a funny name. Left with zilch.









Berry
Yay! Back in good ol' Berry again. It was our favourite little town from last year. Stayed at the Berry Village Boutique Motel then and again this year because they made very happy and satisfied customers out of us. Was sad to find out this time that the lovely owner had sold up but he assured us that the new owner was going to maintain the same standard of things, if not better.

Loved all the shops the last time and it was time for a re-visit -

Claringbold's for fine antique jewellery and curios and the little adjoining St Vinnies at the back,

Sew and Tell (my favouritest specialty craft shop),

Haven and Space for homeware, and many others - and I still love them and their wares a year late.

It was the first time on the trip that we got to our pit-stop for-the-day early so we spent the afternoon chilling out at the local pub and bistro Berry Hotel where we also spent a lot of time at before.

For dinner, we went and had an exquisite meal at Twenty Three at Berry. It's not the street number but a favourite of the owners - Rhonda, Sommer (they are in charge of the front-of-house) and Sarah (the chef) who ran the all-girl show marvellously.

It was a cute little restaurant (with a very interesting but unpretentious Mediterranean- and Asian-inspired menu) that we had wanted to eat at last year but they were not open. It was well-worth the wait! There were so many items (nearly every one) that we wanted to try on the menu but Sommer (or was it Rhonda?) came to our rescue by suggesting the value-for-money ($50.00) six-course tasting menu. I can go on and on about how great the food and service were but you have to taste it for yourself. And make it fast because the girls, sadly, are selling up too (saw a little notice in their window).

Distance travelled: approximately150km

Roadkill sightings: 0

Day #6 - Saturday 25 August 2007

Berry
Another re-visit and must-eat-at spot in Berry - the Berry Woodfired Sourdough Bakery.

We had a scrumptious breakfast in the rustic white-walled dining area while breathing in the delicious aroma freshly baked bread and pastry and since we were driving home, we bought loaves and loaves of yummy sourdough and brioche to take home for friends. The lunch menu looked great too...well, next time when we are in Berry.

Kiama
A town right by the sea.

We remember it because of Petunia, a cute little 50s magazine rack we bought last year at Terence's - a little collectables shop. Our first stop this time round but he had nothing for us.

We also remembered the St Vinnies where last year, the boyfriend tried on some vintage suits with great jackets but ill-fitting pants.

We also found two other op shops that were either new or that we had missed.

The Lifeline Op Shop where I found another cool old pair of men's brogues in grey but again, just ever-so-slightly too big!

and the Presbyterian Church Op Shop.

Behind the church was Kiama's Black Beach where the monthly Produce Market was held. What luck! We were there on the right day.

Lining the promenade was a whole line of stalls, all selling organically-grown produce from around the area. It was a real treat just to touch, smell and feel those beautiful chemical-free fruits and vegetables! And meeting and chatting to the sellers who were also the growers.

And to taste some of the products made from the organic harvest.

Shellharbour

The thrifting highlight of our trip last year - the Salvos of all Salvos! The Shellharbour Salvos Family Store.

It was more a warehouse than a store - systematically divided into sections like "Homeware", "Women's Clothing", "Men's Clothing", "Accessories", "Shoes" and "Furniture". So a re-visit was definitely on the itinerary.

Fell in love with this vanity table but there was no way we could have fitted it into the car. Next time, we'll have to take a ute!

Left with a $2.00 nylon string bag

and a little 50-cent souvenir of our thrifting roadtrip.

Was supposed to go back to Mittagong for a visit to the Crystal Palace via Robertson but we missed the exit on the Princes Highway and were pretty happy (really!) to head back to...

Sydney - Home sweet home!

Distance travelled: approximately 140km

Roadkill sightings: 0