Even in winter, the NSW Sapphire Coast sparkles. Although cool, temperatures are usually several degrees warmer than Canberra this time of year and the seaside crowds are thinner on the ground than in summertime. It’s the ideal place for a mid-winter getaway.
CW editor Julie Samaras spent a rejuvenating winter weekend at the beautiful NSW harbour town of Bermagui, courtesy of Sapphire Coast Destination Marketing. Here’s a taste of just some of the many things to see and do when you’re in the neighbourhood. To find out more, visit www.sapphirecoast.com.au
WHERE WE STAYED
Bermagui Beach Hotel offers a selection of ocean view and classic king ensuite rooms, superbly renovated and luxuriously appointed with the latest mod cons, while retaining the historic (1895) establishment’s vintage seaside charm. The hotel is ideally located on the main street, across the road from the beach, with shops and eateries at your doorstep (be sure to check out the boutiques and vintage stores on the strip), and within easy walking distance to the marina and the famous Blue Pool.
Our spacious ocean view room, complete with patio furniture on the north-facing balcony affording views over Horseshoe Bay to Mount Gulaga, was the perfect place to drink in the charms of this enchanting fishing village. Although the hotel was pumping the night we arrived, there were no concerns about outside noises disturbing our rest – the top quality, European, double-glazed balcony windows and doors do a sterling job keeping out the noise (and the chilly winter night air).
In the morning, wake to the glorious ocean views, and complimentary continental breakfast of bagels from renowned local bakery Honorbread, crunchy granola, juice, and DIY tea or coffee using the in-room facilities (including coffee pod machine, microwave and more). I didn’t want to leave!
10 Lamont Street, Bermagui NSW. On-street parking. Bookings: bermaguibeachhotel.com.au/bermagui-accommodation
WHERE WE ATE
Despite it being mid-winter, the Bermagui Beach Hotel Bistro and pub were bustling on the Friday night we arrived. We chose to eat in the bistro, equally friendly and welcoming as the pub, just a tad quieter and less crowded. There’s a great selection of pub fare and blackboard specials (some of which had just sold out by the time we sat down after 7pm). We saw plates laden with huge schnittys or parmis, fresh salad and hot chips being delivered to nearby tables. Our choices? The locally farmed Wapengo oysters were fresh and juicy; my maple roasted pumpkin with fermented pumpkin, pickled eschalots, macadamia cheese, and candied macadamias was a delectable combination; and plus-one tucked into the perfect warming winter fare – slow-cooked lamb shank with seasonal vegetables and jus, the tender meat simply falling off the bone. The blackboard special lemon meringue dessert was sold out, so we shared a chocolate pistachio tart drizzled with salted caramel and served with a side of raspberry sorbet. Scrumptious!
10 Lamont Street, Bermagui NSW. Open 7 days, lunch from 12 pm, dinner from 5.30pm. Bookings and walk-ins welcome; bermaguibeachhotel.com.au/eat-and-drink
For first-rate food, top service and an elegant yet relaxed atmosphere – with a side of sublime marina views – you can’t go past Il Passaggio at Fisherman’s Wharf. As we walked past the wharf on a brisk Saturday night in late June, a fishing trawler was busy unloading its fresh catch; just upstairs, this popular local dining establishment was full. Using as much regional produce as possible, the modern Italian menu expresses a philosophy of simple fare that honours the integrity of each hero ingredient. And Il Passaggio does this expertly.
Our entrée of Snowy Mountains smoked trout arancini was perfectly balanced – the crispy shell yielding to the creamy filling with subtle fish flavour, complemented by smooth aioli and a dusting of crunchy fried capers. Plus-one relished the saffron prawn linguine with garlic, Pernod, fennel and cream sprinkled with pangrattato, while my local kingfish in brodo with local vongole, fennel and Dutch cream potatoes was light and delicious, cooked to perfection. Our bellies full, we shared a dessert of warm and fudgy chocolate hazelnut pudding with house vanilla ice cream. Delizioso!
Fisherman’s Wharf, Shop 5/ 73-79 Lamont Street, Bermagui NSW. Bookings: ilpassaggio.com.au/restaurant or call (02) 6493 5753.
WHERE WE VISITED
North of Eden gin tasting
En route from Canberra to Bermagui, turn left where the Snowy Mountains Highway meets the Princes Highway near Bega and travel around 4km to Stony Creek, where you’ll find the boutique gin distillery known as North of Eden (58km north, in fact). Here, master distiller Gavin Hughes, his partner Karen Touchie, and their full-time apprentice, Ruby Davis, use artisanal, small batch methods to produce their curated collection of five international-award-winning gins – The Classic, The Bridge, The Connoisseur, The Admiral, and Oyster Shell Gin, which was named ‘Best Australian Gin of 2021’ by The Gin Queen.
Except for juniper (which requires specific growing conditions), most of the botanicals used in the distilling process are grown and harvested in season right on their picturesque Stony Creek farm, or sourced nearby, such as kelp foraged from Mystery Bay – and while not technically a ‘botanical’, waste oyster shells are rescued from local farmers.
After showing us their gleaming traditional copper stills and bottling room where every step is done by hand, the trio guided us through a taste testing, explaining the distinctive characteristics of each bottle and which works best in what cocktail. Gin drinkers are sure to find at least one (or five) to their taste. And if you’d prefer to try bottling your very own creation, consider enrolling in a three-hour gin school class held right there in the cellar door at this picture-perfect piece of paradise, with views across the rolling green hills and valley.
The North of Eden cellar door is closed until early September while expanded storage facilities are under construction, but the gin school remains available for one-off classes (bookings essential). Call 0448 294 210.
13594 Princes Highway, Stony Creek; northofeden.com.au
Navigate Expeditions kayak tour
At 8.30am on Saturday by the banks of serene Bermagui River, we met Jess Taunton, of Navigate Expeditions, which runs “immersive, regenerative travel experiences for the environmentally conscious traveller” on the NSW South Coast. Our experience took the form of a gentle, three-hour kayak tour up river led by expert guide, Lawerance, a long-time local and former manufacturer of custom ocean kayaks, who shared his knowledge of the historical, cultural and environmental features of the area – the traditional lands of the Yuin people, aka ‘Black Duck people’. He explained the significance of Gulaga, to the north, as a sacred birthing site for Aboriginal women, and of Mumbulla Mountain, further south near Stony Creek, as a sacred site for the initiation of young men over many millennia.
After paddling upstream in crystal clear waters past oyster leases and pristine bushland teeming with birdlife, we stepped on shore for a refreshing cuppa and deliciously healthy homemade slice. On our return journey, a majestic white-bellied sea eagle glided above us before perching atop a tall tree, watching us watch it as we drifted past. A refreshing morning spent exploring this tranquil river, with nary any other humans in sight. Bliss.
Navigate Expeditions offer a range of professionally guided nature-based experiences, from kayak and oyster shuck tours on Pambula River, river to sea kayak tours on Bega River, and walks in Mimosa Rocks or Bournda National Parks (three- or six-hour options, including an accessible walk), to multi-day adventure tours, including along the Light to Light walk south of Eden. Having achieved advanced ecotourism certification and climate action business certification with Ecotourism Australia, they will ensure you tread lightly on the planet and “leave no trace” during your expedition.
To find out more, call 1300 030 902, email [email protected] or visit navigateexpeditions.com
Sapphire Coast Art Month Trail
It’s not only tourists who are drawn to the natural beauty of the Sapphire Coast; many artists find its environment inspires and nourishes their creativity, so have made their homes and studios here. To celebrate and promote the region’s thriving artistic community, August is Art Month on the Sapphire Coast.
So, after a leisurely continental breakfast on the balcony and checking out from the luxurious lodgings at Bermagui Beach Hotel, followed by a spot of local produce shopping at Bermagui Market held across the road in Dickinson Park on the last Sunday of the month, we set off to sample a taste of the Sapphire Coast Art Month trail.
A good starting point is Shop 7 Artspace, located upstairs at Bermagui Fisherman’s Wharf. A cooperative run by 10 local artists, here you’ll find a fascinating array of pieces by members, who practise in their own studios (most not open to the public), and by other artists invited as guests. On duty at the gallery when we visited was Shop 7 Artspace member, woodworker Steve Stafford, who lost his home, workshop, shed, all his machinery, tools and supplies in the Black Summer bushfires of 2020-21, but is resiliently back on his (replacement) tools, once again crafting beautiful pieces from wood.
In this light-filled private gallery overlooking the marina, you’ll see gorgeous displays of artisan jewellery, pottery and ceramics, photographs, prints, paintings, glass, woodwork, textiles and more, all available for purchase. Find the perfect gift for a loved one – or a sublime souvenir for yourself.
Fisherman’s Wharf, 7/73-79 Lamont Street, Bermagui NSW. Opening days and times vary during off-season; email: [email protected] or call 0419 503 126
Heading south out of town, we took the turnoff to Bermagui Mudworks, a spacious pottery studio brimming with colourful pots of all shapes and sizes that’s run by husband-and-wife team, Mike and Kim Collingham. Originally from California, the couple emigrated to Australia in 1980, running pottery businesses in the Gold Coast hinterland, then Cooma, before settling in the beautiful, sleepy, seaside hamlet of Bermagui in 1985. Mike specialises in garden ware, domestic, functional ware, and one-off pieces, while Kim’s trademark is her quirky and charming mudfish creations. There’s also a café onsite. Other than potting and fishing, one of Mike’s favourite things is hosting weekly pottery workshops for young people with profound physical disabilities, who reside at Nardy House near Quaama.
23 Alexander Drive, Bermagui. Open 5 days, Thursday-Monday. More info: bermaguimudworks.com.au
Not open to the public, we were privileged to visit the twin, architecturally designed, solar-passive studios of award-winning artists, Suzie Bleach and Andy Townsend, partners in life and art. Andy, who grew up in Narrabundah, studied and taught at ANU School of Art (where their son Harry and daughter Rose are also alumni).
Having completed dozens of public sculptures during their decades-long shared artistic career, Canberrans will be familiar with some of the dynamic duo’s works in the ACT, such as ‘A Delicate Moment’ in Hughes, the La Perouse sculpture in Red Hill, ‘A Site Marker’ in wood and steel at Narrabundah, and the adorned toilet doors at Canberra Museum and Gallery – to name just a few. They relocated full-time to their haven overlooking Wapengo Lake after their Braidwood studio, where they had been based for 25 years, was destroyed in a fire in August 2013 and it became too problematic to rebuild onsite.
Although the creative couple had just attended the opening of Andy’s exhibition of collages, ‘Makeshift Decoys’, at Studio Altenberg in Braidwood the previous day, they generously showed us around their studios: one for “dirty” and heavy work, such as their collaborative, larger-than-life, metal sculptures; the other for “clean” practices, like drawing, painting, collage, and ceramics. (Is there anything this pair can’t do?). They also gave us a preview of their stunning entry for this year’s Sculpture by the Sea at Bondi – a life-size metal sculpture of a workhorse, which, when installed in Marks Park, will be dragging a heavy chain over a landscape scarred by coal mining. Made out of salvaged objects and steel, the work continues the couple’s exploration of the human condition by using a familiar animal subject to draw the audience in.
As part of Sapphire Coast Art Month 2022, the couple will host a special artist talk and online studio tour on Tuesday 3 August. More info: www.artmonthsapphirecoast.com.au/event-details/suzie-bleach-andy-townsend
Around 30 minutes’ drive south of Bermagui near the thriving artistic haven of Tanja, you’ll find Rainchair Ceramics: Tanja Open Studio and adjacent workshop, owned and operated by another Sapphire Coast creative couple, ceramicists Barry and Gosia Jackson. The pair met serendipitously at a ceramics symposium in Gosia’s homeland of Poland over three decades ago; after two days of smiling at each other, they invested in a Polish-English bilingual dictionary – and the rest is history! Seeking an ideal location conducive to his ceramics practice, Barry bought the idyllic property surrounded by coastal forest and birdsong at Tanja in 1978, and Gosia joined him at “this beautiful place, quiet, away from everywhere” 31 years ago.
Having trained as a sculptor, Barry’s striking free-form sculptural work is inspired by two things: a treasured, black stone axe he would carry in his hands as a child but forever lost when he left home; and the volcanic crater, and pebble and boulder beaches of nearby Aragunnu. His sculptures range from smaller pieces that fit in your hand (like his long-lost stone axe) to dark and textural statement works that have been broken apart and reassembled, clouded with smoke, and metal – an exploration of the nature of existence and the illusion of permanence.
In contrast, Gosia’s pottery, which Barry throws, is colourful and playful. Steeped in such influences as Chagall and Picasso, Gosia’s European heritage is evident in her whimsical designs, some featuring Australian fauna, flora, and the birds you hear singing right outside the studio. Also on display and for sale are drawings and prints by their equally artistic son Eamonn Jackson, who lives in Melbourne, and artworks by Gosia’s sister in Poland. Creativity runs deep in their family, and along the Sapphire Coast Art Month trail.
Rainchair Ceramics: Tanja Open Studio; 9 Haighs Road, Tanja NSW. Open ‘when the sign is out’, most weekends or by appointment; call 6494 0171 or email [email protected]
TRAVEL TIPS: It’s around a 3:15 hour drive between Canberra and Bermagui so you might want to break the journey at Cooma, Nimmitabel or Bemboka, where you’ll find a local café, bakery or pie shop for refreshments, and rest stops with public toilet facilities. As we farewelled Bega Valley on Sunday afternoon it was a balmy 18 degrees, dropping to just 9 at the top of Brown Mountain a short while later, so keep your layers handy for when you stop!
