Leaving Cooma felt a bit like leaving a fridge with scenery. We pointed the Trailblazer toward Bega via the Snowy Mountain Highway and, surprise surprise, found ourselves on another foggy, freezing mountain. Honestly, NSW should just hand out “I survived the fog” stickers. But wow — the drive was magic. Cold, moody, dramatic… and occasionally “is this how it ends?” scary.
Everything was great until Brown Mountain decided to audition for Fast & Furious: Alpine Edition. I swear that descent had more tight turns than the previous week combined. One corner in particular — sharp right, already crawling at 30 km/h — suddenly got steeper. I tapped the brakes… and we sped up. Not ideal. Hit them harder, slowed down, but my heart rate didn’t. Could not wait to get off that mountain and back onto flat, sensible earth.
At the Princes Highway we had the classic traveller’s dilemma: right to Bega or left back up the coast? Bega Cheese won the toss. Coffee, sandwiches, cheese tasting — simple, interesting, and exactly the kind of stop that makes you feel like you’re doing “proper touring”.
From there we spun around and headed for Potato Point — our beloved eco‑park in the national park. Two years later and it was exactly as we remembered: quiet, beautiful, and good for the soul. I even attempted my first surf in six weeks. Westerly blowing like it wanted to send me to New Zealand, water freezing, waves flat… I lasted a couple of waves before admitting defeat. Still good to get wet again.
Next stop: Moruya, where the Ultimate team patched up a torn mozzie screen and fixed two items I’d broken. One of those was the door ring‑pull opener, which I snapped during a 2am half‑asleep bathroom mission. Door was shut, brain was offline, and I tugged the ring‑pull like it was the secret exit lever. It isn’t. It only releases the door when it’s locked open. I pulled harder… and harder… until the cable snapped, I fell backwards, and realised I was a complete wally. Red wine may have been involved.
Leaving Moruya, we headed north and found a quirky little spot at Burrill Lake — right on the highway, stretching all the way to the beach. Booking by phone was… atmospheric. “We don’t accept people who party all night. Are you one of those?” No, ma’am, we are
not. The beach and headland rocks were the real surprise — absolutely stunning.
Next day we ducked into Sussex Inlet to see Jelly, who was mid‑reno on his new boat. Great mate, great chat, solid hour of laughs.
Then we wound our way through Kangaroo Valley toward Mittagong — lush, green, and full of backroads that screamed old money and colonial land history. At the caravan park we bumped into friends travelling in an old coaster that looked exactly like Mum and Dad’s old rig. Nostalgia hit hard.
From there we drove to Morisset to see Michelle’s sister Marie and her partner Mark. First time seeing the work they’d done on their old Olympic — and OMG. When that thing is reassembled it’ll be a showpiece. Mark’s fibreglass work on the body, hatch, and door is next‑level.
Then came the main attraction: meeting Tova. A gorgeous new human crafted by Dom and Emma. The new mums were sleep‑deprived but glowing with pride. I even scored a sleepy smile during my cuddle — once Shell’s arms finally gave out. Visited again the next day for more cuddles and more smiles.
We stayed at Paradise Palms Caravan Park on Lake Macquarie — tight little park with a previously dodgy reputation, but honestly it was fine. Only downside: men’s toilets mid‑reno and not cleaned for two days. Also witnessed what I’m convinced will be a recurring theme on this trip — people who should not be allowed to tow caravans. One bloke reversed into a rock wall and a parked car. Some people should be restricted to tents.
Next stop: Treachery Beach. Two days camped beside a lagoon covered in bright green — surreal, almost alien. Shelly spotted a dingo while we were setting up. Massive caravan park, would be an absolute hoot in summer.
We decided to take the beach dirt road to Diamond Beach — a place we’d visited but never stayed. It reminded both of us of Potato Point: relaxed people, wildlife everywhere, that easy coastal vibe.
Stayed one night before heading to Port Macquarie for Trailblazer diagnostics. The old P040201 code — the eco‑friendly “let’s feed exhaust gas back into the engine” idea that sounds great until it clogs your motor with carbon and halves the life of a diesel. Needed Mid Coast 4WD to tell us whether the EGR valve was cactus. Camped in Port while waiting for the verdict.
From there we rolled through Crescent Head, which felt like Noosa — half the roads closed, more cabins going in, and about 60 blokes fighting for waves. We kept moving and landed at Hat Head. Second visit, booked in, and scored a clean little 3‑foot wave. Just me and one other surfer for 90 minutes. Bliss.
Next day: Scotts Head for the Loggerheads Longboard Contest.
Next post incoming
