Pretty bays and massive waves (Apr. 20/09 - Bermagui, Australia, mileage 50km)

Stormy clouds just wouldn't give us a break this morning, so we turned our noses at them and went out to walk along the waterfront anyway. Good thing we were ready with rain gear, as we got soaked just a few minutes after leaving the van. The town is spread along a shallow inlet that twists its way to the ocean, taking beautifully crystal clear water with it. A few sailboats and pelicans hung out quietly on the water, but otherwise the place was deserted. We walked up to a headland near the inlet's entrance to the ocean to get a view out along the coast, and with dark storm clouds overhead and bright turquoise waves coming in, it made for a dramatic seascape. The massive waves were impressive - at least 10 or 15 feet high, and pounding the rocks so hard that there was a constant low rumble as if they were vibrating. There weren't any boats going out this morning, as the inlet entrance was met by these huge waves head on- that would not be fun in a little boat! Stairs led down to water level, where centuries of wave action had pounded a hole right through the headland, in a shape that looked very much like Australia. We watched the waves for a while and then bee-lined it for the van when the downpour increased. Maybe snubbing the storm clouds was a bad idea afterall!


The highway cut across some picturesque farmland perched on hillsides with the ocean far below. We took a detour through the tiny town of Central Tilba, which was a touristy collection of heritage buildings transformed into antique shops, gift emporiums, etc. We didn't need to cover a lot of ground today, so we claimed an ocean view spot in the town of Bermagui, just a few more minutes down the road. Much like Narooma, this place is on a shallow inlet too, with equally blue water and equally big pelicans. We treated ourselves to lunch at a favourite local fish and chips place on the water, then walked it off for a couple hours during a pleasant stretch of sunshine to check out the town, the beach, and the big frothy waves rolling in from the east.