Narooma to Mystery Bay

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Stage 24 - Narooma to Mystery Bay
We had spent two very pleasant days in Narooma. While there, we caught up with Sally and Nigel, friends from Canberra now living at Narooma, and Sally showed us some of her favourite spots in Narooma. Much of our time though was spent sipping coffee on the deck of our cabin as we watched the tide creep in and out across the sandflats of Wagonga Inlet, while listening to the sound of bellbirds drifting across the water. Life moves at a different rhythm on the coast. Full tide on the Wagonga sandflats		Looking across the inlet to Mount Dromedary Granite ramparts of the Narooma Breakwater - the entry to the Inlet is notoriously dangerous in big seas The big tree - Wagonga Inlet
Locals call this the Australia Rock - can you tell why?	Jetty on Wagonga Inlet

However, by Friday the horde of Canberrans and Sydneysiders heading to the coast for Easter had started to arrive and it was time for us to move on. It seems that it is never possible to escape completely the work-dominated rhythms of life of the big cities – only too short a time ago we would have been part of this mass exodus.

Under a clear blue sky we headed down the walkway that followed the southern shore of Wagonga Inlet before climbing up to the Narooma golf course, which surely has one of the more spectacular layouts looking out over the Pacific Ocean along a line of cliffs (though if you slice your ball don't bother searching). At the southern end lay the best view of all, across Narooma Beach to the dramatic silhouettes of the Glasshouse Rocks.

We crossed the Beach, climbed up through the cemetery on the headland and descended onto the sands of Glasshouse Rocks Beach. The closer we got to these rocks, the more impressive they became; the folded, uplifted and coloured sandstone of the cliffs contrasted against the black volcanic rocks emerging from the sea just offshore.

Narooma golf course - they say that the local kids can make
good pocket money diving for balls in the sea below certain holes

Narooma Beach and the Glasshouse Rocks

Approaching the black monoliths

Variations on a rocky theme

Rock wall leading to Handkerchief Beach

As we followed the beach around, the route became more and more constricted between sea and cliff. At the southern end, Nello found a narrow passage along the jagged rocks of the lower cliff face. Passing our backpacks across as the surf crashed on the rocks below, we emerged onto the long open stretch of Handkerchief Beach, grateful not to have had to backtrack over a kilometre and climb back up to the alternative route over the headland.

A cabin and van park lies adjacent to Handkerchief Beach, and we strolled passed groups of Easter holidaymakers swimming, sunbaking and surf fishing. The perfect sunny still day ensured that everyone was in high spirits.

In need of a rest

At the end of the beach, a sign pointed up to Barunga Point; another fragment of Eurobodalla National Park. We climbed up this track on a heath covered cliff edge separated by a barbed wire fence from the open paddocks of Jindamar South farm. Suddenly, a gap in the fence appeared and we found ourselves in the paddock – the National Parks authorities had negotiated a right of passage with the property owners along the next series of cliffs. This was great to see, as too often private ownership of cliff top land has been a potential barrier to this coastal walk.

Rural bliss - Jindamar South homestead

The path undulated through the thick kikuyu in the paddocks, following the spectacular cliffs and crossing isolated coves and beaches. Inland, the silhouette of Mount Dromedary dominated the horizon across the green grass of paddocks. Seaward lay the lighthouse-capped profile of Montague Island. These two landmarks were our constant companions for the day.		View north towards Barunga Point
Cliffs south of Barunga Point	Rural interface with the bush

Unnamed Beach on Jindamar South

Overlooking Fuller's Beach from Bogola Head

On Fuller's Beach

Leaving the farm, we crossed another small fragment of the National Park at Bogola Head, leading to a sweeping vista down the 3 km length of Foster's Beach. At the end of another meditational walk down the isolated beach, we reached the sandbar at the entrance of Corunna Lake and the jagged black offshore rocks of Corunna Point, witnesses to the volcanic origins of much of this landscape.

Rocks of Corunna Point

The path from Corunna Point led us up to the cliff top and through the lemon-flowers of a banksia forest, finally emerging amongst the tall eucalypts of the Mystery Bay Campground. Mystery Bay, named for the strange unsolved disappearance of five men in the late 19 th century, is a secluded bay protected from the large sea swells by a cluster of off-shore rocks; a quiet, magical setting.

The protected waters of Mystery Bay

From the bay, we turned inland. Our destination was the home of Liz, an old school friend of Nello, and her husband, Tony, set in rolling green countryside near Central Tilba. We wandered up the dusty country road past Tilba Tilba Lake and through the green paddocks, the songs of birds providing a welcome replacement to the sound of the surf. A pleasant 3 kilometres on, we reached Liz and Tony's house, with its wonderful views towards Mount Dromedary. For the next few days of Easter, we would enjoy their hospitality and company, and the serenity of this idyllic rural setting.

Heading up Sunnyside Road

A couple of local residents

Dam overlooking Lake Tilba Tilba


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Stage 24 - Narooma to Mystery Bay