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Stage 25 - Mystery Bay to Wallaga Lake

After a pleasant Easter with Liz and Tony, their family and friends in Central Tilba, it was time to be on our way again. Liz dropped us back at our marker at Mystery Bay and, after a quick morning dip in the brisk water and one last glimpse back to farewell Barunguba, we loaded up our packs and headed south.

The first part of the stage followed a track winding inland through eucalypt and undulating coastal banksia forest before bringing us out onto the northern end of 1080 Beach (there must be very few beaches in the world named after wild dog bait). At the southern end of 1080, we crossed the broad sandy bar of Tilba Tilba Lake before climbing up onto the kikuyu pastures of a small headland.

Tilba Tilba Lake

Looking through the banksias to 1080 Beach

Black volcanic rocks on 1080 Beach

Tilba Tilba Lake sandbar

A good place to ponder

Midway across, a wooden seat invited us to stop and have a snack – it became obvious why it had been put there as it looked down onto a tiny idyllic secluded cove. Eventually pulling ourselves away from this magical spot, we descended to the 5 km stretch of Wallaga Beach.

This cove is not named on the map or with a sign
- I hereby name it "Nello's Cove"

Unfortunately for our legs this was a steep beach with soft sand; another real calf-burner. The effort was worth it though for the constant views of the two sacred mountains; Gulaga to our right and Biamanga (Mumbulla Mountain) ahead of of us.		Looking down Wallaga Beach towards Mumbulla Mountain
The path southward	It is impossible to escape the presence of Gulaga on this stage of the walk

Biamanga landscape

Gulaga landscape

Cave on Wallaga Beach

At the southern end of the beach, we crossed the sand spit holding in Wallaga Lake, before climbing up the grassy verge leading to Morunna Point. Here we picked up part of the Bermagui Coast Walk, which followed the cliff line and literally tunnelled through dense melaleuca thickets in sections. At various spots, gaps appeared to provide views of the impressive rock formations at the base of the cliff. The most well known formation was saved for last, as the path descended to the viewing point of Camel Rock (no guesses allowed for why it is called this).

Murunna Point

View from the Murunna cliff top

Camel Rock

Turning inland we made the short trip from Camel Rock to the Ocean Lake Caravan Park, looking west over the main body of Wallaga Lake. Watching a brilliant sunset over the lake waters from the deck of our cabin, we agreed that this would be a great spot to spend another day. It is rare to be able to watch the sun set over water on the east coast of Australia (and even rarer for us to be up early enough to watch a sunrise!), so we felt privileged to see two magnificent sunsets in a row; one a soft pastel tapestry, the other bold and gold.

Glorious Wallaga sunset

The mothership is landing!

On golden pond?

Casuarina grove lining the shore

On Wallaga Lake

The silhouette of Gulaga, ever present on our walk to Wallaga, hazily dominated the northern end of the lake. This, the different plays of light at various times of the day and angles of the sun, the everpresent birdlife, and the sighing of the wind in the casuarinas on its shoreline gave Wallaga Lake a mystical ambience.


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