Five ways to spend a winter’s day on the Sapphire Coast

Words by Miranda O’Rourke Photography by Luisa Brimble

We’re often asked how best to spend days during holidays on the Sapphire Coast and if we answer honestly, there’s too many options! Here, we list five ideas on how to pass time during winter in our beautiful area.

Option one – for the lover of the ocean. 

Head to Terrace beach smack bang in between Pambula and Eden. The ride is bumpy, so make sure you have an all wheel drive. You’ll pull up to a vast view as far as the eye can see of sapphire blue water that keeps you mesmerised. Hopefully, you’ve packed a picnic because it’s isolated out here and once you’ve arrived you won’t want to leave. Keep your picnic supplies in the car and go for a walk along the ocean. Dolphins are regulars here, so ensure you keep checking the ocean in case they decide to join you. We like to head North and stretch out our legs, taking in the landscapes.  On your return, have a picnic and set up either near the rocks and watch the waves roll in. Whenever we come to Terrace Beach we like to snorkel and take in the marine life.  It really is in abundance here – we often catch sea urchins and mussels, all for eating. Nothing is better than fresh. The water is cold but oh so refreshing. Spend hours soaking up the winter sun and knowing you won’t be paying the price with a vicious sunburn for hours after. The fishing here is good too, if that tickles your fancy.

Option two – for the road tripper. 

We love a road trip. We were recently reflecting on this and wondering if that’s just because we spend so much of our lives travelling – Sydney to Canberra to Pambula and everywhere in between, often weekly! But seriously, if you don’t mind getting in the car for a day of exploring, we definitely recommend a trip a little further north. From the cottage, head to Tathra for a quick morning coffee and croissant from the Tathra wharf. The bold pink heritage building speaks wonders, with the ocean literally under your feet and the view looking out to the headland, there’s not really a better place for a coffee hit. Once the coffee has kicked in, head further north along the coast road and through the Mimosa Rocks National Park. If you’ve got time, you can call in and explore along the way, or you can keep pushing on to Bermagui. This little hip town might be small, but it has a lot to offer. Our favourite things do are – dive into the Blue Pool for a quick refreshing dip; stock up on wholefoods and a cheeky supply of waste free chocolate at Gulaga Organics; enjoy the best vegan burger ever at Boneless (and we are big fans of the choc mint smoothie) so much so that if we are driving from Pambula to Sydney we detour via Bermagui to get our hit; before we leave we always stock up on Honorbread (our favourite is the porridge loaf – tip, get two loaves minimum); we also stock up on goods from il Passaggio provedore who hand make all your pasta needs! If you’re still up for some more food, you can’t beat fish and chips in a coastal fishing village and also gelato from the wharf. So much deliciousness in one spot. Shopping in Bermagui is also great with a few unique stores offering great fashion, jewellery and accessories. If you wanted to adventure more, Tilba Tilba and Cobargo are beautiful towns in land from the coast well worth the visit. The towns were impacted by the bushfires of summer 2020, so we always encourage people to pop in and support small business. You can’t go past picking up some local Tilba cheese. You’ll taste the difference.

Option three – for the homebody. 

We get it, life is busy. Some of you come near and far to this cottage for some well-deserved R&R, so why venture too far from your home away from home? The cottage is well stocked with all you could need, so there’s really no need to go anywhere at all. Our ideal starts in bed, of course, with hot coffee and possibly a croissant from Wild Ryes. We love lazy mornings in bed watching the sun pour through the old original windows. You could read a while here, too. When it’s time to rise, light the fire for the day so the cottage is warm and cosy. Then it’s breakfast time. Cook something! There’s plenty of books and the pantry is well stocked. There’s something comforting about a hot breakfast in winter, especially when you have time to cook and eat slowly, without the worry of rushing out the door. A favourite in our house is always porridge or pancakes. Take your pick! There’s plenty of recipes on hand. After breakfast, settle in by the fire with a good book. Spend a long time here. This is a luxury you don’t always get to enjoy, so soak it all in. Only stop for tea breaks here and there. Is it time to eat again? Always. Lunch options are easy – cook something again or if you’re feeling a bit lazy (understandably, you’re on holidays!) head to our local café, Toast in the village for some lunch. Dine in on the back veranda or get takeaway to enjoy back at the cottage. The afternoon is spent with a quick bike ride around Panboola, the wetlands at the bottom of the village. Head home for some Tilba cheese and red wine by the fire pit, before cooking dinner and eating in front of some Netflix (also by the indoor fire).

Option four – for the food enthusiast. 

 We love food. We have both worked in hospitality for multiple years, so we also understand the literal blood, sweat and tears that’s involved in running a hospitality business. Lucky for us, there’s a bunch of people that do it right on the Sapphire Coast. Here, we list some of our favourites and also what we love to enjoy when we go! Our first point of call is coffee, of course. We always head to Switchfoot for our morning brew and sit up on the breakfast bar looking out to the village. If we’re hungry, we duck next door for a croissant or order a traditional style toastie from Switchfoot. This keeps us going for a few hours. If we’re after more of a sit down breakfast in the cooler months, we head to our local, T.O.A.S.T (I love the porridge and Harrison always leans towards the bacon and egg roll!) or Mormors in Merimbula. A good place for lunch on the Sapphire Coast during winter is My Valentina, which is a good pick for both lunch and dinner. In winter, our preference in lunch because you get to enjoy the view and it really transports you to Europe. The food here is special and you’ll want to stay for hours. Another option for a sunny day is the Oyster Barn, a short five minute drive from the cottage. Perched up right next to mangroves and the oyster nets is a big huge barn where oysters are caught, processed and prepared for you to pick up – both cooked and prepared or natural. We highly recommend a visit here, for the food appreciator and lover of seafood. Nothing quite beats eating perfectly prepared and locally caught seafood whilst soaking up the winter sun.  For dinner, burgers are always a good idea. And if you’re a lover of burgers, no one quite does it like Dulcie’s cottage. Nestle in by the fire in the old weatherboard cottage in the heart of Merimbula town, warm up with a cocktail or two, order a burger and play a game of scrabble. I’m a big fan of the fish burger and Harrison’s pick is the Dulcie’s burger. Your stomach will thank you, as will your soul.

Option five – for the explorer. 

Up for an adventure? Then head to Ben Boyd National Park roughly 20 minutes south of Eden. There you’ll find the most spectacular rock face, namely known as the Pinnacles. The Pinnacles are a spectacular geological formation in the northern section of the National Park which were formed from a layer of erosion of a hill, made from white sand and topped with red clay. The colours contrast perfectly against the green and blue tones of the park and is well worth the visit. Our tip – pack a picnic and enjoy a day in the National Park. There’s stacks of wildlife, bush walks and things to explore. On the way home, call into Eden to stock up on organic produce from Sprout or head down to the wharf and look out onto Mount Imlay. You’ll see why we love this area. Untouched.