A Weekend In Lake Conjola

Holiday Home In Lake Conjola

It’s a small town with less than 400 people in the region of Ulladulla along the South Coast of New South Wales. We could have reached it in slightly over 2 hours from Sydney but we didn’t fail to drop in on some must-see destinations along the way. We prepared for a chilly weekend of kayaking, beach bumming, picnics, birdwatching or kangaroo-watching. No fishing. Not much time nor patience, I guess.

JERVIS BAY

The first stop was the charming town of Berry. But that deserves a separate blog. So allow me to skip that and instead dwell on beach and lake destinations. The marina in Jervis Bay tells a story. Boats for hire for dolphin-watching adventures. Fishing as a gentleman’s sport. Oysters clustered around rocks. No picnic tables, but grassy grounds inviting a neatly laid-out mat and a basket of goodies. Just wish for sunny spells and clear days, and do mind the birds. If you’re not into fishing nor dolphin watching, beach walking is a great way to spend a lazy afternoon. The youngest member of the family (Latte, the dog) had a blast running around. For lunch, we had a picnic of oysters, roast chicken, shrimps, fries and chips bought from the neighborhood cafe. Still warm from the oven, we munched through lunch and slurped the oysters with glee.

HYAMS BAY

Much hype over the finest, whitest sands in the whole world. And all that hype is supported by such a record in the Guinness Book held by this small town situated on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. I used to say “sugar-fine sand”. The sand here is NOT just that. It is as fine and as white as FLOUR. Yes, flour. Latte seemed invisible in the white sands of Hyams. We were simply too happy to find this beach sans the typical tourist crowds. What a gem! Amazing how this beach has remained under the tourist radar for so long. When we got here, there were only a few couples with rolled-up pants and even fewer swimsuit-clad girls enjoying the sand and surf. I wonder how crowded this place could be in friendlier temps. With the wind blowing and this late in autumn, the sun and sand may not be inviting enough. A romantic stroll just before sunset easily comes to mind. But be sure to wrap up!

FINALLY, LAKE CONJOLA

As soon as we arrived, I strolled right down to the lip of the lake. So quiet. So tranquil. A lonely dinghy sits by the edge. The setting sun mirrored on the face of the lake. I waited. Twilight is my favorite time of day. I could hear the chirping of the birds nearby. Looking around, I envied the house by the lake edge with a sprawling yard. The owners can literally roll from the staircase towards the lake. Seriously.

The holiday home is just perfect for my family. All of 4 bedrooms and 2 baths plus a cozy living room welcoming guests to prop up their feet to watch movies on the teevee. We claimed our spots, wine glass in hand. And relaxed, while the meat was boiling to render it tender. The aroma perks up our appetite. The wind breezes through the slight opening from the kitchen window. The tender meat is ready. The noodles al dente. The chopped veggies ready to be thrown in. Purrfect……

Before long, we were feasting on hot noodle soups and roasted pork for dinner. We planned on kayaking and just beach bumming the next day. If we are lucky, maybe we’d chance upon a couple of kangaroos. We could have talked on and on, as the children never seemed to tire going up and down the double decker bed. We could have unscrewed another bottle of shiraz but it was a long day. The beds and the warm duvets are waiting to enfold us for some needed Zzzzzzzzzzzzz’s. Holiday people we were 😉

The following day, we drove to the beach area. Too cold for swimming but the more placid and nearby lake made kayaking the younger members’ main event for the day. The novelty and the joy justified having to lug around all those inflatables on the car’s racks. For sure, it was one afternoon those young ones won’t forget. Who cares if they got their butts wet on this chilly afternoon? Who gives a hoot if their arms ached from all that rowing? We watched them as they rowed to the sandbar where pelicans bigger than our family dogs and other birds rested in peace. I watched as I ate chips with sand. The cold wind pulled down the temps just as it threw sand into our bags of nachos and chips. But really, who cares? Truly, LIFE IS A BEACH! (Thank you, Rookie and Vanie for this most wonderful weekend)

Oh, btw, we got lucky. See if you can spot the 2 kangaroos in these photos.