On the road again….
A group of sixteen Connect: Inner West clients and staff headed off to the Shoalhaven region last weekend for a fun-filled weekend adventure.
We were once again blessed with sunshine and lovely temperatures for the majority of the weekend which is a lovely change from the rain and cold which has been plaguing us of late.
Friday
Did someone say wine??
We made our way down the coast taking all the scenic routes, past the hang gliders on Bald Hill, following Sir Lawrence Hargreaves Drive over the Seacliff Bridge, driving by Lake Illawarra and onto Gerringong for our first pit stop.
With bellies full we made our way to Coolongatta Estate. We were greeted there by the lovely Bruno, and copious amounts of cheese – which was soon washed down with a selection of delicious wines while Bruno offered up information about the Estate, and wine growing in the region.
Bruno was also kind enough to give us a quick tour of the grounds and a history lesson. A couple of people weren’t listening intently enough and eventually paid the price! If anything – perhaps the punishment wasn’t harsh enough!
Following the wine and tour, we headed off for our Hotel, and freshened up for dinner at the Butter Factory. Though now a restaurant, from as early as 1889 this beautiful old building was Shoalhaven’s first (and at that time largest) butter factory.
After dinner we called it a day and went back to the motel to get some much needed rest. Saturday promised to be a big day!
Saturday
With a busy day ahead, we kicked things off with a hearty breakfast at the Deli on Kinghorne. The staff there looked after us wonderfully and presented us with some of the biggest and most delicious breakfasts Nowra has to offer.
Bellies stretched to capacity, we hit the road to take in some of the historic highlights of Nowra before heading to Huskisson for a Dophin Cruise. Sunscreen and cameras at the ready, we boarded the boat with high hopes of seeing dolphins. We were not disappointed! While some of the dolphins were a bit shy, we did get to see quite a few, and enjoyed the 90 minutes cruising the waters taking in the fresh sea breeze.
Post cruise we were provided with fish and chips by the water at the Portside Cafe in Huskisson before some free time cruising the shops. Its rumoured that a couple of brave souls may have even taken a quick dip in the ocean!
Next we visited the Jervis Bay Maritime museum, and stayed for the twighlight markets held there, conveniently at the time we were visiting.
People and purchases loaded into the bus, we headed home to get changed for dinner.
We were pleasantly surprised by The Growers. Boasting itself as “where coast meets country’, it offered a beautiful menu, complete with cocktails, and equally as beautiful surrounds. A really lovey way to finish the day.
Sunday
After packing up and enjoying another delicious breakfast at the Deli on Kinghorne, we headed to Merribee. These gardens, despite hitting challenging times with floods, were declared some of the most stunning many of the group had ever visited. There was much awe among us as we hypothesised about just how much work would go into keeping the grounds so beautifully maintained. It was unanimous that it was more than any of us could handle!
We finished our weekend away off, by stopping off on the way home at the Berry Christmas market. Not deterred by the heat, our intrepid travellers sought out their wares and after a lengthy shop we hopped back in the bus and headed home, finishing our jam packed weekend on the Shoalhaven.
Join us next time.
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