Wind of Change (Shoalhaven Heads not Budapest)

And Tony's Pizza, I hear you enquire, my epicurean reader ... absolutely ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ delicious. Would definitely return for, more next time we are down this way.

The wicked westerly wind continued to hound us as we packed up and pointed the car north towards Shoalhaven Heads. Hence today's title. All the way back from 1990 and the Scorpions. I hope the winds change soon, the westerly is way too cold.

But first, a detour to Mt Bushwalker, to check out a potential bushwalk for the grand children. Sadly, that area of the Morton National Park is still closed, following the devastating bushfires of the last fire season. The road in was in better condition than I thought, and is tar most of the way with a few gravel sections. The evidence of the fire is everywhere and once again, I can't help but marvel at the excellent work done by the RFS when you see how close the fire came to destroying more houses. You can also judge the intensity of the fire by the tree tops. There are areas where some trees still have their upper most branches and others, where they are skeletons, covered in new growth. So, no walking here in the immediate future. Back to the highway.

Mt Bushwalker being closed, destroyed my travel timeline somewhat. We had extra time to kill, prior to our 2pm check in at Bangalay Luxury Villas. Despite having driven past the Sussex Inlet turn off multiple times in my life, I'd never actually been there. It is a place that lives large in memory ... going down to Sussex ... been to Sussex ... thinking of buying a holiday place at Sussex. Yeah, whatever. I think I destroyed a dream. I will never drive that road again ... think of holidaying at Sussex ... think of buying a weekender there, or even be remotely interested in anyone who mentions Sussex in a sentence. A cluster of houses on an inlet, Gold Coast style. I retract that, the Gold Coast has no style. Let's go Gold Coast emulation, without the services.

Similarity #9 Markets. Budapest has Nagycsarnok (Great Market) it is apparently a tourist magnet. Perhaps I will find out next year. The tourist magnet at Mollymook is the Beach Market. Our itinerary didn't coincide with this one either.

Still with time to kill. I remembered that the Two Figs Winery is on Shoalhaven Road. Wine tasting. Yes. Much more my style. We arrived to find a sign stating that all tasting must be pre-booked online. Curiously we had come across this type of signage before that wasn't always observed. So, we thought we'd take chance. There were a lot of cars in the car park. The westerly wind almost stopped us opening the car doors, but we thought we ask if they could fit us in. The good news: yes they could. The bad news: I've joined another wine club. I think I need help. That makes ... noooo ... I'm not revealing.

The view from Two Figs

Ok. So I joined another wine club. That should give you an indication as to the quality of the wine. And we spent an hour there tasting and discussing the wine. You could do worse. If you haven't been to Two Figs, it's well worth a visit. The views from the top of the hill over the Shoalhaven Valley are excellent and while they don't offer food, you can do picnic stuff, if you're so inclined. Not me.

From the winery, another membership and a case of wine in the boot, we made our way to Bangalay Villas. It is the block back from the beach at the end of the golf course. The villas are superbly appointed and front onto the golf course, either directly or through gardens. There was a welcome bottle of wine which we would have enjoyed on the verandah except for the chilling westerly. So, inside with the fire on (ok, it's gas, but it looks real).

The three course dinner was delivered to our villa. Warning: some assembly required. Not an issue. We had an entrée of octopus and Davidson plum with macadamia, followed by lamb shoulder and potato bake, with a dark chocolate and native currant mousse. Very nice. Accompanied by wines we had acquired on our trip.

The next morning we were woken early by sunshine. Oh yes! I think even Jayne appreciated it after Mollymook. To be clear, the house at Mollymook was in a great position with the most awesome ocean view, but it lacked direct sun. It was, therefore, cold, all day. By contrast, we were now warm and very comfortable.

Breakfast of sourdough, muesli, yoghurt, fresh fruit, pastries and eggs encouraged a leisurely start to the day. Eventually we gathered the energy to walk the little distance to Seven Mile Beach. Given the proximity to the mouth of the Shoalhaven River, I was circumspect about what I would find. The capriciousness of south coast weather and its beaches is well documented. That said, I have never seen so much drift wood on the one stretch of beach. I know it is because of the river mouth, but it was quite amazing. People had created structures from the wood along the beach. There were throne rooms, little cages, seats, teepees ... I would have just built a fire, but that's me. There was also evidence of the bushfires, there was a lot of burned timber and charcoal along the high tide line.

The throne

The tide was coming in and there wasn't a lot of beach to walk on if you wanted to keep your feet dry. So we walked down to the mouth of the river and then back to the surf club and a little way beyond, before heading for the sunlit verandah. 

There were very few people braving the water. It didn't look particularly attractive. There has been rain recently and the colour of the surf was more reflective of run off than the blue sky. We watched one surfer battle his way to the only decent break as he was swept southward toward the river mouth. We're not sure if he made it, the swell was reasonably large and the colour made it difficult to pick him out. They are a breed a part, surfers. You couldn't have paid me to go out there. At least he wasn't on his own, there was already one brave boardie out there. The other side of the surf club, a long boarder headed out for a couple of attempts at riding the swell. He was gone by the time we were heading for home.

Given the recent storms the beach probably wasn't shown at its best, there was a very small strip of sand most of which was covered with drift wood, well, drift logs and trees. It was unusual, there was very little rubbish on the high tide line - aside from the wood.

Back at the villa, we decided it would be a last day of rest and relaxation before we returned home. So it was an afternoon on the sun-soaked verandah, listening to the sounds of the golfers, sipping champagne, reading and chatting. Sometimes holidays aren't about being on the go.

Dinner was delivered to our villa. Spanner crab and apple for entrée. Fresh and tasty. Followed up by beef brisket and a dessert I can't remember. It all sounded good but I wouldn't rave about it. Despite that, we would definitely return, it is a very well appointed unit in a spot that encourages relaxation. I might even dust off the golf clubs after 8 years and have a hit.

And that's about it for this break. We are about to hit the road and return to the city. Time for one last similarity between Mollymook and Budapest.

Similarity #10 Budapest has the Tip Top Bar, a roof top bar with great views. Mollymook has a roof top bar at Bannister's Pavillon. Once again, I haven't tried either. The TripAdvisor reviews for both are pretty solid.

Until next time ... assuming there is a next time in a Covid world.

All The Good Girls Go To Hell (Mollymook not Budapest)

Hello dear reader. Yes, it's been a couple of days since my fingers danced lightly across the keys. I don't mean to neglect you, it's just, well, there's only so much to report about beach walking and waves and sipping champagne on the balcony at sunset.

Saturday morning I opened the blinds to see two Southern Right Whales, mother and calf, moving languidly through the water, heading north, just off the shore of Mollymook Beach. They drew quite a crowd and were in no hurry, the mother rolling over in the water and the calf swimming quietly around her. The pictures are not what I had hoped, but for the millennials out there, proof is in the picture, not in the pudding.

Quite the spectacular sight really. Graceful. Beautiful. They reached the northern end of the beach and then headed out toward the open water to continue their journey north.

While it is pretty obvious we still haven't worked out climate change and its causes, I would have thought that we understood plastic and the problems it poses in the ocean. Yeah. Nah. Our daily walks along the beach have been quite pleasant, if strenuous at times due to the limited stretch of sand we had to walk on (climate change). A storm before we arrived unbedded a lot of kelp which has washed up in the shore break and drifts up and down the beach in diminishing proportions as it gets washed up above the high tide mark. The other morning our walk did not coincide with a low tide and we walked, at times, through berms of kelp. This continual denial of climate change and the impact we have on the environment is an absolute disgrace. 

Returning to my childhood days, I scoured the shore line and drying seaweed for anything interesting. The result? I spent a lot of time rescuing sea urchins, large and small, and returning them to the water away from the washes of kelp that threw them back onto the shore only to become food for seagulls. There was the usual array of detritus, shells, drift wood, left thongs (it's always the left thong - why?) and so on. Above and beyond everything else, coming second only to the kelp in weight, was plastic. Cups, lids, containers, bottles, toys, bags, seals ... if it was made of plastic it was there. But if the plastics industry provides jobs, then that's ok yeah? Ultimately there won't be a need for jobs when we don't have a planet because we have destroyed the ecosystems that have sustained us for so long. 

And that little rant brings us to today's song, All The Good Girls Go To Hell by Billie Eilish (2019). Have a listen.

Similarity #7: Music. Budapest has contributed significantly to the Classical Music scene where Franz Liszt established an Academy of Music. Music in Mollymook is representative of a wider, less classical genre, colloquially known a 'bogan shit'. It can be heard blaring form the cars that do continual laps of our street as they drive down to 'check out the waves'. I can save them the bother - small waves, shore break.

After the excitement of whale watching, I decided I needed to feed my coffee withdrawal. I've had one cup since we've been away. Straight to Dr Google to find the best establishments of nearby Ulladulla and to purchase some supplies. The number 1 café recommendation had tables on the verandah in the sun over looking the boat harbour. That would have been awesome, except for the 30kmph westerly that was trying to move the patrons and the furniture closer to the boats. 

We opted for Woolies instead and were asked about our face masks by a local. I explained that they could be purchased on the South Sydney website, "Oh, we can't do that!" came the reply and she walked off to join her husband in bunnies supporter's jacket and scarf. I couldn't survive without the internet.

On leaving Woolies we came across the second best rated café in town. I was a bit suspect because it was a 'chain' establishment. Nonetheless, nothing ventured as they say. We ordered 2 long blacks and some sweet treats. Both were disappointing. This chain seems to have succumbed to the American coffee concept (God knows why; Americans can't make decent coffee) and upsized our cup size automatically watering down the coffee. Sigh. The sweet treats were, well, sweet, even the lemon tart. The only bitter thing here was me. Anyway, back to the gale force wind and home to the shelter of our living room to watch the waves roll in and think about when we will open the champagne. The beach walk has been postponed.

Similarity #8: Food. Budapest has Trattoria Toscana that offers pizza with river views. Mollymook has Tony's Pizza (since 1970) that offers take-away or delivery so that we can eat our pizza with ocean views. The review of the food will be in the next post.

As the afternoon wore down the wind showed no sign of abating so I decided I needed to do a lap of the beach to balance tonight's pizza and wine. I left Jayne rugged up battling with the final pages of A Little Life.  If you ever feel life isn't going well for you this tome will provide loads of perspective. It was low tide when I hit the beach which made the walk easier as the sand was firmer but the wind detracted from the experience.

Back again inside an hour it was time to go and pick up our pizza. Now cars doing laps of our street is obviously a thing here. In fact random people turning up and sitting in their cars for 5, 10, 15 minutes is a thing. Some even love to share their music (see Similarity #7). But tonight ... there was a car parked across the road, as in perpendicular to the gutter, blocking half the roadway. Why? Well, the, ah, gentleman who had been driving was taking photos of said car. A special you car you ask? No. I think the owner may have been special. It was a Honda Accord circa 2004.

And with that it's time to say goodbye. Sunday is a transit day, we are heading to Shoalhaven Heads.

Until next time ...

Imagine (Mollymook not Budapest)

Disclaimer: I apologise for the lack of symmetry in the photos. I am struggling with the new shit blogger format that has forced on me.

Another perfect day in paradise. Again, I woke early enough for a bike ride but stayed in bed. This is most unlike me, but the room is just so cold it's easier to roll over. The bed room is in the back of the house and gets very little actual sunshine. I actually believe it would be warmer outside. And that, dear reader, is probably the only drawback of our accommodation. If lounging in bed rather than exercising can be considered a draw back.

The wind that arrived yesterday is still with us, but it removed the cloud to once again reveal a placid blue ocean and a picture perfect view from the verandah. There is not a lot on the agenda today, but I'm sure it will take the whole day to complete it.

As has become the routine, we lingered over breakfast. Nothing flash just tea and toast, as they say in the classics. Eventually, we roused ourselves to walk the beach to the Golf Club. The tide wasn't kind to us and hadn't retreated very far, leaving us restricted to sloping soft sand, struggling into a brisk westerly (Jayne, not so much Brad). After a brief respite at the southern end of the beach, I suggested we should walk back via the path. Jayne was most appreciative of the easier route home.

Today is St Stephen's Day, a public holiday in Budapest, where the Basilica of St Stephen is a major attraction. That got me thinking about similarities ... Similarity #5 Places of Worship. Budapest has the Basilica of St Stephen and the Great Synagogue. In my wandering over the Mollymook area I have not seen any churches, so, to Google I went.  Typing in "Places of worship Mollymook" resulted in one result. Mollymook Golf Club. No dear reader, I kid you not, nor will not enter into the obvious debate, I completely recognise that golfers view their game as a religion. Given I'm not sure religion has done a whole lot for humanity, where does that leave golf?

A quick rinsing of sand from our feet and a change of clothes and it was time to explore Cupitt Estate. They are a winery, restaurant and fromargerie. What a trifecta. The food was heavenly. Pictures below. Yes, dear reader I did remember. Well, Jayne remembered, but I took the photos.

Cupitt is a little out of Mollymook on a west facing hillside with stunning views of the mountains. The Castle and Pigeon House Mountain watched as we enjoyed the fare. The food was accompanied by a carafé of their own Fiano. A most excellent wine, spice and honey with a long finish. The wait staff were all lovely and the restaurant would have been close to capacity, but service was not impeded. It would be the perfect place to have a long, lazy lunch. Provided you weren't driving.

Similarity #6: Wine. According to Lonely Planet, Hungarian wine dates back to Roman times. I hope it has been stored well. Similarly, Mollymook (OK Ulladulla) has Cupitt's Estate Winery dating way back to 2007, not quite the Roman Era. It was, briefly, a happier time, the first Rudd Era.

Post lunch, we adjourned to the cellar to taste some more wine. This was somewhat a relief because there was a larger party in the restaurant who were obviously imbibing their way through the current pandemic and two of the party dominated the entire room; he with his loud guffaws and she with her high pitched cackle. It was a pity they found so much to laugh about. Some patrons actually requested a move to another area.

A quick trip into Ulladulla for supplies saw us home, sitting, staring at the big blue pond and reading our books. Unlike our regular holidays, this is about relaxing.

As the sun sets behind us ...

Well, dear reader, you've made it to the end of this post and I'm sure you're wondering about the title. Yeah, me too. It's a favourite song of mine and it'll have you humming all day. If it doesn't, you're too young and need to talk to your parents. Budapest could never imagine it, but Mollymook, without a church certainly could imagine John Lennon's world. As an aside, no, I'm still not over his death.

Imagine there's no heaven ...

Wednesday (Mollymook not Budapest)

 And Jayne's special day began perfectly. By the time we had managed to crawl out from the under the cosy warmth of the blankets and fend off family and friends wishing her a happy birthday, a pod of dolphins did a swim past. Another picture perfect start to the day. Blue skies, minimal cloud, the sound of the waves, people meandering up and down the beach, a couple blokes feeding fish - well attempting to catch fish.

You may gather from the opening paragraph, my understanding reader, that I did not go riding again this morning. I was awake in time, but the morning temperature, at least indoors, keeps me snug under the blanket. Maybe tomorrow ...

Similarity #3: Budapest has The Castle District, the Mollymook District has The Castle. Both areas are ancient, although Budapest's is far more populated, is a major tourist attraction and has historic buildings everywhere. Despite this, there is no substitute for The Castle. I have climbed it more times than I remember. It is a very special area. Last year, after many attempts, I managed to co-ordinate times with David and a few friends and we brought Glenn's ashes to the summit so that he could watch over Mollymook and Narrawallee forever. I'd like to acknowledge Nick's excellent drone work and photography for the accompanying photo.

Similarity #4: Given the river theme, both Budapest and Mollymook have a bridge - well, more than one in the case of Budapest. However, it is another similarity.

Look closely, there's a bridge

After breakfast we went for a leisurely walk to the end of the beach around the point from the Golf Club. The weather had closed in a little on the way south, but it was meant to be a passing shower and I was confident we would avoid it. And avoid it we did, dear reader. By the time we reached the club house area the sun was shining so we "totally paused" and rested on a rock, watching the waves. 

We could see the cloud building up again on the escarpment, but the next rain event wasn't due until 2pm. It's only a 30 minute walk back to the house, so we'll make it in plenty of time. Ah, no. The further we walked the darker it became and then there was a slight shift in wind direction to the south. Not a good sign, but we were almost there. Not so another a group on the beach that was walking toward us. Jayne asked if we were walking to the ramp at the end of the beach or the closer stairs. Stairs was the response, as the rain came down a little more strongly.

Back in the comfort of the living room, after rinsing the sand from our feet, I turned my attention to the group heading south. They weren't even half-way. It was a school group who had become some sort of dark amorphous mass, moving along the sand, under a darkening sky, in the now heavier rain. Very reminiscent of Lord of the Flies (a must read if you haven't so done). The rain didn't last - by the time we were warming ourselves with a cup of tea, it had blown out to sea. 

Who'd be a teacher?

After a few minutes to recover our strength we set out for Bannisters to check walking time and route. The pedestrian stair access from Beach Road to Mitchell Parade was recommended, tried and rejected. It was steep, wet and slippery and undoubtedly at night, not lit. It would have been easier to scale the Matterhorn, but we're not allowed into Europe. We shall take the longer walk, all of 5 minutes, via the road.

Then, it was, as one would expect dear reader, time for a lunch of sorts. Not quite how it was imagined in the 1997 Leonardo's Bride song Wednesday, it was comté, truffle brie and champagne. Close. We sat on the verandah and watched Pam Burridge's Surf School teach people how to surf. The sun had returned, the rain had gone, although the breeze was now tending southerly and making things a little chilly. The arrival of afternoon rain clouds eventually sent us inside for warmth to while away the afternoon reading, and watching the ocean.

And then to Rick Stein's. The wind had picked as forecast, but it wasn't so cold as to be unpleasant. We dawdled the 15 minute uphill walk, arrived, sanitised (now there's an expression born in the '20s) and were shown to our table. A patron of this fine establishment tested positive to Covid a couple of weeks back but there was no evidence of it tonight, save for the black masks worn by all wait staff. The restaurant itself is in beach inspired colours, as one would assume, blues and whites and the occasional splash of yellow. There were a couple of John Olsen paintings, I assume prints, on the walls. The menu was not expansive, which I think is a good thing, with an interesting wine list, predominantly Australian.

Hervey Bay scallops

Now since stepping back from the pressure of the workplace, my mind has relaxed to the new life style and I don't always remember things. Like taking photos of the food. Sorry Michael. I did remember to do one dish, after I had begun eating. For entrée  I had Scallops with Hazelnut Crumb and Coriander Butter and Jayne had Fish and Shellfish Soup with Rouille, Parmesan and Croûtons. For the main I had Grenadier in a northern  Indian curry and Jayne the Bannister's Fish Pie. All of that was washed down with a lovely Grüner from Nick Spencer's Wines of Tumbarumba. Curiously, as I was sending the ice bucket away - Australians drink their wine far too cold - the people at a nearby table were requesting a bucket of ice and proceeded to spoon the ice into their already over-chilled wine. Philistines.

The fish was perfectly cooked and very tasty, but I am somewhat of purist in this regard and I can hear my grandfather asking why I destroyed the taste of the fish with all that sauce. The curry was mild, so it didn't kill the taste, but it's not something I would cook at home. Speaking of which, Jayne prefers my fish pie. No, that's not a budgie dear reader, that's me puffing out my chest. Dinner? Oh, you want me to cook for you? You'll have to make a reservation for when we return.

Eschewing dessert with full stomachs, we traipsed our way back down the headland, to our house by the beach.

Until next time ...

The Lighthouse Song (not in Europe)

Are you surprised dear reader that I have escaped the confines of the city and am once again on vacation? Had the world not gone crazy, I would be tapping the keys from Budapest, awaiting the commencement of our river cruise to Amsterdam. It is a special year. Jayne turns a nice round number ending in zero and we were going to celebrate in style. However, Covid, which appears to be the answer to most questions these days, has intervened and we are restricted to NSW and the ACT. And who holidays in the ACT? No-one.

So we find ourselves in Mollymook and, so far, the locals have all been lovely. We have experienced none of the reported angst that other Sydney-siders experienced being turned away from restaurants and the like, in other parts of the state. Mollymook was not our first choice of destination, I was aiming for something further north and warmer. And then Queensland closed the border. Research switched back to NSW and I came across Pa's Beach House. Pa was how we referred to dad, so it was the obvious choice. I am sitting at the table in the living room looking down the beach to the Mollymook Golf Club. The sun is shining, there are no clouds, the waves are rolling in, there are a couple of steamer clad surfers eking out the occasional wave and the crash of the surf is soothing somehow. I could watch wave patterns all day. And dolphins - although there are none today, they were plentiful yesterday.

Pa's Beach House

The title today is from Josh Pyke's 2008 album Chimney's Afire. We have a clear view to the lighthouse at Ulladulla and I am anticipating a ride over there one morning before we leave. Just a tad concerned about the hills - I'm not getting any younger.

There probably won't be a lot to report this trip and posts may be sporadic, but I will be exploring the similarities between Mollymook and Budapest. Don't scoff my sceptical reader, you may, nay, you will be

Mollymook River(ish)

surprised. I will sprinkle the similarities throughout the various posts. Similarity #1: Mollymook and Budapest have the same number of syllables. Similarity #2: Mollymook and Budapest both have a river. OK, it's Mollymook Creek but it is still water.

Today is our first full day after an uneventful drive down here. We decided not to hire a car but to shoe-horn everything into the MX5. That was until we had packed and then it was a hasty trip to Avis to secure a Kona. I thought that was slang for someone who did too much marijuana. Apparently it is a compact SUV, just large enough to take our bags and supplies and my bike.

Last evening we opted for a take-away dinner from the Mollymook Beach Hut. It was highly recommended on Trip Advisor. Clearly by people who do not understand fish and chips. The service was fine, the people were lovely and the chips passed muster. However, the fish was dominated by the oil and overcooked. Not going back.

After the usual lazy beginning to the day, I went in search of tea bags and discovered a take-away coffee shop on the way. Caffeine hit in both hands I returned to the Beach House for coffee, toast, crossword and newspaper. Not an unusual way for me to commence the day, except for the stunning view of the beach. Recharged after the night, we set off down the beach to the Mollymook Golf Club to ascertain dress regulations, as we are lunching there today.

It is about a 30 minute walk from our end of the beach to the Golf Club. The tide was going out and there were a few surfers riding the small swell and a similar number of people walking the beach and the odd fisherman who appeared to be feeding fish, not catching them. The sun, salt spray and rhythm of the breakers ... who couldn't be relaxed. Golf Club reached, T-shirts are OK, we turned for home, to burn the intervening time before the walk back to the club for lunch. A young couple passed us jogging down the beach. On their return trip they stopped at a point in the sand dune where upon she piggy-backed him up to the top of the dune. No easy feat. Some sort of fitness fanatic mating ritual? I'm not sure we would have seen that in Budapest.

Looking south to the Golf Club

Mollymook Golf Club has come a long way since we visited sometime in the mid '80s. The views are superb looking  north up the beach to our house. Ceiling to floor glass everywhere to make the most of the vista. They have a reasonable wine list and the menu (which offers take-away) is well crafted pub fare. A significant yard stick of quality, for me, has always been the Fisherman's Basket and I'm more often disappointed than I am pleased with what arrives on the table. Not today. The flathead was perfectly cooked, the coconut crusted prawns were a delight, the Thai-style fish cake was a genuine tasty surprise and the chips had a little spice on them too. The corn crusted calamari was the only miss on the plate. All enjoyed with a very reasonably priced bottle of Pinot Gris.

We whiled the afternoon away by watching two people with some sort of implement taking measurements, every 5 metres or so, from knee depth in the water to the high tide mark. They had worked their way about 150m down the beach by the time we left. Our assumption is that they were measuring sand erosion after the recent storms.

Anyway, it was back to the verandah/balcony to sip champagne and watch the shadows lengthen. Supporting the local (and international) economy is never easy.

Until next time ...