A Week at Mollymook, NSW
We’re on another of our week holiday breaks. This time we’ve gone to Mollymook located on the south coast of NSW. Interestingly, we started our first holiday for 2020 on a “palindromic date” being 02022020. The significance of such an occurrence has been “owned” by many over time with each annotating his/her meaning accordingly but the meaning I liked best is “whatever you’ve done in the past, you must now repeat in reverse” 😊
(Footnote: little did we know or anticipate the catastrophic pandemic COVID-19 event which upended everyone everywhere…. the consequences of which have and will reverberate worldwide for many years….)
Bannisters by the Sea
Arriving at Mollymook 3.5 hours from home, we are surprised at the place. My expectation was of a sleepy little old town and hadn’t given a thought to the fact the last time we were here was in December 2001 when we stayed for a weekend at Mollymook Shores Motel for our 28th anniversary!
Needless to say, it has changed dramatically!
Our suite at Bannisters by the Sea is a spacious and expansive Terrace Suite and it’s on the upper floor with 180-degree views of the ocean.
One part of the view is unobstructed to the ocean whilst with the remainder, the ocean is visible through the sparse yet green bushland.
The drive to Mollymook was a pleasant and relaxed one. We stopped at Kiama for a light lunch. As we pushed on past Nowra, we began to see the results of the recently devastating bushfires. Quite distressing at the incineration of land and the lives this must have affected not forgetting the lives tragically lost.
According to emerging statistics, the South Coast bushfires over the 2019-20 summer had burnt continuously for 74 days, destroyed 312 homes along with hundreds of out-buildings, damaged another 173 homes, burnt nearly 500K hectares of land/bush/forest with, sadly, 7 people losing their lives, thousands more have been displaced and hundreds of millions of animals, birds and insects killed.
Bannister’s Rooftop Restaurant
Dinner on our first evening was at Bannister’s Rooftop Restaurant located at Bannisters Pavilion: yes, there are two Bannister hotels in Mollymook. I had a steak and it was simply delicious. It’s rare for me eat meat for the evening meal but this steak was looked delicious and was exquisitely cooked. The restaurant was well patronised. The layout was split level and the atmosphere was relaxing. Shaun Johnson, the NZ RL International and current halfback for Cronulla Sharks (our youngest grandson’s favorite team) was on a table on a level adjacent to us. Naturally I made eye contact and we acknowledged each other😊.
Told grandson Jacob about this and of course he knew everything about Johnson!!…. No surprise really😊.
History of Mollymook
Mollymook is considered part of the Milton-Ulladulla District. There are two versions of where the name “Mollymook” was derived from. Firstly, from “mollymawk” which is the name given by early sailors who domiciled in the area to the small species of albatross and secondly, from “Molly Moke” being the name of the property first establish by the Mitchell Family in 1859…. one takes one’s pick. Interestingly, the site the Bannister hotel occupies was a silica crushing plant for many years in the early 1900s. Silica was used in the making of bricks.
Over the years, the town transformed itself across a number of industries including brick-making, fishing and quarrying and in due course converted into an upmarket and gentrified retiree area and resorts for many a holidaymaker.
History of Milton
One of our days during this week was spent in Milton township. We window shopped, talked to many shopping assistants and generally explored both sides of this well-preserved Australiana town.
Naturally, we spent some time in a local Art Gallery😊 and talked at length with the owner (Beulah) of the gallery. She hails from South Africa by way of China.
Miraculously, Milton is one of the those towns which was spared the recent horrible bushfires.
Sadly, most of the ravaged bushfire towns have been bereft of tourists and holidaymakers over the past 2 months: generally tourism’s busiest period of the year.
Milton came into existence in 1859 when John Booth bought 80 acres and subdivided the lot into the township of Milton.
It is “romanticised” that the town’s first Postmaster, George Knight collaborated with Mr Booth to name the town Milton after Mr Knight saw a copy of English poet John Milton’s “Paradise Lost” in Mr Booth’s library.
The township and surrounding area became known for its magnificent homesteads, some of which are still standing.
Today, Milton is renowned for the way it has historically preserved so many of the original buildings, trendy boutiques, cafes & eateries and accordingly attracts many tourists (when not surrounded by bushfires!)
History of Ulladulla
As for Ulladulla, the Milton Ulladulla Historical Society historical records state that Captain Cook saw aborigines on the Shoalhaven beaches in 1770 when he was sailing north. The description recorded of the “transit” is quite detailed.
The name Ulladulla is the aboriginal word for “safe haven”. The area around the town was first established in 1824 by Rev Thomas Kendall who started cutting/milling cedar trees. Historically, the township of Ulladulla was an important port for the local timber and dairy industry.
Today, the harbour is home to a sizeable fleet of commercial fishing trawlers but this industry is fast being overtaken by tourism and accordingly, the town is quickly developing its environs to meet the fast-tracking visitor industry.
Rick Stein Restaurant
One of the dinners we had during our week’s stay in Mollymook was in the Rick Stein Restaurant. We have been followers of Stein’s Foodie Shows for quite a while and so our expectations were at almost fever pitch. Unfortunately, we were considerably let done with most of the experience. Whilst the staff rendered very good service and were completely cheerful, attentive and courteous, the same could not be said for the remaining components of dinner. The menu was sadly limited. I expected a much better selection of seafood. Only had snapper available and I don’t really like this fish. Might I add that all dishes were hugely overpriced. Suffice to say that our much-awaited experience was totally underwhelming and left us bitterly disappointed☹. Anyway, we made the best of it.
Power walks around Mollymook
We power walked every morning either around Mollymook or around the district.
One such walk was from our hotel (Bannisters) to Narrawallee Beach. The track wound along some cliffs with magnificent views. On one cliff we had a sensational spectacle of the seas gently lapping against the boulders below and on turning 180 degrees and looking inland, we were confronted with the remains of the recently devastating bushfires in the Shoalhaven Shire. What a contrast this land we call Australia is!!!
This beach was easy to walk on so a favourite of Nanna’s 😊. At one end, it was “challenging” with its numerous rocky areas whilst at the other end the sand was compact and flat.
Another power walk we did was to Mollymook Beach (a gentler walk than Narrawallee).
This walk was in combination with exploring two of the tracks around the hotel. The hotel stands on a small cliff. As such, it has a couple of tracks that lead to the water’s edge. One of the tracks took us to a little cove whose shoreline is wonderfully reminiscent of Dwejra Gozo (minus the trees😊) in that it had lots of pebbles about, the odd coral washed ashore and the occasional craggy rocky outcrop….
We sat for a while. We listened to the sound of the water and enjoyed the rhythm of the warm gentle waves lapping our feet. Who would want to pay for a spa when you can indulge yourself in a natural way?
Carlo’s Italian Ristorante & Bar
Another dinner we enjoyed one evening was our time at Carlo’s Italian Ristorante & Bar in Ulladulla.
We treated ourselves to a seafood feast which included mussels in Neapolitan sauce (with extra garlic), garlic prawns and BBQ’d John Dory fillets, all of which were outstanding.
Needless to say, a chardonnay from local winery Cupitts Estate was just the right wine for this seafood extravaganza😊. Our table was inside but next to a window. Our waiter was attentive, knowledgeable, accommodating and I suspect a family member of the restaurant’s owner.
It was a wonderful evening and we would certainly recommend this restaurant.
Huskisson Hotel, Huskisson
On one of the days during this week’s holiday our son had business to attend to at Bomaderry (near Huskisson) so he arranged to meet us for lunch. He surprised us by bringing our eldest grandson with him (grandson was equally and happily surprised😊).
Huskisson is about 45 minutes away from Mollymook. We had a lovely lunch at Huskisson Hotel. We spent a couple of hours chatting away, having fun and enjoying each other’s company. Priceless memory.
Huskisson is the heart of Jervis Bay which itself is Commonwealth Marine Park. Technically, Jervis Bay is part of the ACT!! This is because when the ACT territory was originally allocated, Jervis Bay was to be the Canberra Harbour!!
On the way back to Mollymook, we took our time getting back to our hotel and in so doing, acquainted ourselves (though only slightly I’m sure) with the damage the recently destructive bushfires in this area brought onto the communities in Shoalhaven.
The odour of burnt timber is still very much in the air despite the last of the fires having been extinguished a couple of weeks ago.
The scope of the fires is immense with swathes of bushland and forests many kms in length and width and on both sides of the highway giving us an idea of the enormity of the devastation. The Black Summer of 2019-20 has impacted on more than 2,000 properties in the region.
The flames must have had a mind of their own as some houses were spared (though surrounded by scorched earth) while others were not spared.
It is very difficult to image the terror the locals must have experienced as their very lives were in peril and at helplessly witnessing their belongings gathered over a lifetime and to some, their livelihoods, going up in smoke. I imagine it must have been an altogether gut-wrenching spectacle and our hearts go out to these very hardy Australians.
What is wondrous though is that with the ravage being only a couple of weeks old, mother nature has already began to nurture “green shoots” and so the cycle restarts….
Fossil House, Ulladulla
On another day during our Mollymook stay we visited the Fossil House in Ulladulla. It also happens to be the oldest house in the district (built in 1850). The small house is actually a small 3-room “museum” with an outstanding collection of fossils sourced locally, interstate and overseas (a lot from Morocco).
Reading through all the descriptions both of us found them very informative and educating. Many of the exhibits pertained to the evolution of the Australian land mass which was formerly known as Gondwanaland (an interesting tidbit: my first share market purchase back in 1988 was 1,000 shares in an exploration company called Gondwana Gold…. and yes, I made a little profit).
I never knew that Australia was part of a “super continent” that existed 550 million years ago and that around 185 million years ago Australia separated from this continent and drifted away.
In fact, the Australian land mass (the plate) is still drifting north today at the rate of 6 cm annually! (Lookout China…we’re coming to get you😊).
Interestingly, the oldest fossils in the world are from the Pilbara Region in Western Australia!…. is it any wonder then then that the vast Pilbara Region is the world’s largest reservoir of iron ore.
By the way, Fossil House itself was built from local wood and has been well restored and lovingly maintained.
Our week’s stay in Mollymook was very relaxing. We enjoyed exploring many new places in the district including wineries, shopping, dining and immersing ourselves in history. Local citizens (typical of regional Australia) were always quick with a “hello” and a “smile”. Nanna found time to befriend some of the local fauna (yes, she fed lorikeets, magpies and other birds who ventured onto the balcony rails). On other days, we took advantage of the hotel’s pool and bar and generally appreciated the slower pace.
