A Week at Merimbula

I spent last week at Merimbula. We left on the Sunday in two cars, Lib and Rob in the Hyundai and Gord and I in my van. We stayed that night at the Lakes Entrance house and next day crammed into the i30 wagon, dog Pip on the back seat between the boys and our bags and 'stuff' in the the rear cargo hold and in a bubble on the roof. I left my van at the Lakes house after we mowed the grass and got away before lunch which was had on the way, delicious it was too, lamb, from a joint we had the previous night, in rolls with salad.

We'd booked at Beach Cabins, a pet friendly park, and arrived about 4.30pm. Merimbula is in NSW for readers in foreign lands and those Australians who don't know, between two larger towns Eden and Bega, and is about half way between Melbourne and Sydney on the coastal route. The management offered us an upgrade to a 3 bedroom cabin which had become available and we grabbed it.

We had 5 relaxed full days exploring Merimbula, Bega and Eden and the various beaches and attractions. By day 3 Lib announced she had found the place she wants to live in her retirement in the not too distant future. I can understand this. The beaches are great and numerous and the general feeling of the area is one of relaxed contentment. The locals are happy and friendly and I could not but be impressed by the engaging staff in the shops, the young people in particular smiled a lot and engaged in conversation readily and were helpful.

I walked early down to the point each morning and on day 2 saw two whales. Three times I saw them spout and break the water a number times as they headed south, before giving a flick of their massive tail fin and disappearing, to come up up minutes later further along. I had a good pair of binos so I had a good look at them. Humpbacks.

After they stopped appearing I walked along the rocks watching birds flit about in the trees and shrubbery at the base of the cliffs. At one point I leaned with my back against a large rock for comfort and waited patiently for a group of small birds to sit still for long enough in my view so that I could get a good sight with the binos. I could hear them busily talking to each other most of the time and would see movement but they'd move on before I could get a good look. Just when I was about to give up one appeared quite close on a small dead branch. It had what looked like a moth in its beak and was quickly joined by two others. These new two must have been fully grown juveniles as the first bird presented the moth to one then the other, each in turn taking some of the moth from the parent. It was wonderful to see and kept them in the one place sufficient for me to have a good sight. I think the were thornbills, perhaps striated, they had streaks on their breasts and were light brown, pale underneath.

So from whale watching to catching good view of small birds, I considered myself privileged. Another day I saw dolphins. Another day while walking with the boys on the scenic walk we stopped to watch a bloke casting a lure repeatedly in the shallow river below, curious to see if he caught something. A bird flew out of the bank a few feet below where we stood on the track. The another.
These little birds darted about in the tree above us for a while the one returned to a twig about 8 feet in front of us and about five feet above the ground. It stayed there for a good minute or so, with an insect in its mouth. It was a spotted pardalote, and continued to eye us off until it flew done into a hole in the ground close to our feet. Another did much the same and flew into a different hole. Robbie got a good photo of it with his smart phone, but he and Lib are still away at Lakes, while Gord and I came back yesterday (Sunday)to get back to work. I will put up the photo when he sends it to me, if he still has it when they come home.

So we had a great holiday, dampened only by the fact that Lib got booked by the cops for speeding enroute Merimbula to Lakes E, a $180 fine plus he got her for not wearing her glasses, $140, which is a condition of her licence. She was fuming. I was having a little kip while Lib drove so as to keep myself fresh for the afternoon drive home.