Documenting roadtrip adventures and foodie outings. See more at monsadventure.com!
Published September 17th 2017
Whether you live in Sydney or Melbourne, the Sapphire Coast is the perfect road trip destination for a long weekend. Kick back, relax and explore the wonders of this unique coast.
The best way to appreciate the surrounding scenery is to camp. Merimbula Lake Holiday Park is just by Merimbula Lake and you can take a morning or evening stroll to explore.
Cook in the camp kitchen and meet other travellers, play cards and enjoy the outdoors. Some people we met had even brought their kayak out to the lake at night and saw some of the water illuminated by the bioluminescent wonders beneath the surface.
The Sapphire Coast's economy is largely built on oyster farming. Australia is lucky to have access to a variety of delicious oysters but there is something about the Sydney Rock Oyster that is so plump and delicious.
I won't give too much away in case you decide to go on the tour but let's just say there is so much more to oyster farming than we thought. Enjoy the views of the Pambula Lake and see the oyster farms first hand whilst Captain Sponge answers all your questions.
I wasn't too sure whether to include Brogo Dam but I was extremely glad I did. The service is simply run by Dave, who is open to what time to meet you. Payment is cash on the day and you can contact him closer to the date to make sure the weather is looking okay. It's a scenic drive from Merimbula, winding through the green, hilly valleys of New South Wales. Victoria just doesn't seem quite the same.
After some hills and gravel roads, you'll reach the carpark to Brogo Dam and boy is it beautiful. If the sun was out it probably would have been more magnificent yet even under the grey clouds, the serenity was there.
Canoeing on the dam is so peaceful. We saw a few other canoers as well as a family playing on the bank of the other side. There are even one or two places that you could stop and have a picnic. We even saw a couple bring their dog on their canoe! I would definitely recommend this if you want to wind down in a scenic and serene place. It reminded me of the vast woods you see in American films - for only $25 per person for four hours, it's definitely worth your time.
It's not huge but there is enough to spend an hour or more perusing the stalls. There's food, coffee, handmade items and second-hand items. I was won over by this pendant made from recycled hardwood and so were many other people by the looks of it.
A visit to Merimbula seems incomplete without a stroll on their iconic boardwalk. After canoeing we managed to just squeeze it in at sunset, providing some unique and colourful views.
Unexpectedly we also saw something else. We often see tiny little crab holes in the sand at the many beaches that we visit. It just happened that there were some of these tiny crabs emerging out of the holes at that time. It was fascinating because I've never seen the crabs emerging before, but that wasn't it ...
Once we looked away from the ones near us we noticed the whole bank swarming in an army of little crabs, migrating towards the lake. It was one the most fascinating, yet slightly terrifying, things I have ever seen. I couldn't get a good photo because it was dark so I'll leave it up to your imagination!
It was a fun weekend and I am very keen to return. There's still a lot more to do including fishing, visiting the beaches, stand-up-paddling and more! Take a look at a video recap of my trip below.
