Batemans Bay

We continued down the sunny Princes Highway, sometimes heading off onto brown-badged "Tourist Drives", which took us onto clear ribbons of tarmac that hugged a dramatic coastline. Where-ever there was beaches there were surfers, making full use of the huge waves and bright sunshine.


I didn't envy them in the water though- sunny or not it was still a touch on the cool side! Mrs Grasshopper kept an eye out for a shop selling duvets and quilts, as I threaded our "Divorce" (camper-van) through small towns, villages, and exhilarating coastal highway.



We stopped off at a few towns, for coffee, photos and a bite to eat. We enjoyed lunch at an excellent Thai restaurant, which made me think of my Muay Thai trainer Deeday, and all the lads back at the camp.



We had a great day being a proper tourist, and stopped at sundown in a town called Batemans Bay, booking into a well-equipped campsite a 10 mins walk from the centre.



The Proper Pub Hunt continued...



...and failed. But only just.



We initially strolled into the Soldiers Club, which in the typical vein of NSW "Clubs" had a soul-less bar area, and busy casino area. It also had the restaurant area, and surprisingly a hair salon. We stopped for a drink and used their pricey internet, before heading off.



The following bar was a lot nicer, no poker machines, comfy bar stools and large leather chairs to relax in. One chap, clearly an off-duty employee, drunkenly shouting at us the $10 chicken schnitzel offer when he realised we were tourists. Once he finished the list of toppings (about 15 in total), he almost fell off his bar stool. I grinned as I paid for our Carlton Draughts.





"Shut up Steve, your scaring them!" The on-duty barman tells him, looking embarrassed. I look at Steve and smile, shaking my head once.


"They don't look scared..." He slurred back, looking at me through glazed eyes, friendly and quite happily pissed.





The Schnitzel was duly considered, on account of the laid back, friendly atmosphere of what was almost a proper pub (although it was actually a hotel) but we chose to have a further wonder about town instead. We bought a cheap duvet from Woolworths, got a good look at the Bay itself, with its leisure boats lit up by fairy lights, and felt the cold, biting offshore wind, before succumbing to fast food and an early night.





The following day we were to be in Victoria.