Lunch at The Midge

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14 February 2026 / Story:Lesley Brook; Photos: Linda Downing, Lesley Brook, Loray Freeman

Lunch at The Midge

10 February, 2026

Six MX5 cars met at the Nowra Boat Ramp for the run to Tallong led expertly by Bob and Linda. Roger and I volunteered to be Tailend Charlie. We departed at 9:30am for our route up Cambewarra Mountain to Kangaroo Valley, where we had approx an hour's stop for morning tea/coffee, and were joined by Loray and Grant, who live in Bundanoon. We stopped in the Friendly Inn car park, and as several of the coffee shops are closed on a Tuesday, we headed to the KV Coffee Co.  Yummy coffee and snacks were consumed. We all then had a bimble up and down the Main Street.

When it was time to depart the convoy travelled via Barrengarry, Fitzroy Falls, Exeter, Bundanoon, Penrose and Wingello to our destination at Tallong.

As you will see from the photos, it was a day of sunshine, and some very light showers, though we all managed to dodge the raindrops and keep the roof down. The trip was very scenic with many interesting places to see enroute. Surprisingly, there was only one radio call of ‘pot hole’ on the driving line which I thought was pretty impressive.

We got to the Midge Cafe a little after 12 and went inside. What a charming place it was. Thank you again Bob and Linda for finding this little gem. I am now the proud owner of a very fetching new sun hat.  It had all sorts of little treasures. Lunch and the convivial conversations were very pleasant. It turns out that all the lovely ladies participating in the run today have names beginning with L!! How coincidental is that.

Fun Facts about Tallong..

It’s the home of the famous Big Apple and the rare Tallong Midge Orchid. It is surrounded by breathtaking scenery. Sadly though, no rare orchids were seen during our visit. At the 2021 census, the village had a population of 914.

Tallong Apple Day Festival, takes place on 27 September 2026. Apparently, you can enjoy Whipcracking, medieval battles, wood chopping, pig racing, pony rides, bake-off, photography competition. And of course, being an Apple Festival, there will be lots of apples for sale, including toffee apples and apple pies. 

After lunch we all made our way home via different routes.