Sea Cliff Bridge
11 August 2024 / Story: Rose Smith; Photos: Anda Clayton, Rose Smith
There was no trace of winter today….blue skies, warmer than usual weather and the southerly wind has finally stopped blowing. Rather than try to convoy through the heavy Nowra traffic, we decided to try a new meeting spot at Hungry Jacks in Bomaderry. It proved to be a more convenient spot to meet for runs travelling north of Nowra, offering plenty of parking and, for those who are desperate, fast food & coffee.
Five MX5’s, with tops down of course, started the journey up the main highway at 9:10am. Although the traffic was consistent, it moved along with no holdups. The group veered off the main road in Kiama and travelled over Saddleback Mountain, through Jamberoo to Albion Park. These roads were a treat for an MX5… narrow and windy… with a 60kph limit. There was no speeding as Rose was leading the pack in her CX30 as ‘Little MX5 Pearl’ was having her rims repaired and new tyres fitted. All those with tops down experienced the sights and smells of the countryside. It’s a beautiful part of the world, and if you haven’t driven through here it is worth doing….or doing again. Anda was impressed with the cows on the steep hills and their ability to balance… over the CB radio there was a brief chat about whether they had two short legs!
Choosing new places to eat is often a dilemma for run organisers. Reading reviews, Facebook, etc helps with choice, and in this case The Blue Jay Cafe in Albion Park was a winner. It was in a quieter back street, parking was plentiful and the coffee and snacks were high quality. We all sat outside in the sun taking in the escarpment view.
From here, it was straight up the highway to Sea Cliff Bridge where we intended to park and walk the bridge, before driving over it…. but … droves of tourists had taken every parking spot on either side of the bridge. This was disappointing as the walk would have been a highlight for many of us. However, there were a few members who were more than pleased to continue on up to Bald Hill.
The view of the coastline, including Sea Cliff Bridge, from Bald Hill was as good as it gets… we really were lucky it was such a clear day. Most of us reminisced about how this area had changed since ‘the old days.’ We remembered the open grassy hill which was usually littered with hang gliders. Now there is a cafe, well marked plentiful parking and seating where you can sit to soak in the views. We noticed another MX5 parked at Bald Hill and it didn't take long to meet the owners, Gerald & Antoinette Di Corpo from Mittagong. They joined the club later that day and I’m sure we will see them on future runs.
With stomachs starting to rumble it was time to retrace our journey back down the hill (still no parking available at the bridge) to the Headlands Hotel in Austinmer, which is one of the few Hotels in the area which accepts bookings. Thanks to Senia for suggesting this venue. Fred had been there a few weeks earlier and knew where to park, so he led us down to lunch. We met up with Illawarra members at the Hotel and enjoyed delicious meals and pleasant company.
