My Mollymook Adventure - (Mollymook, NSW, Australia is a paradise)

Big C’ Ventures Down Under

Ask anyone outside of the South Coast of New South Wales, where Mollymook is and capture that moment they look at you and ask “What?” "Where?" 

When I was planning my trip to Australia, I asked many of my Aussie buddies if they knew where Mollymook was and they all said “No”. So I was a little worried about this place. But let me tell you, Mollymook is a hidden treasure in Australia. 

Mollymook is located on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia, approximately 3 hours drive south of Sydney and within the City of Shoalhaven.

Do some research to find out about the perfect time to make the drive to Mollymook. This research is necessary because the trip can be short, with 2 hours and 45 mins drive with no traffic. But bless your heart and soul if you happen to leave Sydney at the wrong time of the day. Especially, during rush hour, it could take you 4 to 6 hours to complete the journey. We were lucky because there was no traffic on our way to Mollymook and it was not raining. This made the ride a smooth and enjoyable one. We took the scenic route and drove via Scarborough, which is just over an hour drive from Sydney.

Mollymook Beach

Make sure you have your camera ready when you get to Scarborough. The road there is windy and narrow, but a look from the top of the hill reveals fantastic views of the water and the land down below. Take a stop at the Scarborough Hotel for lunch or an early dinner. The view from the hotel is worth the stopping-by. It can be bustling there and sometimes you may have to call ahead for reservations. The hotel’s pub opens only during the day, but, believe me, after you spend one day there and get mesmerized by the view, you will never want to be there any other time except during the day. I have always loved history and reading about history. For a small town, Scarborough has a wealth of history. (The name Scarborough means “Fort on the Rock”, and it was, supposedly, named after a vessel in the first fleet that landed its shores, and it is said to have been part of the first batch of fleets that transported prisoners from England. The hotel was opened in 1887).

The drive from Scarborough to Mollymook

Driving from Scarborough to Mollymook was a fun ride. The weather wasn’t the best, but I had just left Canada in the winter so who was I to complain about a day that required flip flops? Well, it was not the best day (in regards to the weather) compared to the rest of the days that followed. We drove through to Wollongong; stopping at Kiama to check out the Kiama’s famous blow-hole. (Kiama’s blow-hole is supposedly the largest blow-hole in the world). The site attracts thousands of locals and visitors within Australia and from around the world daily.  You will be blown away by, not just this magnificent giant cavern that spouts up water in the air, but also by the ocean views that is spectacular on its own. There is also the Kiama lighthouse at the blow-hole point.

From Kiama, we drove to Berry (Berry is a small village in the Shoalhaven region of the NSW South Coast, located 145km south of Sydney). We had delicious lamb spit lunch at the Berry Hotel pub then walked around the little town exploring before hitting the road to paradise (aka, Mollymook). 

I found this cute limo in Berry.

Berry to Mollymook was just about an hour and 20 minutes drive.

There are heaps (as Aussies would say) of coastal villages from Berry to Mollymook, but you will have to go off the main road to visit these villages.

The Paradise - Mollymook

In Paradise, anyone can do a back flip. It was amazing.

Mollymook is made up of two separate localities; Mollymook Beach and Mollymook - the town. Mollymook beach is about 2 Km long. One writer described Mollymook as the beachside paradise of the Coastal Resort area of the NSW, Australia.

As I looked around Mollymook, I realised it truly was a special kind of paradise, enjoyed by everyone, particuarly those who love a relaxed, laid-back lifestyle. Everyone there seemed so happy and why wouldn’t they be? The beach has the ultimate WOW factor, it is breath taking, peaceful and generally amazing! The beach is patrolled by members of the Surf Life surfing club, which is located at the southern end of the beach.During the busy Summer months the beach is full of locals and tourists alike enjoying all that "Molly" has to offer.

A surfer's haven.

Mollymook is a surfer’s haven. Offering many awesome surf spots at Mollymook and the surrounding beaches. You will find surfers everywhere in the town, surfer clubs, and shops for surfers. It is also a hot destination for tourists, especially during the Christmas break. December is Summer in Australia, and I went during their Summer break, so all the kids were out of school, and the small town was bustling with holiday seekers. 

Fun in the sun

The water is usually warm during the Summer months. But I learnt the perfect temperature for swimming is when the warm currents come through in April just before Winter. I spent many of my days sitting out on the beach, enjoying the views and watching surfers waiting for and chasing the best waves. I fell in love with Mollymook, and I was so jealous that some people lived there and got to enjoy this paradise every day all year round. 
If you are lucky, you will get the chance to spot whales or dolphins.

I was not that fortunate to spot any whales, as they usually migrate during the Spring, but I did see a school of dolphins! That was magical to me, because I was not expecting it at all. It was getting late, we were enjoying an evening stroll on the beach and I did not think there was any chance of spotting a dolphin or dolphins. Man, was I wrong! Right in front of our eyes was this splash and there goes one, two, three and four; All of a sudden there were these dolphins just doing what dolphins do. It was magnificent, to say the least.

Do you care about jelly fish or blue bottles? You will find blue bottles on the beach, especially in the morning. Blue bottles are easily avoided and lifeguards always display signs when tides have swept them in close to the beach. If stung by a blue bottle, the pain is intense but not life threatening. To treat, don't rub the area. Pick off any remaining tentacles with fingers(a harmless prickling may be felt). Rinse the stung area well with seawater to remove any invisible stinging cells. Place the stung area in hot water (at a temperature you can comfortably tolerate). 

A Blue Bottle washed up on the beach.

Bogey Hole

You cannot visit Mollymook beach without checking out the famous “Bogey Hole” (It is believed that the name “Bogey Hole” was derived from an Aboriginal word for bathing and was used by Aboriginals for bathing and fish traps). 

The Bogey Hole is a fantastic feature at the Mollymook Beach, South end, that everyone has to see. It is a large tidal rock pool that the locals and visitors use for swimming or to snorkel. I personally never swam there as I preferred swimming in the open ocean, but I spent a day there and witnessed first hand how busy it can get. It is popular among families with young children because of its protective ring of rock that acts like a guard from the ocean waves and currents.

North end Mollymook headland

Exploring the rocks at North end, Mollymook 

One beautiful summer day we spent an entire afternoon climbing the rocks and cliff face at North end Molly. We explored rock pools and climbed rocks. 

A daily ritual was to walk the beach most evenings at sunset. It's a magical time of day and every sunset was different, unique and beautiful in its own way.  It was the perfect way to finish the day.

Mollymook has plenty to offer and to be honest, I could have spent an entire year there and never be bored! But we decided to venture outside our beautiful piece of paradise to explore. There are plenty of things to do that only require a few hours drive. Let's dive into some of the places I visited outside of Mollymook.

1. Canberra, Australian Capital Territory (ACT):

Canberra is such an interesting city. It is also the capital of Australia. The city is relatively young and well planned compared to most of the other cities in Australia. 

Chilling at the westside shipping container village

Canberrans (people of Canberra) are friendly and very hospitable. While I was in Canberra, I checked out the Westside Shipping Container Village. A park with a weird design built using old shipping containers. We went there for a block party event which showcased Canberra's finest hip hop and RnBs DJs. We kicked back, sipping delicious cider, watching people play ball and enjoying the tunes that were pumping from the speakers. It was incredible. There was awesome food and drink vendors offering a variety of options. The idea of the park is to have a park that you can move to a new location whenever there is a space somewhere else.

2. Goulburn is a fun city:

My first observation when we drove to Goulburn was lots of open ground (space) and parks. I always imagined it to be a small town, but I was wrong. It is not a small town, but if you are from a major city, you may wrongly think it is small. The night life is fun. People there love to have fun, and they all seem to know each other. I guess that's what gives Goulburn the "small town" feel even though in actual fact it is home to about 30,000 people. 

Goulburn also features one of Australia's many "big" tourist attractions.
You can check out the Big Merino; a 15.2 meters tall concrete merino ram weighing 97 tonnes. It was built in 1985.

The Big Merino is located just off Goulburn's southern exit and stands proud as a symbol of Goulburn.

Check out the gift shop for some awesome gifts including Australian made ugg boots, locally hand-dyed gossamer-fine wool scarves, hats, jumpers, jackets, baby sheepskins and plush sheepskins.

3. The Tanja Lagoon Camp:

Some of the many Kangaroos that frequent Tanja Lagoon Camp

I have never been a camping type of guy and the thought of camping and putting out the tent, securing the location, etc has never been part of what I call fun... But, glamping is another ball game. Don’t get me wrong; I love camping if I can show up after everything has been taken care of and I just have to come and enjoy. So maybe that's why glamping is a better fit for me. 

The Tanja Lagoon Camp is a good 2 hrs and 30 minutes drive from Mollymook, and the drive alone is worth the experience. As you are driving along you almost feel as though you are part of a western movie or amongst the scenery of a western movie. It was amazing! The Australian bush is truly spectacular.

Echidna

When we got to the camp, we were welcomed by about 16 Kangaroos. At this time, I was not sure if these were just wild Kangaroos outside the camp or if they lived in camp and will be living with us. As a real tourist,I immediately stopped and started taking pictures with my phone camera, not knowing at this time that there would be plenty more opportunities to snap a picture, with much more living in the camp with us. We were still just at the beginning of our stay, and I already loved everything. I knew this would be an amazing stay. We drove to our tent, and although I had never been glamping before, I knew right away there was nothing wrong with camping (I meant glamping), and I could see myself doing this more often. 

The accommodation at Tanja Lagoon Camp is first class in every sense. I was not sure what to expect, but it exceeded every expectation I had.  There are only four tents, so you will feel like you are alone in the middle of nowhere at times. We walked into our tent to a refrigerator filled with fresh eggs, local bread, freshly made granola, milk, butter, and honey. There was also a kitchen, a BBQ grill, shower (Oh! Yes), bathroom and a very comfortable Queen size bed. The bed had been constructed from local wood and was so comfortable that I thought I was in a 5-star resort somewhere else, until I woke up to the song of birds,  Kangaroos and all that is the great Australian bush.

As you explore the beautiful surrounds you will find Possums, Kangaroos, Goanna, Echidna and lots of different birds. There are lots of trails to go hiking. We hiked to the Middle Beach, where Tanja Lagoon meets the ocean.

Strolling the Middle Beach

It’s only a short bush walk or paddle from Tanja Lagoon Camp. At the northern end, there is a surf break and deep pools between the rocks to explore. At the southern end is the sand bar that keeps the lagoon from going out with the tide. It is a lovely place for a long walk on the beach.

The set-up of the camp was great, and the tents were just how I believe camping should always be. OK, I know regular campers would hate me for this and I can already hear them talking smack about me for saying this. RELAX people. It’s just my personal opinion. This is not for anyone who likes to camp as this is glamping at the VIP level.  The view was spectacular. The lagoon in front of our tent was somewhat dry, but we could hear noises from the bush and wild animals. I completely enjoyed waking up to birds and seeing kangaroos just chilling out in the sun with their little ones.When you are inside your tent, you never hear other campers, and that’s because of the layouts of the tents. 

Our Tent - I woke up to these guys every morning and we were welcomed by them when we got there.

There was a mob of about 90 kangaroos all over the camping ground and about 30 or more around my tent. I thought I was dreaming, but it was real. It was just lovely to sit, chill and watch these guys in the wild and without fences. Half of them were carrying their joeys in their pouch.

Tanja Lagoon is one of those places you read about like you are doing right now. I'm just kidding!! You certainly have to see to believe. I was not sure if I should write a blog about it. It’s like finding oil or gold and trying to keep it to yourself. [Ha ha], kidding..

Most Memorable Day: It was our first morning, and I could hear the birds chirping outside the window, and feel the sun coming through our tent. I had spent all night being blown away from nature and listening to Possums all around our tent during the night. I was looking forward to going outside of the tent and sharing the space with all the Kangaroos.

After all, they were going to be my neighbors for the next few days. Oh, how special was I to be in the wild with these natural born boxers and kickers? It was the perfect morning, having to sit out in the open and enjoy watching these creatures. As I was sitting there and with the sun dashing through the trees and into the land, I could see from the corner of my left eye two female kangaroos with their joeys just chilling. It seemed like they were communicating. It was my first experience seeing Kangaroos in the wild with their young ones ('teenaros', as I called the young teenage ones).

I was impressed. They were like humans. There were different groups of kangaroos all doing different things. The young ones were being typical teenagers, and the old ones were just enjoying the sun. You can see others nibbling on the grass peacefully. I could easily see that the lagoon was being well kept. Thanks to the Kangaroos that continue to take care of the lawn.

Back to Paradise - Other attractions in Mollymook

A. Learn how to surf: It seems to be one of the biggest attractions on the beach. I always saw heaps (like Australians would say) of people learning how to surf, getting amongst the awesome waves that Molly brings.

B. Mollymook Golf Club boasts two golf courses, Hilltop and Beachside, along with two modern clubhouses.  The beachside golf course is a 9-hole course, and hilltop course located on Maisie Williams Drive is an 18-hole championship course. The food at the beachside clubhouse is excellent. You can relax, have a meal and watch surfers or spot a whale or dolphin.

C. Whale Watching is another popular activity with visitors. Although I did not get to go on any of the tours, I was told South of NSW was a premier whale watching destination.

D. Do you want to workout for free while you are vacationing there? Mollymook beach has an outdoor exercise area for people who want to workout and also a brand new basketball court.

Let’s keep it real, if you are in Mollymook on vacation, why would you be out on some monkey bar when you can be out in the ocean enjoying the sun and the crystal clear water that the beach is known for? There are many tennis courts around the beach area and town too.

Rookie mistake: Don’t be like some people (moi), who rather do work while on vacation. Have fun. Although I got to enjoy plenty of fun activities and explore some great places in my 2 months in Mollymook, realistically I only scratched the surface of Mollymook and all that it has to offer!

How about a place to refuel my system?

What to eat and where to find it in Mollymook depends on what you like. You can go for fine dining at the Golf club or settle for fish and chips by the beach and enjoy the sun. There are so many places to eat in or around Mollymook, (Ulladulla and Milton are other small coastal towns, just a short 5 min drive from Mollymook) but I will just handpick some of my favorites.

There are several fish and chip joints in Mollymook and its environs, but you have to visit The Beach Hut and try their flathead fish tails and chips. Better still; try Hayley’s Summer fish tacos. She gets the fish and chips from any fish and chips joint and perfects it with her version. (If you don’t know who Hayley is after you visit Mollymook then you missed out. Ask any kid who Miss. Oxley is and you will meet the famous Hayley, but her fish and chips are not included).

If you want an adventure a little further, then Hayden’s Pies in Ulladulla is a place to visit. The pies are so delicious, and so yummy that you will generally hear the locals talk about it. There are so many to choose from.

Although, my favorite was the green curry chicken and the butter chicken. I tried others and loved it all. They have lamb, chicken, beef, veggies, kangaroos, etc.…

If you want to get a little bit classier, then try Rick Stein’s Seafood at the Bannister Head Hotel. This is actually a cool location for a date or just to chill with a loved one. The food is 5 star, with Rick showcasing the many recipes he has discovered on his cooking travels throughout the world. I was only there once, but my experience was amazing. But hey, I was with an awesome crew too (the Oxley family). With a crew like that, any restaurant experience will sail to the top of my list. So don’t be mad if your experience is not the best.

Ahhhh, fish and chips

Tigers is a cool place for Fish and Chips

The Macelleria in Sydney is one spot you have to check out if you are a meat lover.

Bannisters Rooftop Pool Bar & Grill

The Rooftop Pool Bar & Grill is another spot you should check out. Weekends can be jam-packed, there, but it’s a good place to chill and have some cocktails and some foods with friends. There, also, is a DJ playing good tunes and he takes requests too. I honestly liked it there, and I went there a few times and had a blast every time.

How to get to Mollymook?

Mollymook is located only minutes away from the harbor port of Ulladulla and historic Milton. The town itself is only about a 2.5 hours’ drive from Canberra, and about 2 hours 45 minutes’ drive from Sydney.

Where to stay?

All locations are just minutes away from the beach, and there are many motels, guesthouses, caravan parks, and vacation rental properties all over the beach and town.

Is drinking a culture in Australia?

If you are a drinker, then you will like this country. I will conclude this blog with some insights into the Aussie laid-back lifestyle. Drinking whilst eating, drinking whilst surfing, drinking whilst playing, even drinking whilst showering. Lets drink and have fun.

There is no doubt that most Australians love to drink, there is nothing better than on a hot Summer day, then to crack open an ice cold beer or cider. Although alcohol in Australia is probably one of the most expensive you will find in a developed country, this has not stopped Australians from drinking. It sure did not stop me. The day I flew in I was welcomed to an esky (cooler) full of different Australian beers so I could taste test and decide which would be my go to drink whilst "Down Under". 

Although Victoria Bitter aka VB was one of my favorite beers there, I was introduced to another delicious beer, that is in the running of being one of my picks for the best beer in Australia 4 Pines by Kolsch is a German style golden ale that is light straw in color and so refreshing. 

Australian's favorite beer differs from region to region. Country blokes tend to enjoy the likes of VB, Tooheys and 4X Gold. Where guys from the city get a little fancy with boutique style beers. 

(By the way, Australians have a love hate relationship with VB. You either love it or you hate it. The haters often refer to it as Virgin Buster or Vomit Bombs. Some will tell you it taste like amber nectar urinated straight from the gods. VB - The Very Best Beer. Regardless of what they say, VB is still out selling most beers in Australia and for a good reason)

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