Not the Lobster Lunch

This was the weekend in our 2020 diaries for our Lobster Lunch at Rosedale. But in line with the new world order, we made other plans.....

Like so many other Canberrans on this long weekend we still headed down to the bushfire ravaged South Coast - spending money at cafes, bakeries and other relevant business along the way.....

And we paid a heart rending visit to North Rosedale, to witness the devastation along Yowani Road and other parts of this beautiful coastal settlement.

I couldn't bear to take pictures of Judy and Jurgen's destroyed property. Instead we made our way to the lookout point at the northern end of Yowani Road - where we used to make our way down to the rocky beach at the start of our after lunch walks. The impact of the fires right along the extensive beach cliffs is very evident here.

 ...... but so is the regeneration, after the recent rains.

 And these burnt spiky palm plants are recovering well too ........

 We're pretty sure James and Fiona stayed in this destroyed beach house at the end of Yowani Road one year of the lobster lunches. This is typical of the tragic sights, all along Yowani Road - nothing much survived the fires........

The good news is that for the next year Judy and Jurgen are able to use a house in Malua Bay as part of the recovery process after the fires.

We met there on Saturday afternoon - feeling sober in spirit, but absolutely determined to enjoy "New Beginnings" together.

 With lobster off the menu, we set off to The Sandbar Restaurant on Beach Road Bateman's Bay for dinner. The Sandbar is a one chef's hat restaurant (possibly the only one on the south coast) that "uses the finest produce from the South Coast, employing French techniques and Japanese inspiration". It's a 6 course set menu: Chef's Selection. 

First course was smoked trout rillettes with duck gelee and grape. That's a pickled black berry and zucchini flower on the plate of pebbles!

Second course was scallop, purple carrot and beetroot (and other delicious things)....

 Then prawn, tomato, peach and daikon (topped with peach powder)...

 The fourth course was a spectacular beef tenderloin (buttery rich) with glazed wasabi leaf, caramelised eschallot, bordelaise and porcini veloute YUM!

 I wish I had taken a close up of dessert: Braidwood black truffle cream, red anko frangelico ice cream, cassis, cherry, chocolate soil, buerre noisette, pistachio, Kyoto matcha dust and red vein sorrel - a truly incredible dish (and very rich).

 And followed by a cheese plate of French, Riverina and Gippsland cheeses - what an amazing and incredible meal.... unbelievable really in such a small regional area. I would love to take Haruko here when she next visits us!

Back at Judy and Jurgen's temporary holiday house at Malua Bay this is what we woke up to on Sunday morning - a view from their back deck down to Pretty Bay.

 We walked along the cliff track at the back of the house, around Pretty Bay towards Pretty Point (if you've got a good adjective then stick to it!). We were stunned by how close the fires came to this part of Malua Bay too.

 The Pretty Point headland was devastated by the fires (view looking North towards Bateman's Bay).

 .. and looking South towards beautiful Rosedale......

 Another view of Pretty Bay back towards where Judy and Jurgen's holiday house is.......

 Once again we're struck by the signs of regeneration of the big eucalyptus trees on the headland ...

 

 The Bracken Ferns are coming back with a vengeance, and the grasses and small shoots of acacia (wattle). They'll help hold the soil until bigger plants get established.

 But reminders everywhere of how much has been lost....

 A view of the Malua Bay house... big bedrooms for guests (lucky us!) and what about that deck!  We're hoping the next year will be healing for this region, and for Judy and Jurgen, and the family too.

 Driving back to Canberra on Sunday we took this terrible picture out the car window on the Clyde Mt road... The tree ferns are sprouting like crazy in the burnt forest. It's like a scene out of Jurassic Park - quite surreal, but restorative too!