Day three and four of my trip to visit a friend in Ulladulla resulted in us taking a morning walk followed by a brunch with other friends of mine who live close-by. We sat in a lovely cafe chosen by my friends, overlooking the ocean. It was such a lovely day with beautiful blue skies, families enjoying time together and us catching up after a long absence.

My friends kindly chose this particular cafe as not only did it have nice views but it also served vegan meals. Big meals too. They were huge!!! I certainly couldn’t eat all that was provided; sourdough toast (two pieces), roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, vegan bacon and sausages and chutney!

After brunch, Mandy and I walked back to her home and along the way I took the opportunity to check out the sculptures along the beachfront. One was created after the devastating bushfires of 2019/20 where a local artist brought together the community and created this large scale commemorative public sculpture. Embedded in the artwork are more than 1,200 ceramics of native flora and fauna, created at public workshops she facilitated. A rather interesting display with a lovely human touch.

The next afternoon we drove a short distance to Cuppits Estate, a local winery. The vineyard was first planted in 2003 and established in 2007 after there was enough fruit for the first vintage. Rosie the owner was the original winemaker and now her son Wally is head winemaker after learning winemaking in the Loire Valley in France. The winery hosts a very busy award winning restaurant, casual dining on the lawn or deck, a cellar door, wine tasting and a fromagerie founded in 2015 by owner Rosie following her travels throughout Italy and France.

Mandy and I ordered a glass of white wine each and fortunately for me the winery has a range of excellent white vegan wines. It was then time to sit out on the deck enjoying the lush green grass and vineyards before the sun set.

Time to leave this lovely winery and head back to Mandy’s as I only had one more night before I was leaving to return to Canberra. After a peaceful evening just watching TV, the next morning I got up early and packed to return home. The car trip is about two and a half hours so I decided to stop at a seaside town on the way home. Batemans Bay is an hour or so from Ulladulla and I had not been there for many, many years. It’s a location that many Canberrans go for weekends away and holidays.

I parked the car and went for a walk along the waterfront; a great way to enjoy the bay and the local birds. My walk took about an hour and by that stage I was ready to hop back into my car and drive home. Love going away but always enjoy coming back home!