Hinterland Village Trail
SAPPHIRE COAST COUNTRY DRIVE
Take a country drive along the rolling green hills of the Bega Valley. Travelling inland, the Sapphire Coast is dotted by charming villages, set amidst lush dairy country. Indulge in culture and pioneer history, with historic buildings dating back to the 1800s.
Take a heritage walk or explore an array of speciality shops, like artisan bakeries, cafes, galleries, local art and craft, as well as a brewery and world-class gin distillery.
PAMBULA
The picturesque coastal village of Pambula (pop 1,150) is big on history, with the discovery of gold in local rivers in the mid 1800’s. Some of Pambula’s lovely historic buildings date back to this industrious time, with bull-nose verandahs, a town clock and lovingly tended street gardens.
Visit Wild Rye's Baking Co for your morning brew - their coffee is roasted locally right in the heart of Pambula and their famous pies and pastries are legendary. For those looking for a delicious cooked breakfast, visit trendy Toast Cafe and grab a seat out on their back verandah.
Wander the the main street and discover a range of boutique shops with a strong focus on local. There's Goldfinch Store for locally designed and Australian made fashion; Pambula Collective for local artisan goods; Artessence Gallery for high quality local art, plus many more.
Keep your eye out for the six beautiful murals decorating the buildings in town - they form the Pambula Art Trail, showcasing the work of local artists.
Take the short drive south on the Princes Highway to Oaklands Barn, situated among the rich, green river flats of Pambula's historic dairy and beef country. Oaklands is a unique rural sanctuary home to a cafe, gallery, garden centre and animal barn, as well as the biggest little brewery on the Sapphire Coast – Longstocking Brewery. All of their craft beers and ciders are brewed on site and they serve woodfired pizzas and local Pambula Lake oysters in their sunny beer garden.
Make sure you pay a visit to Panboola Wetlands, comprising of a whopping 82 hectares of tended and protected freshwater billabongs, saltmarsh and grassy plains brimming with bird life. There is a wonderful network of walking and cycling tracks to explore, dotted by interpretive signage and sculptural installations.
CANDELO
After passing through the green paddocks of Millingandi, follow the Princes Highway until turning left onto Candelo-Wolumla Road. The winding country road passes through the historical locality of Wolumla before arriving at the delightful little village of Candelo (pop 300).
Built around the crossroads of Merimbula, Bega and Bombala in the early 1830s, Candelo remains a meeting place and through fare for travellers and, increasingly, musicians and artists. You'll be surprised by the local fare and busy events calendar with regular music festivals, open recordings and performances at the historical town hall and St Peter’s Church. Set on the banks of the Candelo River, the town hosts one of the region's oldest markets on the first Sunday of every month.
In its heyday, Candelo boasted four general stores, seven blacksmiths, three hotels, its own newspaper, a doctor, chemist and a tailor. Visit the restored Candelo General Store & Cafe, open daily for breakfast and lunch every day of the week. There's also the Candelo Hotel, a great local pub that overlooks the river and regularly hosts the Candelo Blues Club.
One of the theories about the naming of Candelo is that it was named after the calling from travellers for a 'candle-o' to light a candle to show the river crossing at night.
BEGA
Travelling inland along the valley of the Bega River, the road ambles through rich dairy and beef country, passing the historic pastoral estate of Kameruka, and arriving at the bustling regional town of Bega. Bega is the country heart of the Sapphire Coast, surrounded by rolling green hills, rich pastures and the most relaxed cows in Australia.
The town is dotted with galleries, cafes and quirky shops, as well as the famous Bega Cheese Factory. Settle in on the banks of the Bega River, Kisses Lagoon or Glebe Park, there are picnic tables under the shade of she oaks, poplars and weeping willows. In Autumn the spectacular show of colour makes you want to kick up your heels in the leaves.
The preservation of historical buildings, particularly in the main street and Church Street, make it easy to imagine what life was like when horse and cart ruled the roads. Just around the corner modern life returns with the South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA), a cultural and arts hub of the South Coast region. SECCA hosts touring exhibitions of national significance along with its own exclusively curated artistic program and is a must-visit in Bega.
Drop into Spiral Gallery, an artist-owned co-op showcasing local work. There's cool and quirky stores to visit too like Maggie and Rosies Antique Emporium, Red Peg Eco Studio, Green Queen Bega and more. If you've worked up an appetite, enjoy a bite to eat at Red Cafe, Nook Tea and Espresso Bar or the PeaNut Eatery.
For a laidback country afternoon, head to
North of Eden for a gin tasting at their cellar door. Their multi award-winning gins are distilled with local botanticals and ingredients like saltbush, cumquats and Sapphire Coast oyster shells. You can relax in the gardens with a cocktail from the on-site bar whilst overlooking the rolling hills of the Bega Valley.
COBARGO
Cobargo combines the skills and craft of a working village with a historic past, its streetscape featuring the many turn of the century buildings that make Cobargo such an attraction for visitors. Many of these buildings house craftspeople who not only sell a range of unique goods from woodcrafts and pottery to leather and art works, they can often be seen at their craft working in the way that people did when Cobargo was a young town.
Cobargo was “The Junction” as the township first began to develop in the late 1860’s at the junction of the Narira & Bredbatoura creeks. Take a historical walk around town and learn about the history of Cobargo, information available from the Information Centre. There is a picnic area situated on the banks of the Narira River, a pleasant vantage point from which to watch the activity of this busy town.
The streets of Cobargo give up lots of surprises, with vintage stores & cool little eateries jostling for position with art galleries, craft workshops and of course the heritage buildings that the town is famous for. Don't miss the Cobargo Markets, held in the main street each Saturday morning from 8am - 1pm.
Drop by Well Thumbed Booked for quirky second hand books and be sure to visit the Cobargo Creators Centre, showcasing local art, quality crafts, clothing and produce.
Visit Valiant Coffee for great local coffee, using local Tilba milk and healthy, ethical food, served out of a vintage caravan. Cobargo General Store sells locally grown produce as well as artisan deli products and homemade ice cream (using their secret family recipe). Enjoy coffee, cakes and sandwiches at The Shake Up Cafe or indulge in classic bistro pub food at Cobargo Hotel.
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