If you've been down the coast this month you don't need me to tell you that you've endured more than a fair share of inclement weather.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Last week, between rain squalls, we took a break from digging deeper trenches around the tent and headed up into the hills behind Batemans Bay. Mrs Yowie and I are always keen to show our children where their food comes from, and the Clyde River Berry Farm offers such an opportunity. That's if you can find it!
The journey to the farm, hidden along the upper reaches of the Clyde River, is a bit like one of those Choose Your Own Adventure books. At every intersection we ask the kids to yell out whether we should turn left or right. Luckily for mum and dad, there are signs visible on the occasional tree pointing the correct way. So we didn't get lost.
The winding dirt road we take from near the historic river village Nelligen follows the course of the Clyde upstream, across little causeways, and through a state forest interspersed with a mix of weekenders and hobby farms. We even get to ford the river at Shallow Crossing. The tide is up and as a result the kids can even see fish swimming in the water on both sides of the car. "Daddy, does our car float?" asks little Emily, our five-year-old daughter from the relative safety of the back seat. Fortunately the water isn't too deep and I don't have to press the button which turns the yowie mobile into a James Bond-style amphibious vehicle.
Lurking among thick scrub on one sharp corner is a life-size toy gorilla, no doubt placed there by a local with a penchant for perpetuating the yowie legend. I delight in telling the kids that it's a "hairy-pin corner". All right, it's a bit lame, but what family adventure is complete without a dad joke or two.
When we eventually arrive at the berry farm, it's a hive of activity – we aren't the only ones escaping cabin fever for the morning.
Before we've even entered the rustic picking-shed-cum-shop, both Emily and her big sister Sarah are already eyeing off the berry ice-creams which some kids are tucking into after their picking session. I tell them they have to earn theirs first.
While co-owner Sharyn Prendergast hands us each a large white bucket, I ask her if it's usually this busy. "Yes, we are flat out all holiday season, even when it's raining," she says. "Some people collect for all year consumption and squirrel the berries away into the freezer, while others like to educate their children and pick enough for a holiday feast."
Traditionally-grown strawberries are the most heavily picked part of the farm, so on Prendergast's advice we make a beeline to the newly developed hydroponic strawberry field, which allows the kids to pluck juicy red berries one at a time from their pots. The fact that they are grown on a raised platform means mum and dad don't have to get on their hands and knees to help with the picking.
With the girls' buckets brimming with bright red strawberries, it's off to blueberries. We were told row No. 46 was the go. And it is. They are easier to pick than the strawberries. Growing on the trees, you run your fingers down the branch and the little berries literally fall off into your bucket. Talk about manna from heaven.
Champing at the bit to try their freshly picked treats, the kids impatiently adhere to the signs saying every berry must be paid for (although I'm sure some visitors can't help themselves and munch on a handful on the sly) and skip back to the picking shed for the all-important weigh-in. Sibling rivalry has no boundaries, especially when it comes to food, so while Mrs Yowie distracts them with prospects of an ice-cream, I quickly adjust each bucket so that they weigh about the same. Together they've picked almost three kilograms of blueberries and two kilograms of strawberries – more than enough for a week of desserts at camp.
The ice-cream, made with frozen berries from the farm, is as moreish as it looks and a well-deserved reward for a morning shooing flies (don't forget some insect repellent) and picking berries. I order double scoops all around, knowing all too well Emily and Sarah won't get through all their second scoop. Unfortunately Mrs Yowie catches onto my shrewd plan and promptly changes the order, suggesting I simply have the girls' leftovers, rather than ordering a separate one for myself.
Sure the berry prices aren't that different from the supermarkets back at home, but nothing beats foraging for your own feast of fresh fruit straight from its source. Oh, and did I mention the ice-cream?
Fact file
Clyde River Berry Farm: Pick your own berries at this organic farm nestled on the banks of the Clyde River and open seven days a week for the rest of January. No entry fees but all berries must be paid for. Located at Lot 22 River Road, Mogood, which is in hinterland midway between Ulladulla and Batemans Bay. Allow at least 45 minutes' drive time on unsealed but 2WD-accessible roads from either township. More: phone 02 4478 1057. Directions including a downloadable map are available at: clyderiverberryfarm.com.au
Tim's tip: While the farm does grow a variety of berries including strawberries, boysenberries and blackberries, it is predominantly a blueberry farm. The berries are subject to seasonal variation, so check availability with the berry farm the day before you plan to go to avoid disappointment.
Shallow Crossing: This river crossing can be impassable due to heavy rain and at high tide (note up to three-hour lag in tide times with Batemans Bay). For two-wheel-drives, the most reliable route to the berry farm is via Termeil or East Lynne, as these routes don't involve crossing any waterways.
Plan ahead for:
Snakes Alive!
What: The ACT Herpetological Association's annual expose on our native reptiles and frogs.
When: January 18-January 24.
Where: Australian National Botanic Gardens (ANBG).
Suitable for: All ages. Perfect to entertain the kids during school holidays.
More: actha.org.au
What about me?: This brown snake, perhaps jealous for not getting a call-up for the Snakes Alive! exhibition recently, put on a show of its own, captivating visitors by posing for the camera while devouring a lizard near the ANBG's Rock Garden.
Spotted
Gallivanting goat
On one of his regular morning walks on Mount Mugga recently, John Berry, of Isaacs, was surprised to spy a white billy goat in the old Mugga Mugga quarry.
"As soon as he saw me from my vantage spot outside the perimeter fence, he quickly disappeared over a small ridge and made himself scarce," reports Berry. "He was too fast to get a photo."
Berry wonders how the goat managed to breach the fenced-off quarry and if anyone else has spotted it.
A spokesperson for ACT Parks and Conservation said this week they were unaware of a goat living in the quarry. "It could be a feral animal that has escaped from the local area," reports the spokesperson. "Given the quarry environment, with sheer cliffs and large rocky outcrops, it's an ideal location for goats to populate."
If you've snapped a photo of the goat, please send it to the address at the end of this column.
Contact Tim: Email: timtheyowieman@bigpond.com or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick. You can see a selection of past columns at: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/by/Tim-the-Yowie-Man-hvf8o
Where on the South Coast?
Clue: Is that a dugong I see in the background?
Degree of difficulty: Medium
Last week: Congratulations to Jane Malcolm, of Kambah, who was first to correctly identify last week's photo as Brett Martin's Shark, currently wooing crowds at The Priory at Bingie, near Moruya.
Malcolm just beat to the prize a number of readers who have already made the trip to the spectacularly positioned gallery, perched on a hill overlooking the ocean. They included Alan Wood, who on a recent holiday "not only viewed the Shark but also some of the stragglers in the Sydney to Hobart race".
Chris Fitzgerald, of Downer, even got to see the sculpture, made of tin cans collected by the folk of nearby Congo and then flattened by the talented Martin, move in the wind. "I didn't realise it was a giant weathervane," says Fitzgerald.
The Shark is part of The Priory's Encore exhibition, which is on show until January 27 (Tuesday-Sundays). Take a picnic to enjoy in the delightful sculpture gardens. More: phone 02 44738881 or bingie.com
How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and address to timtheyowieman@bigpond.com. The first email sent after 10am on Saturday, January 16, with the correct answer wins a double pass to Dendy cinemas.
