The weather was too good to waste in Canberra, so we made a snap decision—head to the coast for the day.

Rather than follow the usual path to Batemans Bay, we aimed a little further south. Our destination: Meringo, with a stop in Moruya along the way. We left Canberra and followed the familiar route to Braidwood, but instead of turning down the Kings Highway, we continued straight on towards Araluen—a road I hadn’t driven in years.
The descent into the Araluen Valley was as scenic as I remembered—twisting bends through open country, the kind that makes you slow down and take in the view. We made a quick stop in the valley so I could grab a photo of the old church there—just a reference shot for when I come back with proper gear.

From Araluen, the road follows the Deua River and becomes a narrow, winding dirt track in places—barely wide enough for one car in some stretches. It’s a quiet route, hugged tightly between the hills and the river, and the scenery is well worth the slower pace.
Partway along, we turned off onto Larrys Mountain Road—new to me, and a nice change. Eventually, we hit sealed roads again and made it into Moruya. As we crossed the bridge, we noticed a market happening on the riverbank, so we pulled in for a break. It was a good chance to stretch our legs, wander through the stalls, and grab some lunch. While we were there, a seaplane landed on the river—first time the kids had seen one up close, which added a bit of novelty to the stop.
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After lunch, we continued south to Mullimburra Point. I had hoped to check out Cathedral Rock, but access wasn’t really suitable for the kids, so we parked on the other side and walked down to Mullimburra Point Beach instead. It turned out to be a sheltered spot, good for swimming and exploring, and shared with only a couple of other families.
Once the others were settled, I ducked back over the headland to scout Cathedral Beach properly. I wanted to get a feel for the location and light—worth returning another time with camera gear in hand. I took a few quick shots and returned to the beach to rejoin the family.
After some time exploring the rocks with Joel, we packed up and headed for home, this time sticking to the Kings Highway. It was a straightforward return, rounding out a 370 km loop.
A good mix of familiar and new roads, with a quiet beach at the end—definitely a spot worth revisiting.

I was recently away on a two-week work trip. This trip started with me flying to Brisbane with a work compatriot, catching a taxi to Yamanto to meet up with two others and driving to Tenterfield for the first 5 days of working at Jennings.

​An awesome ride through the Budawangs National Park, with Marea England, Ian Richman and Matt Tough.

​This is the ride map.