From the mountains to the sea: Cooma to Tanja via Brown Mountain

Yesterday we left our friends on the farm just outside of Cooma. 

We'd planned to take it very slowly and Joel's uncle had advised us that we'd best head down Brown Mountain in first gear which we did, rarely having to brake. It was completely fine. Can you tell we're still a little green around the gills when it comes to towing? 

Coming down The Brown is the same for J and I. We feel like we're 'coming home.' I use to travel to Canberra regularly as a child to visit friends & my grandparents. J lived there during high school while still visiting the farm where he grew up on the coast. Pipers Lookout (part way down the mountain) is special as you can see right out across the green Bega Valley. We haven't lived here for quite some time but there's something magical about the valley. We can see why our parents fell in love with it in the 70's and 80's. It is also thanks to them and likeminded lobbyists that the natural environment remains its drawcard. 

The kids have been travelling well. We've timed our trips with Arlo's sleeps. He usually sleeps two hours at a time and that works well for us. It wasn't until we reached the base of the mountain that Phoebe decided she simply MUST brush her mermaid's hair and considering the brush was in the caravan that made for a lo 40 minutes to Bega where we bought grocery supplies and got back in the car headed for the coast and the farm. 

If you've read my posts on my other blog you'll be familiar with the family farm which is situated between Tathra & Bermagui on the far south coast of NSW. It's such a beautiful part of the world & it feels like home. The farm hasn't had stock on it for years but Joel and his brothers have managed to maintain it from afar and it's a great holiday spot. The kids love exploring the farm - in the rainforest gully, in the undergrowth, swimming in the dam, slashing the paddocks, spotting snakes and kangaroos and rabbits, picking fruit from the old orchard, collecting edible mushrooms and nettle and adventuring up the paddock to the pit toilet. 

There's nothing better than shucking some (award winning) Tathra oysters & a drop of wine. When it's not raining we can crank up the fire and look out across the valley down to the sea. Not bad!