Return to Freshwater Beach, NSW

An Arvo at Pilu's

With two private function rooms, excellent food and cuisine of Sardinia and a location right spot on overlooking Freshwater Beach along Moore Road at Harboard, on Sydney's northern beaches, there is much expectation when you step into Pilu's Restaurant. You can choose seating inside, on a covered verandah outdeck, or below in garden settings, with the ocean breeze and smell of sea and sand up the nose. There is a selection of both Italian and Australian wines. The decor is retro beach house, painted an off shade from white and reminding me of lazy summer days in tropical climes. You dine and have a view over a small bay surrounded by cliff top houses and much activity on the rather sand-powdery beach.

Selections a group of us had to celebrate Charmaine's birthday earlier this month included:

Salt baked New Zealand King salmon, replete with saffron kipfer potatoes, baby leeks and beetroot puree.

De-boned quail wrapped in pancetta, stuffed with chicken livers, fennel and tarragon.
Saffron flavoured spagettini, graced by Queensland spanner crabmeat, crispy guanciale and breadcrumb pangrattato.

Slow cooked Coronga lamb fillet, accompanied by olive and almond salad and cous cous.

Gus found in-grown hairs under the crackle of the deliciously outstanding suckling pig - apparently this is a natural feature of the black variety of swine used for this dish. Jeanette from Perth had to deal with a rather hard serving of an otherwise very juicy and tender selection of cuts on a similiar dish. I am not a fan of sausages, but could not resist the Sardinian version of the pork sausage served.

Going at Gerroa

From Gerroa, one can take in the sight of stunning Seven Mile Beach, on the south coast of NSW, empty, inviting and beautiful. Gerroa is centred on a collection of homes facing a bight.

Around Gerroa Beach and Village, one has a choice of day excursions to the Belmore Falls, the Minnamurra Rain Forest, the Saddleback Mountain Lookout or the Barren Grounds Bird Observatory. Two vineyards, the Coolangatta Estate and the Crooked River Winery, offer a change from beaches, dairy downs and cycling/running activities. I recommend Werri Beach, which come with sandy stretches, good surf waves and caravan parks. There are also tidal pools to consider at the southern end of Werri Beach. The Gerroa Boat Fishermen's Club provides a great weekend lunch of seafood themes.

From a related website, fishermen note:
"Marlin, yellowfin tuna, kingfish, mulloway (jewfish), snapper, flathead & morwong are all within easy reach from a boat launched at one of the boat ramps. Seven Mile Beach is famous for its whiting during the summer months as well as bream, tailor, salmon, flathead and mulloway. Crooked River is a popular place for prawns, good size bream and flathead.

Black Head, Gerroa, has a car park and tracks leading to the rock platform below which is a good spot for catching bream, kingfish, snapper, drummer, trevally, salmon, tailor and groper. However, be very careful, as the waves can be dangerous. Werri Beach is a very deep beach with snapper to 6kg and whiting to 1kg to be had plus Australian salmon galore at times."



The local association fair (above) held on 1 October 2011 - there was a variety of handicraft, well loved books, scones, toys and curry puffs on offer to visitors. I was taken by Daniel to the local grocery along Stafford Street, and later dropped by his house, where his wife Yet Lan had created a diverse and attractive garden. It was delightful to have tea with them and their other visitors, Viviana and Michael.

Nearby Gerroa, the Seven Mile Beach was the take off point for Charles Kingsford-Smith in his successful aviation crossing of the Tasman to New Zealand - the first in the world. On a good drive, Gerroa and its nearby sister village of Gerringong are only a 35 minute drive south from Wollongong. The population is indicated at around 500, but that belies the potential of this coastal delight - with its wide, sweeping bight, holiday homes and iconic Aussie lifestyle.