FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX: Merimbula Not Via Mogo

Today we discovered that Google Maps was smart enough to know when roads were closed, in our case, due to flooding. We had planned our route from Shoalhaven Heads to Merimbula, and braved the cold, wind and rain to get to the Oyster Shack at Bateman's Bay. The lady at the counter kindly informed us that the Princes Hwy further south at Mogo was flooded, and was only recently reopened to 4WD. The oysters were promptly abandoned as we reconvened at the nearby McDonald's to formulate a new plan that would see the Mazda 3 making the journey south. To our delight, Google Maps had red dashes marking roads which were closed. Trusting Google, we started our drive, hugging the coast briefly before detouring inland and re-joining the Princes Hwy at Moruya. It was a close call at Moruya with the road being closed just as we got through and crossed the river.

We made two short stops at Bodalla and Tilba. These stops should be avoided at all costs by the lactose intolerant. For a family who lives on lite milk, full cream, non homogenized milk was heavenly. Both were essentially devoid of tourists on account of the weather. We continued on to Merimbula and arrived uneventfully. Oma delighted in trying to take photos of flooded creeks and rivers along the way. We were relieved that our lakeside rental was NOT flooded! It was otherwise as advertised although one bathroom was a bit dodgy. It was well situated near the shops and was comfortable and spacious.