South Tuross to Dalmeny
12 km (1513 km) 6 hr
People who wonder whether the glass is half full or half empty miss the point. The glass is refillable... Simon Sinek
A start today from the southern side of Tuross at South Tuross Beach, followed by yet another spectacular sunrise on the headland between there and Piccaninny Beach. A few dolphins in the pre-sunrise glow near the cliffs were a good omen for the start of another truly excellent day on my little coast quest.
Reflecting on how many amazing sunrises (and sunsets) I've seen in my life in my 64 years across 60 or so countries - never gets old or diminishes in power and glory - breathtaking shows twice a day, every day, since the world began. As Sinek says, the glass is always refillable!
Enjoyed Piccaninny Beach, despite its rather outdated name (the nearby road is Blackfellows on google maps ?) and then around to Jabarrah Point and magic Potato Point Beach - an easy stroll nearing low tide.
The rocks below Potato Point are geologically spectacular with sharp fingers of rock stretching out to sea in rainbow layers - incredible. Remains of wrecked machinery out on the tip quietly rusting and eroding into the fabric of the rock.
I then took the trail up to Potato Point Lookout to soak up the view (as well as a little warming sunshine after another chilly start). It's a wonderful walk around the point on the clifftop grassy knoll between the perfect holiday cottages and the sea. I startled a fair few camera-shy wallabies as I meandered along the little trodden path. Down to Jemisons Beach which leads on to Jamieson Point and then it was a descent to magnificent Brou-Dalmeny Beach for a 7km slow, sandy workout.
The beach runs more or less due south to Mummuga Head near Dalmeny. It's a wild and intriguing beach backed by three different lakes with so much to explore. Lake Tarourga is near the northern headland and then Brou Lake in the middle and Lake Mummuga near the southern headland. Between Brou and Mummuga, the two larger lakes, is a 1 km section of low bluffs - slow going but incredibly beautiful. The relatively young reddish clays (only a sprightly 60 million years old), are eroded by the waves producing rosé-coloured currents that trace the rips.
After the slow and steady walk around the bluffs it was onto to Dalmeny - another lovely little south coast town in a gorgeous location. I'll be 'doing an Arnie' and be back.
Then it was an easy pathway around serrated Mummuga Head and Joshs Beach to the northern end of Yabbarra Beach where I wrapped up for the day.
Enjoyed watching a few galahs in Dalmeny while I enjoyed a rewarding can of Sapporo Black. With all that's going on in the world (and with apologies to those not up on Aussie slang) it reminded me of the old Bob Hudson song, J.L. (Jonathan Livingstone) Budgerigar and the classic final lines - 'you're just a stupid looking budgerigar, to get on in this world you've got to be... a galah'
Tomorrow will be a shortish saunter from here to Narooma on the Dalmeny-Narooma Story Track - looking forward to the Mill Bay Boardwalk and hopefully the seals will be napping on the breakwall near Australia Rock when I arrive.
Meanwhile may your glass always be refillable...