Unwind with great local flavours on NSW South Coast

JENNIFER Adams and Caroline Pemberton from Places We Go discover the gourmet side of this lovely region.

THERE is nothing better than a weekend dash out of the city to refresh the senses and relax the mind.

Just a couple of hours' drive south out of Sydney and you find yourself surrounded by green rolling hills that meet spectacular coastline - welcome to the NSW South Coast.

Before we know it, Caroline and I are pulling the Subaru into the seaside town of Kiama. Famous for the biggest blowhole in the world, the town is named after the Aboriginal word "Kiaram-a", meaning "where the sea makes a noise" and one of the first things we do is head down to Blowhole Point to check it out. You can't miss it, it is right next to famous white lighthouse that has been standing here since 1887. The blowhole offers dramatic views of the ocean noisily erupting through natural holes in the rock, and a theatrical welcome to this fantastic region.

Setting up the Jayco at BIG4 Easts Beach Holiday Park, we are reminded of the history of this region and the reason it is so popular with holidaymakers. Situated directly on Easts Beach, we are literally metres from the sand and feel as if we have just found the best camping and cabin location in the country. After a chat with the owners, we find out that Easts Beach is named after their family who settled here more than 160 years ago and have been running the park for more than 75 years. Today's facilities bring it well and truly into the modern era, with resort pools, a jumping pillow, tennis courts and even a massage studio.

It would be easy to sit by the beach at our holiday park for days, but we are here to discover the local region and Jacqueline from Foodscape Tours is the perfect person to help us. Foodscape Tours is all about showcasing the incredible local produce, artisan products and local wines of the region, and the passionate personalities behind them.

This unique tour takes visitors to about five different regional producers on a full-day tour, meeting the makers and understanding how produce from this emerging food and wine destination makes it from the paddock to the plate.

Our first stop for the day is Buena Vista Farm, close to the nearby town of Gerringong, which specialises in pastured eggs and ethically raised chickens, free-range pigs, bees and coffee. Here you can be sure that anything you purchase has been made or picked that week by farmers Fiona and Adam Walmsley, who returned to the farm, Fiona's childhood and family home, a few years ago. They are now fifth-generation farmers of this beautiful land that overlooks the ocean, which is also making a name for itself with the fresh biscuits Fiona bakes and sells at regional farmers' markets.

It is another story of incredible family history, with Fiona's great, great-grandfather settling here more than 150 years ago.

While Fiona and Adam are steering the farm in a slightly different direction from the four generations of dairy farmers that have preceded them, Fiona is excited to feel "backed" by a line of farmers before her, although she still considers herself a rookie. And from housing the free-range chooks in a caravan, to the pigs that are currently digging up the market garden for future Farm Dinners that are in the pipeline, it is clear that the fresh approach to farming at Buena Vista will give it, and the region, a new and exciting name for itself.

Our Foodscape Tour takes us to the charming inland town of Berry where Jacqueline introduces us to Cliff and Paulina, who own and run The Berry Tea Shop. Former Sydneysiders, Cliff and Paulina upped sticks from their stressed-out city existence to find some peace in the country. As veterans of the hospitality industry, they are calling this move their "tea change", and their new venture here celebrates their love of a good brew and the traditions of tea-drinking they hold dearly. Caroline and I are both partial to a cuppa, and found ourselves in the company of some seriously passionate tea lovers.

With a bounty of blends and other tea products in their shop (including some of the best cake we have eaten), they seem to have found what they were looking for when they made the decision to leave Sydney - a peaceful but productive life in the country, creating an experience that locals and visitors alike have embraced.

The final stop on our exploration of the region is the Coolangatta Estate winery. The site of the first European settlement of the region, Coolangatta Estate has been in cellar door manager Ben's wife's family for 66 years. They converted it from a dairy farm into a vineyard. Today it is alive with history, with fantastic old farm buildings that were originally built thanks to a government grant of "100 convicts" in the early 1800s, and have now been converted into accommodation. And as for the wine, Coolangatta Estate has won more than 130 trophies and 1500 awards at regional, national and international wine shows.

The estate not only celebrates its history and its wine, it is a champion for the local produce and we are treated to a regional tasting plate, their signature dish in the restaurant. Matched with wines that make the perfect accompaniment to the dishes before us, ranging from seafood, to beef, to local Sussex Point tomatoes, you feel as if you are eating your way around the local area.

Perhaps there is something in the soil here, mixed with the fresh ocean air and the rolling ocean, but the South Coast of NSW seems to be one big gourmet secret just waiting to be discovered.

Watch this story and more, on Places We Go at 4pm Network 10 today.

Go2 - SOUTH COAST NSW

Getting there: Access the NSW South Coast with regular flights to Sydney with Virgin Australia at Webjet

More information: BIG4 Easts Beach Holiday Park; Foodscape Tours; Coolangatta Estate Winery.

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