Hay bales fashioned in the shape of a farmer's head peek out across the Princes Highway, and cows the size of refrigerators keep lookout across the undulating hills. The Shoalhaven region, which stretches from Berry to Durras North on the NSW South Coast, combines rich farmland with a coastal climate. Much of the area's magic is in the proximity of all the good things: fertile dairy and crop country beside the ocean and its rich bounty of sea life, and all less than three hours' drive from Sydney.

Before the pandemic, the area suffered years of drought, bushfires and floods, so it's been hard for locals to catch a break.

Despite that, plenty of people have opted in to this part of the world in the past few years, attracted by the region's landscape and the company it keeps (here's looking at you, Greenwell Point oyster flats, South Coast Dairy and Berry's gem South on Albany), the network of farmers and growers, and the slower lifestyle afforded by being out of Sydney.

Chefs Terry and Michelle Robinson, whose CVs include Tetsuya, Quay, Sepia and Victor Churchill, are among the more recent arrivals. They left Sydney mid-2019 to pursue their dream, opening South Nowra microdistillery and eatery Old Salt in March 2022.

"I think we're just generally happier people being out of Sydney," says Terry. "Our experiences have shaped us to allow us to do this … to let us grow, and see what we are capable of."

So far, that includes three styles of gin, a vodka (featuring Riverina wheat) and a whisky, as well as a small bar filled with house-made small-batch fruit liqueurs, seltzer tinctures and beers.

In the kitchen, Michelle plates up slabs of silky house-made chicken liver parfait and lemony whipped feta dip with crusty bread. A G&T made with their classic gin, pumped with Australian botanicals and lavender grown in their garden, matches nicely.

"The sky's the limit," says Michelle. "This is just stage one."

Kristy Franks and Dave Mills have no regrets about making the area home either. The pair, partners in business and life, had spent years working in restaurants in Sydney, Melbourne and London (including MoVida, Barangaroo House, and Piqueos) and were ready to take a breather. An opportunity to visit and advise on Terrara House (then a home recently purchased by Sydneysiders; now, an expansive wedding venue and luxury accommodation) meant they recharted their course.

The pair now run Mills + Franks, hospitality consultants championing regional producers and hospitality businesses, and are members of the Shoalhaven Food Network, which connects local venues and growers in pursuit of a resourceful, resilient culinary region.

It's all about the producers and culinary creatives here, so set aside a few hours to explore the region by car. You're sure to find what you're looking for.

Start strong with pastries and a cuppa

The historic village of Berry is flush with boutique eateries, including Milkwood Bakery (milkwoodbakery.com.au), where you can nab scrolls and tarts to your heart's content. There's also The Berry Tea Shop (theberryteashop.com.au), where scones and a pot of locally blended Australian Billy Tea or green-tea-based Golden Sunshine are best enjoyed with company.

If you happen to be in beachy Jervis Bay (Huskisson, specifically), the coastal town of Kiama for breakfast, or further afield in historic Milton, you will not regret getting at least two fat and flaky pain au chocolats from Flour Water Salt (flourwatersalt.com.au), a family-owned business based in South Nowra that runs popular bakery cafes across the region.

Support great producers

Food store Flavours Shoalhaven (flavoursgroup.com.au), in the heart of Berry, is where you can find a wheel of local Stoney River brie; sweet and tangy beetroot relish from Terrara House; and kangaroo prosciutto from Canberra-based Poachers Pantry.

Milton's Small Town Provisions (smalltownmilton.com.au), next to eatery Small Town Food + Wine, casts a wider net, stocking boutique supplies from near (local oysters) and far (Spanish cheese and tinned anchovies).

Pack an Esky before pointing the car towards Huskisson, where Jervis Bay Mussels has recently opened a market (jervisbayshellfishmarket.com.au) that sells shellfish harvested daily, including blue-lipped mussels that sit happy and plump in a bubbling, front-and-centre water tank. At Greenwell Point, near Nowra, turn off the Princes Highway down a dirt road to find Jim Wild's Oyster Service, (facebook.com/JimWildsOysterService) a working oyster farm selling shucked-to-order Sydney rocks.

During April, drive inland to the rugged Budawang Ranges, south-west of Nowra, where social-focused Sassafras Nuts (sassafrasnuts.com.au) offers pick-your-own chestnuts every Friday and Saturday.

And at Tara Distillery (taradistillery.com) in Nowra Hill, Alarna Doherty and Ben Stephenson produce gin, vodka and whisky from two copper pot stills in their shed. The Tara Pot Still Gin – which uses local sea lettuce and Shoalhaven rainwater – won the silver medal in the 2021 London Spirits Competition.

If you only do one lunch out…

At microdistillery and eatery Old Salt (oldsaltdistillery.com.au) in South Nowra, almost everything on the menu gets licked by the wood grill, including steaks of locally caught kingfish, and local carrots topped with a flourish of chimichurri. But not the velvety passionfruit cheesecake, with a wodge of passionfruit curd pooling in the centre. The team make their own spirits, liqueurs and beers on site with the aim of providing a full-service destination for locals, and visitors from further afield.

Score a reservation for dinner

On Huskisson's main drag, Asian fusion eatery Wildginger (wildgingerhuskisson.com.au) has passionate new management. The affordable menu might feature a one-bite chicken-mousse dumpling or Jervis Bay mussels in a Panang curry, which pair wickedly with a ginger-beer-and-gin cocktail muddled with peachy-mint notes and moody lighting. A pavement table overlooking the bustling downtown strip is perfect on a warm night.

If there's a seat available, book in for an Indigenous food experience crafted by Yuin man Dwayne Bannon-Harrison of Mirritya Mundya (mmundya.com), which means "hungry blackfish" in the Ngarrigu language. Dwayne and wife Amelia's five-course Indigenous Twist pop-up dinners showcase local and native ingredients – including local oysters with finger lime, baby snapper smoked in paperbark, and chook smothered in a lilly-pilly sauce. They also have a food truck that travels around the region. Keep an eye on social media to see where they're stopping next.

And in the quiet seaside pocket of Mollymook, Gwylo (gwylo.com.au) serves Asian street eats and sparky cocktails in a neon-lit space. Local Mittagong mushrooms and crumbly fried tofu turn the larb experience on its head, pairing familiar flavours with unfamiliar textures. And betel-leaf bites with jicama, snake beans and peanuts are another hit.

A tipple and a tune

Overhead festoon lights show the way to Jervis Bay Brewing Co. (jervisbaybrewing.co), in the industrial estate just outside Huskisson, a family-friendly spot with indoor and outdoor seating and space for weekly food trucks and regular live music. Know that you're doing good here, too; every month, the brewery sponsors a different local non-for-profit.

If you're further north, you're sorted for a bevvie at cocktail bar The Ruse (theruse.com.au) in Ulladulla, halfway between Nowra and Batemans Bay. From a perch on the second storey, you can sip an A-plus margarita while listening to local musicians and watching jubilant anglers discussing the day's catch. Cheers to that.