PERFECT BEACH AND PIES

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Waking in the morning we were pleased to find that the temperature had moved up a couple of degrees and the sun was doing its best to break through the clouds. We drove to Jervis bay and stopped at Hyams beach. It is said that the sand at Hyams beach is the whitest in the world so we were looking forward to seeing what it looked like. Pulling over at the side of the beach we got our first sight of the sand. It was so white that you needed your sunglasses! The sea was so clear and blue, even the white surf as the waves rolled over was aqua in colour - just stunning. We grabbed our snorkel gear and towels and headed down the bank. Stepping on to the sand was an experience in itself. It was so fine that it squeaked under our feet when we walked, just like when you walk on snow.

The sea was quite chilly but there is no point in messing about when getting into cold water, it only prolongs the uncomfortable feeling. We jumped right in and as soon as we were snorkelling we couldn't feel the chill. We were only a short distance from the shore but there were so many things to see that we didn't need to go any further. In just a short space of time we saw all sorts of fish including Puffer fish and most amazing of all we saw a stingray gracefully skimming the sand beneath us!

Later when we walked across the rocks to another part of the beach we found crystal clear rock pools, each so perfect and full of life that they were like miniature seas. The great thing about the beach was that it wasn't overrun with people. There were only around 30 other people on the whole beach.

After leaving the beach Andy only had one thing on his mind... PIES. We spotted a huge sign advertising pies, but as we got closer we found it was a drive through pie shop selling previously frozen pies. This was not the pie Andy was looking for. He was just about to give up when we saw another advertising board that said home-made pies 25km. After waiting so long already I questioned whether he'd make the 25km without drowning himself in dribblel! 25km long km later we parked up and I was just about to enquire what sort of pie he would go for. I was too late. He was already running across the car park, putting his shirt on as he ran! After a short while Andy returned with a smile on his face - this was a surprise as decision making is not one of Andy's strong points. "Steak and Guinness" he said with a grin and flaky pastry round his chops. Pie quickly finished off he decided that one pie wasn't enough and that it really wouldn't be fair to give his opinion on the Australian pie without trying at least one more pie from a different establishment for comparison.

Shortly later we pulled up outside pie shop number two. It was the same scenario again. The engine was hardly off by the time he was halfway across the car park. When he returned he was sad that they had run out of steak and mushroom. He didn’t dwell on it as he didn't want it to affect his enjoyment of his second choice, chunky steak.

Pie two turned out to be the superior pie. Eating two pies had also turned Andy into a connoisseur. "The meat in was pie one was better, but for me its all about the pastry and pie number two has it!" Well with such knowledge and fine reviews I'm sure he will be hearing from the good food guide very soon.

With his pie urge finally satisfied (for now) we continued on our way. We made a stop at Brulee beach for a spot of sunbathing and body boarding. We left when the wind got so strong that Andy couldn't hold the board and I was covered in sand. Back on the road Andy spotted a sign for a place called fisherman's paradise. He was desperate to catch a fish so we took a detour. As we drove through the village we could find no way of getting to the water. As we looked around we noticed that everyone had a boat. It seems that this can only be fisherman's paradise if you owned a boat.

We found a great free camp spot for the night in the middle of the forest. It was so nice to get some peace and quiet after spending nights in a lay-bys.

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