Further down the coast (although not quite in Wollongong) is the village of Austinmer. It has a little beach that is surfable, rock pool that I’ve swam in many a time, and is backed by the Illawarra Escarpment.
Fortunately/unfortunately, it’s been gentrified, so instead of the old milk bars we now have cafes.
The only constant is change, so the saying goes. It’s definitely the case where Austinmer’s concerned. The beachfront has had its share of gentrification since I started visiting in the mid 90’s. The row of traditional take-aways have been replaced by a swish condo/cafe complex. Gone are the days when lunch consisted of a good old-fashioned burger (Aussie-style, with beetroot) and a bucket-load of hot chips wrapped in newspaper eaten on the beach. Well, I’m sure the modern cafe has burger and chips on its menu, but sometimes nothing beats an old-fashioned take-away burger and chips after a refreshing dip in the ocean.
An early morning drive on Sunday took me down to the village of Austinmer. I arrived so early that the lifesavers hadn’t yet set-up shop and the locals were still doing laps of the rockpool. I eventually joined them but not before taking a squizz at the beach where a few surfers were still in the water. The waves weren’t particularly big, but still decent enough for them to get a ride or two.
Static and Silence 