It's one of the best whale-watching spots on the South Coast.
(Melville Point, Hermann Melville, Moby Dick - get it? ☺ )
The first bit of sunshine and blue sky in days saw us on the beautiful South Coast. Just a dozen clicks from Batemans Bay is the village of Tomakin. With the Tomago River on one side and the endless expanse of the South Pacific Ocean ahead, you can see as far south as Gulaga Mountain with Broulee Island Nature Reserve and Mossy Point in the foreground.
A little history on Tomakin, named for a local fisherman THOMAS AKIN: where the well-known Caravan Park now stands there was just a shack, occupied by a very self-sufficient gentleman, Tom Barling. The village was called ‘SUNPATCH’ for a short period of time by the land developers, who also had a small airstrip to fly in prospective buyers. There were two farms in the area, three cheese factories and a steam-driven saw mill was located by the riverbank.
The local shop, now a busy hub for locals, was originally operated by Alf Stephens and opened just half a day, once a week. These days Martin and Jo Rose have the Tomakin General Store open and ready to go every day with fresh home baked cakes, including great coffee, Devonshire tea, Portuguese tarts, home made pies, such as Sweet Potato, Bacon and Cheese, gluten free products and hot meals!
The Tomakin General Store - or SUNPATCH KAFFAY, as it is now known - is also very dog-friendly with a hitching post and a watering bowl. They even sell 'Oh My Dog' biscuits which you can share with your four-legged friend while you sip your latte.
And here's one of Joe's recipes you can try yourself:
Tomakin Treats
½ cup sugar
1 cup coconut
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup cornflakes
Combine all of above in mixing bowl. Melt 4-oz butter with 1 dessertspoon honey. Add to the dry ingredients, form into balls, flatten and bake at 300-350 deg F till golden brown.
Jo also has a stall at the Moruya markets where she sells her famous "Her Pieness" homemade pies. SUNPATCH KAFFAY can be found on the corner of Kingston Place and Sunpatch Parade. Look for folk enjoying a latte under the large umbrellas.
There is so much more to this village. No wonder the locals love the peace and serenity and there is a real community spirit alive here. So for your next budget day out, why not slip into the village of Tomakin? You might get a real surprise!
