Another Date Day

The co driver had an early morning appointment in Nowra so we decided to make a day of it. The town, which is about an hour's drive to the north of us, is the main regional centre of our area and sits on the banks of the Shoalhaven River a few kilometers from where it empties into the ocean. The name means 'black cockatoo' in the local aboriginal language.
It has a population of around 100,000 so is considered by us to be the 'medium smoke' in comparison to Sydney which is 'the big smoke'. There are a number of industries operating there eg. a paper mill and a starch/ethanol plant. The naval air station HMAS Albatross is also located in the area.
There is a bit more choice for shopping and services than in our neck of the woods. So after the appointment was done we spent a bit of time at Spotlight (a fabric store) and the local library.
Then we headed  a bit further north to the little town of Berry for lunch.
Alexander Berry pioneered European settlement in this part of the Shoalhaven region in 1822. The locality was known as Broughton Creek from its beginning in 1825 as a private town and part of a large rural grant holding called Coolangatta. The name was changed to Berry in 1889, following the death of David Berry, Alexander's brother, to honour the Berry family.

Today it is mainly a tourist town full of cafes, antique shops and quirky goods stores although there is still a supermarket, bakery and a butcher to cater for the locals. It is the sort of place people come down to from Sydney for a day trip on weekends. They are currently discussing a controversial highway by pass which will make the town less hectic traffic wise.
We always have lunch at 'The Emporium' which is a deli cum cafe. The coffee is the best around and the sandwiches, salads and quiches are second to none.
I should also mention there is a quilt shop and a fabric shop in the vicinity. While the co driver was doing her thing there, I snuck down the road for a double cone at the ice creamery. Sorry Dr. M!
Then on the way home back through Nowra we stopped at the newish Fish and Meat Market on the recommendation of one of our neighbours.
Wow! A huge range of fresh fish, crustaceans and shell fish plus every cut of meat (beef, pork, lamb, chicken) known to man. This is now a 'must visit' when in that area or coming back from Sydney. We just have to remember to put an esky (cooler) in the car.
We bought some big tiger prawns and some fresh mussels which we opened on the BBQ that night and ate with a home made spicy tomato sauce.
And there are enough prawns left over for another 'go' tonight.