Sunday driver

Remember going on Sunday drives with your mum and dad as a kid? They were such rambling, carefree, iPhone-less times.

I went on a spontaneous Sunday drive yesterday with the kids and we loved it. We started our adventure by heading down to The Imperial Hotel at Clifton – via the Sea Cliff Bridge – for lunch.

It was my first time driving on the Sea Cliff Bridge and I’m not surprised that it features in so many ads, as it’s pretty amazing.

It replaced a section of Lawrence Hargrave Drive that was permanently closed in August 2003 due to regular rock falls. A public outcry ensued over the road closure as it is the only direct link between the towns of Coalcliff, Stanwell Park, Otford  and Helensburgh to the northern suburbs of Wollongong.

The road continues to be problematic, with another section partially collapsed when we drove through yesterday.

As for The Imperial Hotel, I poked my nose in its door many months ago on my first visit to the coastal towns above Wollongong. I was dazzled by its location and vowed to return.

The owners have done an incredible job on the renovation.

Perched on a seaside cliff since 1911, the Imperial Hotel was a popular spot until the closure of the main road to the town in 2003. It gradually became derelict until it was given a spectacular makeover and reopened in 2022.

It features brilliant ocean views from huge picture windows. This is what it looks like empty …

The place was packed when we got there and doesn’t take bookings, so we didn’t get a table with the best view, but it was still a lovely spot.

The youngest wanted the prawn roll, which was eye-wateringly expensive at $41, but we don’t have lunch together often so I told her to go for it.

The prawns are from Skull Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria, which apparently produces the largest tiger prawns in Australia.

They normally look like this …

Unfortunately we scored the runts of the litter, which were about half the size, so only getting two on a slightly stale bread roll was a bit underwhelming … $20 a prawn, really?

After lunch we wandered downstairs to the immaculately manicured garden and spent a happy 20 minutes watching a pod of whales frolic not far from the shore. (Someone with a better camera than mine took the above representative shot from the same spot a few months ago.)

So while I wouldn’t order the prawn roll again, I loved our time at the pub.

Then we took the long way home through the Royal National Park. I can’t believe I’ve never been there before, it was gorgeous.

What must have European settlers thought when they saw their first Gymea lillies in NSW, towering in the bush? There were heaps of them in the national park, such bizarre, beautiful things.

Other happy surprises were visiting Bundeena for the first time and realising what a thriving village it is despite being in the middle of nowhere. The main street was crammed with cafes and shops, there was even a silver retro food truck glistening in the afternoon sun and surrounded by happy customers.

We would also love to return to Audley Dance Hall for lunch one day. Such a pretty spot!

We only touched the surface of the attractions in the Royal National Park and I am very keen to explore it further and maybe even take a dip in the famed figure 8 pools at low tide.

Rewinding to Friday night … DD and I had drinks with our travel agent, then we enjoyed the most delicious dinner at a restaurant called Restaurant Toshiya in Cremorne  Junction with some of DD’s former workmates.

The most mouth-watering of the morsels in our banquet were the sashimi tacos. Oh my giddy aunt. Divine!

After hearing about it the eldest wants to go there for a 21st birthday dinner.

I have no idea when the diet starts, but it had better be soon or I will need a whole new linen wardrobe because the current one will no longer fit me.

But it was a super fun weekend, with other highlights including a date night with DD to see Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, followed by a bowl of pasta at the bar at Lucky & Peps while a live bossa nova trio played.

Hope you had a good weekend too.

Song of the day: Lionel Ritchie “Easy like Sunday morning”