Very dangerous ales at the Milton Hotel

On a recent visit to the South Coast we drove to the tiny and attractive town of Milton for lunch. Milton is perched on a thin ridge, with hills and views either side and the escarpment towering in the distance. Unfortunately, like Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands – another favourite place – the main street is also the main highway. Cross if you dare. Once across, though, it's a place well worth spending time in.

 

The revamped Milton Hotel - on the corner of the main road in Milton.

We had lunch at the Milton Hotel and it was a revelation. For many years we’d been visiting Milton and seeing signs notifying everyone that the pub was being renovated and would open again soon. Well, all I can say is ‘not soon enough.’ This was our first visit and it didn’t disappoint. The space is several spaces, all interesting, including a stretching balcony overlooking the rolling hills of the South Coast.

 How to use a wood-fired oven - wood roasted fish and wood-fired prawns and flatbread.

 'I am very partial to dark beers and this was a dark beer heaven.' 

The food was terrific – their large open wood fired oven is a big feature. We had wood roasted fish with peas, crunchy samphire and clam velouté, wood fired prawns with curry butter, tamarind and lime and wood fired flatbread with smoked mussel butter. 

Dark beer heaven.

Washed up on the shore - on the roof at Bannisters Pavilion

A few weeks ago we headed down the Coast for a short break. Once again we found ourselves at Bannisters Pavilion – the cheap version of Rick Stein’s Bannisters Lodge at Mollymook, a bit more distant from the sea, but a bit closer to the ever-enticing town of Milton. In winter Bannisters have sales because no-one wants to go to the seaside – except those who live there – and we love a bargain. 

There seems to be an umbilical cord connecting Canberra to the South Coast of New South Wales. In many ways it’s not surprising. When I lived in Sydney a trip to Ulladulla was a longish drive, whereas from Canberra to Batemans Bay is a quick two hours hop down the mountainside – though admittedly there is a quite a bit of ‘down’ in that.

'There seems to be an umbilical cord connecting Canberra to the South Coast of New South Wales. In many ways it’s not surprising.' 

Many Canberrans have ‘shacks’ (aka holiday houses) somewhere amongst a string of South Coast townships. Many years ago, when I lived in Sydney, I stayed in a campground at Racecourse Beach and was astounded at the high proportion of ACT number plates – though now I live in Canberra I’m no longer surprised.

Despite the main road through Milton also being the main highway, it is a charming and attractive town that keeps drawing us back.