Meet the Makers of the Gourmet Coast

The salt air carries more than ocean spray along this stretch of coastline. It holds stories. From Batemans Bay to Eden, the Gourmet Coast Trail has become a constellation of passionate makers who've chosen this place to build something authentic.

The trail connects more than 75 businesses across the region, offering everything from curated itineraries to an interactive trip planner that lets you design your own culinary adventure. Whether you're seeking the perfect weekend getaway or planning a week exploring the coast's food scene, it's your gateway to discovering the genuine stories behind exceptional experiences.

Over the coming weeks, we're taking you behind the scenes with the early risers and late-night dreamers, discovering what drives the people behind the region's best food and experiences. Our journey unfolds across five chapters: First Light (the morning coffee creators), From Farm to Fork (producers and chefs), Home Away From Home(accommodation that feels like sanctuary), The Story Continues (fresh voices carrying on traditions), and The Thread That Binds (what connects them all).

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Chapter 4

The Story Continues

On Narooma Inlet, fourth-generation boat builder Mal brings together family heritage with Mal's BBQ Boats, creating experiences that can only happen on these particular waters."

Mal has always been passionate about boats," his team explains. "With a deep family connection to Narooma that spans generations, the two go hand in hand. Mal gets to do what he is passionate about, in a place he loves."

The magic happens when people become temporary skippers of their own vessels. "It's one thing to go on a boat tour while on holidays, it's an entirely different experience to be a skipper of your own vessel for an afternoon in Narooma." The self-paced nature means guests connect with Wagonga Inlet at their own speed.

Their philosophy is simple: guests arrive as visitors but leave as friends. "The Far South Coast region offers some of the best and freshest seafood in Australia," they explain. "The opportunity to enjoy seafood that's been gathered or caught from the very water you're sailing on, is an experience like no other. Add in the stunning views of Wagonga Inlet, a sunset and a drink in hand while you're out on the water, and the experience is hard to beat."

The Thread That Binds

What emerges from these stories isn't just a collection of excellent businesses. It's a portrait of a region that has learned to build resilience through connection. From Jane and Sandra turning every native flavour into a scoop of story, to Fiona discovering that ancient volcanic soil could nurture something extraordinary, to Kattalina creating her dream café where the marina comes alive each morning.

The Gourmet Coast Trail represents more than 75 businesses across the Bega Valley and Eurobodalla shires, each one anchored by people who understand that the best experiences can't be rushed, can't be faked, and can't be separated from the land and community that nurture them.

These makers aren't just serving food, drinks, or accommodation. They're serving connection to place, to each other, to the rhythms of a coastline that rewards patience and authenticity. In a world increasingly hungry for the real, the Far South Coast offers quality businesses, genuine stories, and experiences that keep people coming back.

Whether you follow one of the six curated itineraries or create your own adventure using the interactive trip planner, the Gourmet Coast Trail promises warm welcomes and tantalising tastes at every twist and turn. Because this isn't just about finding great food and wine. It's about discovering the stories that make them taste even better.

The Gourmet Coast Trail stretches from Batemans Bay to Eden, connecting passionate makers across the Far South Coast.

For itineraries, the interactive trip planner, and more information, visit gourmetcoasttrail.com.au

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 Chapter 3 

Home Away From Home

At Mountain View Farm, nestled in the shadow of Gulaga, the moment of arrival tells everything. "The number of times guests have arrived in the driveway and you can visibly see a sigh and a sense of wonder, it is really hard to express," the owner reflects. This sanctuary was born from a shared dream to develop the property and share its special energy with others.

Mountain View Farm

Though she lost her original business partner shortly after moving here, that vision lives on. "The combination of our 3 acres of tended gardens surrounded by farmland and national park watched over by the mother Gulaga creates a unique space," she explains. The sounds of different birds and nearby cows create their own special song, while the unique area between Gulaga and Najanuga generates its own feeling. What she hopes guests take with them is simple: "Connection, gratitude, natural energy." Each accommodation includes a fire pit for stargazing in minimal light pollution, encouraging people to connect with the land. "Being open to the little things will give you an insight into the bigger things and leave you with some very special experiences.”

In Mossy Point, The Mossy Café’s walls have stories to tell. Having served as everything from hospital building to milk bar to scuba shop, they understand the importance of consistency. When owner Belinda first walked through these doors a decade ago, she came with no grand plan. "Blind ignorance, really," she laughs. "I knew nothing about cafés, nothing about the building's history." What was meant to be a six-month setup became a ten-year love affair.

“That’s when you know you’re more than a business, you are a part of people’s lives”

The café's layout still reflects its residential history, with the "nanna's lounge" feeling so much like stepping into someone's living room that first-time customers worry they're intruding. "We have customers who come in every single day for their coffee," Belinda shares. "When they don't appear for a few days, former staff members who've moved on will check in: 'Have you seen Mike and Robin? Are they okay?' That's when you know you're more than a business, you are a part of people's lives."

The Bower

Mark and Sue at The Bower at Broulee have mastered creating intimacy with the bush without losing comfort. "By letting nature take the lead," they explain. At the recommendation of a visiting architect, they invested in large expanses of glass, especially high windows, that draw native flora and wildlife movements into the sanctuary. "From your spa bath or king bed, you can watch birds flitting through the canopy of eucalypts or see wallabies grazing at dusk."

Inside, every detail is designed for indulgence. A glowing fireplace, a deep spa bath, warm soft textures. So guests can be fully immersed in the bush while wrapped in complete comfort.

“The transformation they witness speaks to what people crave. “Many couples arrive exhausted and stressed from their busy lives. Within a few short hours, sitting in silence on the deck, listening to the birds and watching the shifting light through the trees, they begin to feel rejuvenated and recharged.””

What the land has taught them about hospitality runs counter to our culture's urgency. "Patience, respect, and presence," they reflect. "The bush doesn't rush to impress. It quietly reveals its beauty when you slow down enough to notice."

It's not always the big activities guests remember most. It's the quiet moments: rain on the roof, the scent of eucalyptus, the way the light filters through the canopy in the morning. Their hope is simple: "We hope they carry a little of The Bower's peace back into their everyday lives."

You've woken to morning light, tasted what the land produces, and found sanctuary in spaces that slow you down. But some of the best stories on the Far South Coast happen when you get back out on the water—when you're the one steering, cooking your own catch, connected to these waters in the most immediate way possible. Next week: The Story Continues, where fresh energy meets family tradition, and we discover what ties all these makers together.

Chapter 2 

From Farm to Fork

In the volcanic soil of Gulaga's slopes, Fiona Kotvojs tends to something most people have never seen grow. Gulaga Gold Truffiere represents agricultural innovation rooted in science but driven by connection to place.

Fiona Kotvojs and Alan Burdon.

“It started with us wanting to find a way to make our family farm sustainable for future generations,”

— Fiona

"It started with us wanting to find a way to make our family farm sustainable for future generations," Fiona explains. "When we did the research, truffles ticked all the boxes, even though there was so much mystery about them." The mystery proved addictive. "The more we learnt about truffles and fungi, the more we became entrapped."

Food & Wine's Ed Halmagyi described their truffles as having "a richness that lingers on the palate," capturing a terroir that combines volcanic soil, rainforested mountain slopes, and hints of nearby sea. But it's the early mornings that reveal truffle season's true magic. "When the sun reaches the truffiere, everything sparkles. As the sun warms the earth, mists start to rise, and the aroma of truffle with it."

Head chef Tim Bell at Kitty's in Merimbula weaves together Asian tradition and coastal Australian ingredients. "I like to look for a connection," he explains. "Whether it be technique, ingredient, or method of cooking. Finding this connection and drawing from what we have available is what makes us a unique experience." His Korean fried chicken carries the story of industrial Seoul streets transforming into "beer town" after dark, where vendors opened restaurants with plastic seating spilling onto the pavement. "Kitty's KFC is a recreation of this in its own way," Tim says.

“The magic happens when dining room and bar energy converge. “It’s like a dance,” ”

— Tim Head Chef

But it's his beef tataki paired with Kirin Ichiban that best represents his philosophy. "Matching the tataki with a lager beer allows the citrus notes from our ponzu sesame sauce to shine through. It's about achieving harmony, sometimes through contrast."

The magic happens when dining room and bar energy converge. "It's like a dance," Tim describes. "The chatter and music come together in this constant hum. Everything blends together." The French word terroir comes to mind, he reflects. "We have some amazing coastline around us here that touches people in its own way."

Down in Batemans Bay, Innes Boat Shed represents tradition in its purest form: "From boat to plate, straight in the back door through the cookers and out the front door to you... doesn't get any better than that." Five generations of the Innes family have maintained this direct line from Clyde River to customer.

The story runs deep. The first boatshed was built in 1900, with the current structure constructed by Bert Atwell in 1944 over an existing wharf from the Ulladulla Steamship Company. When the Innes family took on the lease ten years later, Batemans Bay had a population of just 675 and no bridge, river crossings were made by punt. Merv and his brother fished the river commercially before moving to ocean fishing, while Robin Innes raised five children in the loft above the shop.

““From boat to plate, straight in the back door through the cookers and out the front door to you... doesn’t get any better than that.””

In the 1960s, Robin decided to cook fish from a small window at the front, creating what would become a beloved tradition. "It's a special place for families," the current generation explains. "Mums and dads bringing the kids, who in turn bring theirs. We have multi-generations bringing their families to the Boatshed." Today, the fifth generation still cooks fish and chips in the shop and operates commercial fishing boats from the same boatshed.

The ingredients have been sourced, the plates have been served, the last coffee cup cleared away. But the best experiences on the Far South Coast don't end when the meal does—they extend into the places where you rest, recharge, and wake up to do it all again. Next up: Home Away From Home, where we meet the hosts creating spaces that feel like sanctuary, from the shadow of Gulaga to the intimacy of the bush…

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Chapter One

FIRST LIGHT

Before the first customer stirs, there's something special happening across the Far South Coast. It's the quiet choreography of morning: coffee beans grinding, ovens warming, hands checking that everything is ready to welcome a new day.

Jane and Sandra pause each morning to ground themselves in the land and their animals.

"The true heartbeat of everything we do.”

Sandra in the dairy.

At Bodalla Dairy Shed, Jane and Sandra pause each morning to ground themselves in the land and their animals. "The true heartbeat of everything we do." Once the milk is checked and the hot chocolate taps are flowing, they're ready to welcome people into a village that's been a working community for 165 years. "Our village is alive with artisans, and we love knowing that the first customer through our doors will often go on to meet the other incredible makers up the street too."

Bodalla Dairy opened, more than ten female-led artisan businesses have flourished in the village. Their "Let's Go Camping" ice cream tells this story perfectly. Smoked clotted cream with butterscotch seam and macadamia praline, born from creativity and resilience. "It carries the essence of Australia," they say. Alongside it stand flavours built from the Australian bush: wattleseed, lemon myrtle, pepperberry, saltbush. Every scoop speaks of this land.

Further South, Kattalina's on the Marina, owner Kattalina feels the daily blessing of calling this place both home and work. Her journey here began in Victoria, but the call of coastal living proved irresistible. "I decided to pack up my life and move to the South Coast to buy my dream café."

““I hope when people leave Kattalina’s they feel relaxed, invigorated and revitalised,” she says. “Having had time to take in the beautiful views surrounding them.””

— Kat

The ritual of a good morning at Kattalina's begins with locally roasted Coast Blend beans, brewed on a custom-made pale pink San Remo coffee machine with oak accents. Every detail has been hand-selected: coral scalloped-edge crockery, olive trees in white pots, Mediterranean-inspired outdoor tables where water views and careful curation converge. "I hope when people leave Kattalina's they feel relaxed, invigorated and revitalised," she says. "Having had time to take in the beautiful views surrounding them."

The morning light reveals more than just stunning coastal views-it illuminates the passion of people who choose to start each day creating something genuine.

Next up: From Farm to Fork, where we meet the growers, producers, and chefs turning the Far South Coast's exceptional ingredients into unforgettable experiences.