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EARTH WALKER & CO

Opened in 2016 on the site of a rundown newsagency

on the main drag of Coledale, a village popular with

young families, Earth Walker & Co arrived in a burst

of energy and ideas. Night yoga sessions, exhibitions of

local artists, workshops on weaving and photography,

and a steadfast commitment to local suppliers and

produce have turned Earth Walker into a community

hub. Its signature sweet-potato burger with peanut

sauce comes on an activated-charcoal bun; the popular

Earthbowl features locally grown greens and heirloom

beetroot, black tahini and native succulents including

seaspray and karkalla. Look for baked goods by Arthurs

Baker in Port Kembla (visit the baker’s stall at the

Coledale Markets at Coledale Public School on the

fourth Sunday of the month); the fruit for house-made

tarts, meanwhile, is supplied by nearby Darkes Forest

orchards, where visitors can pick their own. Store

co-owners Ciara Kulmar and Bianca Poscoliero have

teamed up with Warrawong unemployed youth and

refugee scheme Green Connect to offer “fair food”

vegetable boxes – ideal for a holiday rental pantry along

with one of Daniel Watts’ Bread Circle loaves.Open daily

7am-4pm and for dinner Fridays and Saturdays in summer.

749 Lawrence Hargrave Dr, Coledale, NSW, (02) 4622 1684

EAT AT SANDY’S

Building on the success of their café Sandygoodwich,

launched in Wollongong in 2012, Yon Miller and

Emma Huber have opened a family-friendly diner

with a no-frills menu of wood-fired, slow-roasted

meats and robust side dishes. Start with farinata or

ricotta croquettes spiked with sage salt and parmesan,

perhaps, then settle in with hearty Middle Eastern and

Asian-influenced dishes; roast chicken with kimchi

comes with sesame cucumber pickle, a shoulder of

lamb with green olive tapenade. Vegetarian and

gluten-free dishes include roast eggplant with chickpeas

and shakshuka, carrots with curry leaves, labne and

ginger, and baked pumpkin with cinnamon, tahini

and currants. Children are greeted with crayons and

butcher’s paper.1/323 Princes Hwy, Bulli, NSW,

(02) 4283 7739, sandygoodwich.com.au

Austinmer Beach.

Top left: Earth Walker

& Co. Opposite, from

top: Kneading Ruby;

sweet-potato burger

on a charcoal bun at

Earth Walker & Co;

South Sailor.

164 GOURMET TRAVELLER