Sydneysiders have long been travelling north to escape the city and get away from it all. Even in the 1900s when there were hardly any roads, city-slickers flocked to Woy Woy – known as the Venice of Australia – on the train and then onto Hardys Bay via ferry to immerse themselves in pristine nature.

In a culinary coup for the Central Coast, Avoca restaurant Bombini partnered with Bowral’s Biota to present an epic Sunday feast. Combining the flavours of the Southern Highlands with fruit and veg plucked fresh from Bombini’s organic garden, the joint lunch was a celebration of regional produce. Despite the incessant rain, it turned out to be a