Bega is a picturesque town nestled in the Bega Valley Shire on the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Surrounded by rolling hills, green pastures, and rivers, it enjoys a location that’s both scenic and agriculturally productive. The area’s fertile soil and mild climate make it ideal for dairy farming, which has been the backbone of Bega's economy and identity for well over a century.  

As we approached the town centre from the north I couldn’t help thinking Bunnos, or the hardware store equivalent a while back must have had a fire sale on Poplar Trees and the locals took full advantage.

Bega itself is a bustling small town with a few art deco buildings mixed in with mainly historic buildings dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries that reflect its long-standing agricultural roots.

But we were there for the cheese.

The Bega Cheese company has deep ties to the town's history and development. Founded in 1899, it began as a cooperative of local dairy farmers who aimed to make the most of their milk production by pooling resources. This cooperative structure allowed the farmers to share in the profits and enabled Bega Cheese to grow steadily while retaining its strong ties to the community. Originally, Bega’s cheese was crafted in small batches that highlighted the rich flavour of the local milk, soon establishing a reputation for quality that spread throughout Australia.

The gold standard for me has always been the completely acccessible and immersive experience at Ashgrove Cheeses in Northern Tasmania so I was expecting big things from Australia's largest cheese company. I left underwhelmed and disappointed.

Sure they covered the accessibility basics - disabled car spot (1 in a large car park down a hill), disabled toilet in the carpark and a large access ramp into the building but that's where consideration for mobility impaired people ended.

The good stuff, the museum and heritage display - the reason we were there - was up a quite steep staircase on the second level and completely inaccessible to people with mobility issues.

Like a few places we've encountered during our journey, accessibility stopped at the cash register, I could access the cafe, souvenirs and produce for sale ok - but the interesting stuff gave me the choice of risking a major fall by climbing and then descending a large staircase to see it or forgetting it and having a coffee while Kathy went upstairs to check it out. I chose the latter.

The coffee was ok but it came with a huge slice of self congratulation as an unavoidable promo video looped through on a big screen telling a story of how one man's vision took a successful co-op formed by farmers in 1899 and took it to a billion dollar plus turnover by privatising and expansion over the last 20 years or so.

I found it annoying really - it was the only thing I wished was upstairs! Much more suited for a private viewing room, leaving me to enjoy my coffee in peace.

I was expecting to enjoy some cheese at Bega but instead left with a sour taste in my mouth