Brad Lonard is tempted by a foodies' paradise in Shellharbour.

It's grey and miserable weather in Sydney, with a cold wind lashing the city. The perfect time to head to the beach, then.

Shellharbour, about two hours' drive south of Sydney, is one of those towns with a secret identity. Go through the town centre and you'll see the usual shopping strips. Take a turn and head for the beach, though, and you'll find yourself in Shellharbour Village. Here the streets are lined with funky cafes, upmarket restaurants, arts and crafts and boutiques - not to mention a cluster of fish and chip shops across the road from the seaside. It's a little like a Leura or Bronte, except that you have some chance of finding a parking spot on the weekend.

The village's charm and central location make it a perfect spot to base yourself while you explore the wider Illawarra area. Kiama is just 14 kilometres away and Berry, with its antique shops and Devonshire teas, less than 40.

Or you could just do what we did: lie about the house and relax. A weekend of nothing to do, and plenty of time to do it.

Joylaine made it easy. A newish three-bedroom beach house, it's located just a few streets away from everything in the village: a five-minute walk to the foodie hangouts in Addison Street and the same to the foreshore.

The house is small enough to be cosy but not so small you're in each other's pockets. There are two levels, with a large open-plan kitchen downstairs next to the remote-controlled garage and laundry. Upstairs there are three bedrooms, a bathroom and an entertainment area, the latter with a big-screen LCD TV and surround-sound stereo, plus a large selection of CDs, DVDs and a PlayStation (which we had a hard time wresting away from the seven-year-old ). The general ambience is open, light and airy - perfect for soaking up any sun.

On arrival we found a welcome package of chocolates and a good bottle of wine; thankfully, the heating had also been turned on. It had been a tiring drive down from Sydney so we made an early night of it before heading out into Addison Street the next morning for R&R: restaurants and retail therapy.

With so many enticing cafes crammed into such a small space, simply deciding where to go involved protracted negotiations. We settled on Maritz for breakfast, mostly because the young one was entranced by the idea of pancakes for brekkie. And they were good - good enough (and large enough) for the parents to beg a portion - while the coffee was excellent.

Afterwards, we rambled around the handicraft shops. We realised as we shopped that we'd missed the Shellharbour Village Craft Markets, a local institution, by one weekend (it's on the second Sunday of each month). Never mind, there were plenty of shops to potter about in.

Then it was back to the house to split up the Saturday paper. The grey skies having miraculously cleared for a lovely sunny day, my wife took half out to bask on the day bed, located on the large veranda that runs the length of the upstairs level. I made do with the rest in the downstairs courtyard, seated next to the six-seater spa. Sadly, while the weather was good, it wasn't good enough to try that one out.

The rest of the day was taken up with culinary experiences that couldn't be more different, although both were memorable. A late lunch consisted of fresh fish and chips, eaten as they should be - straight out of the fryer, as we sat on a park bench on the foreshore.

For dinner, we'd been advised that Relish on Addison was the place to go. I ordered the lamb shank, red wine and rosemary pie with roast garlic mash and shiraz jus, which proved heavenly - almost as good, my wife assured me, as her tarragon roast chicken breast. After filling up with coffee and desserts, we waddled back to Joylaine.

Before we left Shellharbour, we still had one foodie stop left to go. My Chocolate Shoppe sells just that: chocolate. Our host had told us to stop there for hot chocolate. How could we resist? We didn't.

The writer was a guest of Tourism NSW and Joylaine Beach House.

TRIP NOTES

Address: Joylaine Beach House, 13a Boollwarroo Parade, Shellharbour Village.

Bookings: Phone Donna Woodley 0414 225 441, email shellharbour@thenumbernetwork.com.au, see http://www.stayz.com.au/17253.

Rates: Two-night minimum from $600 a weekend.

VERDICT

Well-appointed accommodation within easy walking distance of cafes and the beach.

Why you'd go: For good food, good shopping and a good excuse to laze about.

Why you wouldn't: You really, really want to get away from the crowds.

FIND TIME TO

* Pamper yourself at the Semiyahn day spa (discount for Joylaine guests).

* Try your luck at the many fishing spots.

* Enjoy the wilderness at nearby Killalea State Park.

* Do the Illawarra Fly Treetop Walk, 25 metres up.