Your akubra-clad columnist is especially enchanted by those of the one-lane variety. Sure, they may not be great for drivers in a hurry but they evoke a bygone era, a tangible nod to a time when design and craftsmanship were valued. And when we weren't always in such a rush.

Over recent decades many wooden bridges in Australia have been demolished, superseded by modern mass-produced concrete crossings. One of the last bastions for the old rattlers is the NSW South Coast, where there are five of these iconic bridges along the spectacular section of road linking Wallaga Lake to Tathra.

Unfortunately for wooden bridge aficionados, the days for one of this much-loved quintet, the Cuttagee Bridge, are numbered. Despite being listed on the local heritage register, the Bega Valley Shire Council announced last week that the 113-metre long landmark will be demolished and replaced by a double-lane concrete bridge. Really!

Given these five bridges are such a drawcard for the Bermagui to Tathra coastal drive, which is widely lauded as one of the best in Australia, to say many locals are unhappy would be an understatement.

One of those leading the charge to "Save Cuttagee Bridge" is Hannah Dunn, of Bermagui.

"The bridge is a window into the past, it reflects the historic nature of this strip of coastline," she says. "The wooden bridge is symbolic of the timber trade which dominated this part of the coast in years gone by."

Hannah is far from the only one spitting chips over the decision to rip down the historic bridge. It was undertaken without any community consultation. Already more than 7500 (and counting) people have signed a hastily organised online petition (at change.org) to "stop the demolition of Cuttagee Bridge and replacement with a concrete structure".

One of these signatories is much-admired South Coast landscape photographer David Rogers and he sums up the sentiments of many disappointed locals.

"Not only will this be a loss of history, it will also be a blow to the core fabric which makes this area a special place of beauty and reverence," attests the Sapphire Coast shutterbug who admits that whenever he gives way to oncoming traffic at the bridge he "reflects on how important it is to slow down in life and to be grateful for living in such a beautiful area".

Like many, David also gets a kick out of the sound the bridge makes when a vehicle drives over it.

"I just love listening to the distinctively unique symphony of rattling wood; it's the sound of the South Coast," he explains.

Hear! hear! That thud, clank and jingle of a car crossing one of these coastal rattlers ought be bottled-up in the National Film and Sounds Archive's Sounds of Australia - a special repository of sound recordings that inform or reflect life in Australia. Yes, the "Cuttagee Clatter" should sit alongside the theme song to Skippy the Bush Kangaroo and Cold Chisel's Khe Sanh.

According to NSW Member for Bega Andrew Constance, the NSW government is providing funding to the council to replace the bridge as part of a $500 million Fixing Country Bridges program. He says it will "better connect regional communities" as well as "increase resilience to natural disasters". Heck, no one wants a bridge to collapse and jeopardise the safety of anyone, but can't Cuttagee Bridge simply be restored?

Sure, in today's throw-away world the the short-term cost to restore the bridge would likely dwarf the $7.5 million provided by the NSW government for the concrete replacement, but have the bean counters considered the long-term benefits of preserving the original bridge?

Canberrans faced a similar conundrum 15 years ago when the ACT government announced plans to replace the historic Allan Truss bridge spanning the Murrumbidgee River at Tharwa with a $7 million two-lane concrete monstrosity. However, it eventually swayed to community pressure and repaired the heritage-listed bridge, thereby ensuring a grand gateway to Tharwa and beyond for generations to come. And, yes, the restoration ended up costing taxpayers three times as much, but was it worth it? You betcha it was. Can you imagine venturing into the wilds of Namadgi without crossing that bridge? It just wouldn't be the same.

While the Bega Valley Shire Council has shown no signs of budging on its decision to demolish the Cuttagee Bridge, a spokesperson promises its concrete replacement will be "sympathetic to heritage and tourism values".

"We expect it will be at least 12 months before construction commences so there will be adequate time to form a community advisory group and to ensure we capture the heritage value of the bridge," asserts the council's director of assets and operations, Anthony McMahon.

Of course, all those like Hannah and David who are desperate to save the much-loved bridge would argue the best way to "capture the heritage value of the bridge" is to simply restore the existing one.

Take me there: With mild weather and fewer holidaymakers, autumn is a great time to drive the 51 kilometre road between Wallaga Lake/Bermagui and Tathra. Don't forget most bridges are single lane so be prepared to give way to south-bound traffic. Oh and if you go, try recording the "Cuttagee Clatter" on your smart phone. You won't regret it. It's much more melodic than the homogenous hum of a modern bridge.

Did you know: At the southern end of Cuttagee Beach is the former site of a steam-powered sawmill. During World War I, it produced pick handles from the surrounding spotted gums. The troops at Gallipoli used these for digging their trenches.

MORE FROM TIM:

This column's recent exposé on UFOs (March 6) has flushed out several more sightings of unexplained objects in our skies.

James Harrison, of Torrens, recalls seeing a shiny metallic object disc, which he "can only describe as a UFO", above Lake George in 2009.

"I would say the disc was quite large, maybe 25-30 metres across," reports James who for several years used to commute to Goulburn every day for work.

"I must admit coming home late in the afternoon was always interesting as Lake George always seemed to generate fatigue for some reason and one always had to focus hard to get through the rest of the trip home," reports James, adding "perhaps that could explain the sighting but it was definitely unusual and stuck in my mind!"

Interestingly the skies above the lake are a hot spot for UFOs including an account on January 16, 1996, of a mother and her daughter witnessing not one, but two UFOs land in a paddock adjacent to the lake. It apparently hovered above their car "emitting a number of sparks beneath it" and sported "rows of coloured lights".

Meanwhile, Graeme McKie, of Narrabundah, recalls there was once a "UFO landing pad" near the ACT's north-eastern border to rival that of the one at Wycliffe Well in the Northern Territory.

"Hans Nees, the father of Burbong nightingale Linda Nees, built the peculiar pad on his property at Burbong sometime in the mid-late 1960s," reports Graeme. "From memory the property was on the left-hand side heading to Bungendore near the old notorious railway crossing and bridge at Burbong on the Kings Highway."

"Apparently Hans was quite a character," reports Graeme. Gee, I bet he was. Not everyone rolls out the welcome mat to intergalactic travellers. I wonder if anyone has photos of the landing pad.

CONTACT TIM: Email: tym@iinet.net.au or Twitter: @TimYowie or write c/- The Canberra Times, 9 Pirie St, Fyshwick

Clue: Long since demolished

Degree of difficulty: Easy-medium

Last week: The rather obscure image featuring part of the "Songbee" Gallery shopfront in Narooma, opposite the town's historic "Kinema", stumped everyone last week. C'mon, you can do better. I know you can.

How to enter: Email your guess along with your name and suburb to tym@iinet.net.au The first email sent after 10am, Saturday, March 20, 2021, wins a double pass to Dendy, the Home of Quality Cinema.

The proliferation of spider webs this season continues unabated. "You wouldn't want to break-down along this section of the Federal Highway near Lake George if you are an arachnophobe," reports Phill Sledge of, Kaleen. "There are webs everywhere. It's like a scene from a horror movie."

On a bushwalk in the Tinderry Mountains near Michelago, Frank Bergersen, of Kambah, was stopped in his tracks by this wind-eroded rock, which bears an uncanny resemblance to a baby swan, or cygnet. Look, you can even make-out its left eye. Cute.