It sounds like there's going to be quite an invasion of the Robe/
Beachport region for the long weekend. Some thoughts, from a truly unobjective point of view!
Long beach is rather handy in that, with 11km of driveable beach, you can just keep going until you find several hundred metres of uninhabited sand. The surf is generally small with little undertow. You can drive off the north end, have a quick look about
the settlement of Boatswain's Pt and come back along the bitumen.
The dune drive between
Robe &
Beachport is generally not all that challenging (or at least the
Robe - Nora Criena leg isn't), provided you've had a bit of experience with sand. Otherwise you'd probably call it a learning experience. Particularly now that it's had a fair bit of traffic to pack the track. It will likely be quite busy though, so go the sand flags and it'd be worth keeping a radio on scan to hear other people coming. Having said that, don't go alone, take a couple of shovels & look out for the trail bikes!!
Pubs; pack the kids off to the
Robe (nearer the harbour). It's not quite a creche, but may as
well be. Grown ups tend to head to the Cally (Calledonian) for better food, small beer garden, and out of tune piano.
The Imaj cafe (I think that's the name, opposite
Wilson's Gallery) makes awesome pizzas. Looks a bit ad-hoc, but the tucker is good!
The Wild Mulberry is MY breakfast spot, so bugger off. Or at least have the decency to bring a copy of the Australian.
Nora Criena, mid way between
Beachport &
Robe, is an odd little outpost. Land is privately owned by the people who live in the big house on the
hill and leased to people who own the
shacks. Great little sheltered bay.
The
Robe butcher is really quite impressive. For lovers of red meat. Bugger the galleries, just go and look at their work. Should you decide to invest in some of their artistry, it's not cheap, but very good & they'll cryovac whatever & however you like. I like these people.
When you're heading toward the harbour and drive past the 'roundabout which isn't a roundabout', on the foreshore is a Chinese Monument. Stop and have a read. It's quite amazing what these people did.
I'm sure something actually worthwhile to post will occur to me shortly after I submit this. None the less, feel free to offer some feedback or shoot me down in flames.
Regardless, make sure you have a great weekend on the antarctic coast!