While lost on a job Damian McGill from the Milton Ulladulla Times saw an interesting sign.
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It was pointing in the direction of the Walter Hood Memorial.
He had heard about the Walter Hood shipwreck but did not realise there was a moment dedicated to it.
He decided to find out more.
The cairn, according to Monument Australia, was erected over the graves, is for those who perished when the "Walter Hood' was wrecked in 1870.
The gravesite contains the remains of those victims who were originally buried near the beach.
Read More: About the Walter Hood shipwreck
The memorial and reserve was opened on March 9 1927 in the presence of a survivor, Robert Williams.
It incorporated ceramic tiles from the wreck and a marble tablet listing the names of those drowned and was made in Wollongong.
The memorial today is in much the same condition, but protected from vandalism by a steel mesh fence.
The land is administered by the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
About Monument Beach
The nearby Monument Beach picnic area is a quiet base from which to take a short walk and learn about the history of the area.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service gives this glowing endorsement of the area.
"One of the most serene areas of Conjola is Monument Beach picnic area," the information reads.
"Set behind the beach, this is the ultimate spot for families.
"You can walk along the isolated beach, clamber over the small headlands, throw in a fishing line, go for a paddle or surf, take a short bushwalk, or head to the monument that remembers the lives lost when the Walter Hood sank in 1870.
"As you drive in, stop to admire the beautiful flowering natives, including waratahs, wattles and bush peas and don't be surprised if the only other living creatures around are the resident kangaroos and wallabies.
"Set out along Nerindillah Lagoon walking track after lunch, and while you're walking along the beach, look for sooty oystercatchers, sea eagles and the hooded plover, which is only found on the NSW South Coast."
Monument Beach picnic area is near Bendalong in Conjola National Park.
To get there
Turn east onto Bendalong Road from the Princes Highway then left into Cedar Road.
Follow the signs along Cedar Road and Walter Hood Access Road, which ends at a short access road to the picnic area.
There is seven km of un-sealed road before you reach the picnic area.
