Tuesday 6 March 2012

5 weeks later

Well we're here!!

It's been a world wind, crazy time but we've found a home and we're back 30 years later - it's that many years since we left the northern beaches in Sydney. I don't think anything on the Peninsular has really changed in that time, yes there maybe more apartment blocks but there were so many before you can hardly notice the extra one's.

It's still insular peninsular, the first week back someone said to me that they never go on holidays as why would you when you live in this most beautiful place - to me that say's it all.

The northern beaches is a place where everyday you can feel like your on holidays but in contrast to this is the inability or I should say difficulty in getting around (I miss the ease of Perth, no traffic and great public transport). As like 30 years ago the roads are still clogged with traffic, during the week it's just people trying to getting on with their lives and on weekends the influx of others wanting to enjoy the beaches.  Around here the only transport is the bus route which dominates the roads, I wish our forefathers had had the sense to have maintained and expanded the tram system that had been in place during the early 20th century rather than destroying it.  But I must say the bus system has improved somewhat over the last 30 years, as then a bus from Dee Why to Wynyard in the city took at least an hour, whereas the other day I got a bus from Collaroy to Wynyard and I was there in 35 minutes - now that's some improvement.

The northern beaches is a place of natural beauty with:
* Beaches framed by headlands, waves that don't dump each time they break and fantastic rock baths where the locals meet for a swim or bask in the sun to ensure their skin maintains that leathery brown look;
* Still waters for kayaking, wind surfing, sailing or just fishin and.
* Bush everywhere for walking and enjoying the natural beauty of it all.

We're still exploring and discovering what's on offer as things have changed a bit with pub's rarely having live music but now there is a great addition to Dee Why called Lizotte's Restaurant with fine food with a music mood. The other night we went to watch Eugene Hideaway Bridges who is an amazing blues and roots singer from the US, he was on the stage for a full 2 hours non stop, the music just oozed out of him and the guitar was an appendage.

I'm so glad we left the northern beaches as it opened my mind and gained so many experiences, working at Liverpool and Campbelltown allowed me to meet some wonderful people and understand the complexity of multicultural and multi socioeconomic environments.  We've lived in many beautiful places such as the Southern Highlands, Darlinghurst (yes it is beautiful in a different sense and there's lots of fun to be had) and Perth a big country town that is hot, hot, hot and that part I don't miss.

So onward forward for more discoveries.
Church Point

Church Point Cafe - lunch with Mum for her birthday

Eugene Hideaway Bridges

Queenscliff surf carnival

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