Narrabeen Lakes

It's very tempting and I know it's cheating to talk about somewhere I've been to in the past; with that in mind I'm keeping true to the title and sticking to things that I've done only in the previous week.

This morning instead of going to the gym I got out my push bike and decided to discover something new for me, which is Narrabeen Lakes.  Even though I spent my first 28 years in this area I've only driven past the lakes and so today I discovered that this is a special place where the bushland meets the water, where there's meandering footpath's through the reserve and where urban life meets the bush. 

I noticed play equipment for children, BBQ areas, a sailing club, caravan park, kakaking and I found out there's markets every 3rd Sunday of the month - so something for everyone to enjoy at Narrabeen Lakes.

  

This morning it was very peaceful with only a few others enjoying the scenery; as it was early I could hear many different species of birds including seeing the black swan that's native to Dee Why. There was one couple who were probably in their late 60's who I began chatting to about the black swans in Western Australia (WA) etc and they said they were locals, born and breed here. The husband said he'd never been to WA and probably would never go there as why would he want to when he lived in such a beautiful place - again insular peninsular!

The northern beaches maybe beautiful and people maybe happy just living here but I would suggest they are missing out on the joy of experiencing new adventures and challenges that go with travel.

On the south side of Narrabeen Lakes facing east

Black Swans

Meandering path

Facing west

Bilarong Sanctuary on the north side of Narrabeen Lakes

On the north side of the lake

Looking south

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

Our Last Day In Perth But The Journey Continues

We arrived back in Perth a few days ago after an amazing 5 weeks away, and now it's our last day here in Perth.

It all happened very quickly and tomorrow we'll be returning to Sydney to be close to family and all our loved ones, it's very exciting!!

It's not that we haven't enjoyed Perth, it's been a fantastic experience but when you're away from everyone you care for, you know there's something missing in your life and you want it back. We have both loved all that's to offer in Perth including the surrounding areas and we've met some very special people, but we've promise ourselves that we'll be back visiting sometime not to far in the distant future.

The blog will continue with adventures in the East.

Arlington House Washington

New years eve New York 

Annecy

St Foy France

Paris 

Seligenstadt Germany

Marina Bay Hotel Singapore

A Day At The Zoo

We're still pretending we're tourists!

Yesterday we left home at 9.30 to take a leisurely walk to Perth Zoo, located in South Perth. It's a spectacular walk from our home as we need to walk through Kings Park where we noticed people claiming their piece of grass by leaving blankets and other items to come back later for picnics. Then down Jacobs Ladder which is well know as the steps for fitness, there were people of all shapes and sizes attempting to run/walk the stairs as many times as their bodies would allow. Then we crossed the Swan River over the Narrows Bridge and through the cafe strip of South Perth to the Zoo.

It's a very small zoo open every day (even Christmas Day) and hasn't missed a day since it opened in 1898. It's family friendly with beautiful gardens and while we were visiting the elephants, orangutan's and the cheetah were the only animals that seemed to be active, all the others were taking it very easy and resting.

We then visited the Windsor Hotel for a great pub lunch before heading home.

Swan River with the view of Perth City from South Perth

Picinic at the end of the day Kings Park

Playing Tourist

We've been living in Perth now 11 months and haven't visited the Perth tourist attractions that are on the agenda for most visitors, so we had a weekend of playing tourist.

Perth Mint is located in the centre of Perth CBD and was established in 1899 to refine the gold found in the eastern areas of Western Australia, it is the oldest operating mint in Australia.  Our experience of the mint was all the more richer having previously visited Kalgoorlie and Coolgardie where gold was first found in 1892.

It was then down to Fremantle to visit the Maritime Museum and the Fremantle Prison; the museum was interesting but the prison was very sobering and memorable in many ways.  The prison was built by convicts in the 1850's and was still operating as a prison until it was decommissioned in 1992. Prisoners spent 16 hours a day in their cells, which were very small, bare and primitive; prior to it being decommissioned there was no running water and only a bucket for a toilet in each cell, electricity was only installed in the 1980's.

A Hidden Gem

A couple of weeks ago I commenced a pattern making course at a campus located at Heathcote Applecross. This location is a hidden gem of Perth and one that is not on the tourist map!

Heathcote is located on a hill with spectacular 180-degree views of the Swan River where in another life it was a locked mental health institute in operation from 1929 to 1994.  Since it's closure it has been taken over by community activities such as play group, adult education classes, studio, gallery, cafe and restaurant called Blue Waters.

We went to Blue Waters yesterday for lunch, sitting outside watching the sailing boats fly along the river, enjoying the view towards Kings Park and the city while eating one of the better meals I've eaten since living in Perth.

The buildings are of historical significants, as the manager of the restaurant was telling us one of the rooms in the restaurant has a mural that someone in their wisdom painted over. Restoration has began but it will be a very slow process with only two small squares having been completed, it's costing $800 per square inch. As there are many many more square inches to do I don't think it will be completed for a very long time.

View across to Kings Park 

Remains of lunch

Blue Waters Restaurant facing the river

zoom shot of the city

outside the restaurant

A square of the mural

Pinnacles

For a long time I've heard that The Pinnacles is a highlight of Western Australia and a place to visit, but after talking to some locals they suggested "don't bother it's boring and there's much better places to visit".

Well on the weekend we ignored the locals advice and took to the road approximately 250 kilometres north of Perth to The Pinnacles. On the way we stopped at Lancelin which is a beautiful quiet coastal village that relies on the fishing industry and tourism as it has ideal wind and water conditions for wind surfing and has made a name for itself internationally. We enjoyed sitting on the grassy edge of the beach, having a bit to eat while watching the wind surfers out on the turquoise waves, the fish being caught along the white sandy beach and soaked up the sun before heading back to the road traveling north.

We went directly to Cervantes which is a sleepy coastal town named after an American whaling ship wrecked nearby in 1844. There's not much happening in Cervantes besides the fishing industry and accommodation for visitors to the Pinnacles. We decided to stay the night and visit the Nambung National Park where the Pinnacles are located the following day.

The Pinnacles are said to be a unique sight with the limestone spikes rising out of the sand up to a couple of metres in height. You can either walk up to them and or drive around the desert park. We decided on both as it was too warm to walk around the park especially with the intensity of the sun.

The Pinnacles are interesting but I think the locals are spot on the money.

Lancelin

Lancelin

The Pinnacles in the Nambung National Park

Cervantes