Palm Beach and Barrenjoey Lighthouse

Elna and I did another lighthouse outing, this time to Barrenjoey Lighthouse in Palm Beach and it was a super day out.  The lighthouse is high on the top of a rise, so quite a steep walk up but it's well worth it, spectacular with is sandstone walls.

Completed in 1881, the lighthouse was designed by colonial architect James Barnet and constructed from locally quarried sandstone. The tower stands approximately 18 metres high, with its light positioned about 113 metres above sea level, giving it a range of over 19 nautical miles. It remains an active aid to navigation, marking the entrance to Broken Bay, Pittwater, and the Hawkesbury River. 

It was lovely to take in the atmosphere and get photos from multiple angles while Elna did her magic with her sketchbook.

Elna doing her magic

And two gorgeous swim after our walk

Sydney Adventures with mum and Mike

We have spent a wonderful three weeks in Sydney with mum and Mike. Its been a very special time indeed. Highlights included:

• Proudly showing off out apartment which mum and Mike loved. With its nearby ferry stop, it was a perfect base for them to explore Sydney.
• Mum and Mike's love for Manly which they visited three times. It really is the perfect spot.
• A fish and prawn barbecue feast with Eva and Brendan. We all had an idyllic swim off the rocks.
• A wine tasting evening at Eva and Brendan with Sue, a South African wine connoisseur. We got to taste some delicious Australian wines and had a great evening.
• A delicious lunch with Doug and Claudia including salt and pepper prawns (yum!)
• A relaxing and lazy picnic lunch at the botanical gardens with Colleen (who was here from the UK), Roger and Lucy, Andreas, Ingrid, Sebastion, Craig and co.
• A gorgeous swim and fish and chips at Watson's Bay
• A trip to the Blue Mountains. Unfortunately it turned out to be a cloudy day and all the beautiful scenery was covered in mist!
• A trip to Bobbin Head for a walk through the mangroves, followed by a picnic and walk at Palm Beach.
• A great walk from Bondi Beach to Coogee.
• House hunting in Neutral Bay and St Ives. We found the perfect house but we were gazumped a few days later, much to our great disappointment.
• Exploring the shops and atmosphere of "The Rocks"
• A lovely morning spent at The Farmer's Market at Piermont Bay.
• A swim and picnic at the beautiful Wattamolla Lagoon in the Royal National Park.
• A great evening meal with our friends Hamish and Gabrielle who were here from the UK.
• Mike's delight in watching all the boats and ships with his binoculars from our flat.
• Getting to sample mum's delicious cooking again including kedgeree and creme caramal.
• Kerry coming to breakfast with her friends from London.
• Looking up cricket and super 14 results for poor Mike on the internet who was able to watch almost no sport for three weeks.
• All in all, we'ved loved every minute of having mum and Mike to stay and we will miss them like crazy when they leave tomorrow.

Bobbin Head.



Palm Beach
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Fish Market..




Colleen comes to visit
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Wollamolla Lagoon (Royal National Park)
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Watson's Bay
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