Melbourne

As you know by now I love Sydney especially the Northern Beaches and after having spent a weekend in Melbourne I am happy to say that Melbourne is pretty great too. It is a thriving city with so much to do and see. The city after dark and on the weekends is buzzing and feels much more alive than Sydney city. There are great cafes’, restaurants and bars which all seemed to be full to overflowing both nights we were there. In fact we could not get in to our first 2 restaurants of choice.  Though I never actually stay in Sydney city -  we drive to the city, to a particular venue then back out again – never staying and wandering around - so probably not a fair comparison.

We were staying near the ‘Press Club’ (Masterchef George Colombaris’s restaurant) and at first thought we might give that a go (so long as we didn’t have to watch George eat!) but it did look totally overpriced and lacking in warmth and ambience so we decided against it. Somehow I think George has a big enough clientele not to worry about missing out on our booking!

On a cold, crisp Saturday morning I thought I would take a run along the banks of the Yarra. I headed across the Princes Bridge and towards South Yarra on the pathway alongside the Yarra. I was surprised at what a busy place it was at 8am on a Saturday morning. There were loads of school girls heading out in their row boats with their coaches riding bicycles up and down the track calling out instructions on their megaphones.  I don’t know what takes more skill – rowing the boats or riding the pushbikes along a busy path without crashing into something or someone whilst simultaneously watching their rowers and giving instructions through a megaphone.

path between St Kilda & Port Melb

St Kilda is another great Melbourne destination and the drive along the bay front to Port Melbourne is very pretty. On Sunday morning we took a bike ride out to St Kilda for breakfast. We won’t go into the breakfast because, to be honest we are better off forgetting it (slow service, greasy bacon and tasteless scrambled eggs) but grabbing a bike and getting there was great (except for my frozen fingers and the icicle on my nose). The city bike shares are are fabulous – find a bike share location, put your credit card in the machine, grab a bike and go. I wasn’t keen to deal with Melbourne traffic and trams so we went via the Botanic Gardens path, through Albert Park, through the suburban back streets to the bay and onto the track around the bay and St Kilda. Being a Sunday morning there was heaps of bike riders about (mostly the lycra clad serious variety) and we had some odd looks as we rode along on bike conspicuos share bikes.

Beachcombers at St Kilda

I don’t know if it was just us or not but I will generalise here and say that Melbourne café/restaurant service is slower than Sydney’s. At both lunch and dinner (at totally different restaurants) on our first day we commented to each other that food was great but service pretty slow. At breakfast the next morning when it happened again I thought ‘its that slow Melbourne service again' then by the following morning it sure felt like a pattern.  Regrdless of the service issue, I did really enjoy my weekend in Melbourne and look forward to doing it again (on a warmer weekend).

Narrabeen to Collaroy by the lake

The good news  is that we got most of our walk done before the rain, the bad news got soaked…. at least we weren’t the only ones – there were a few other die-hards on the track. I am over winter - bring on Spring!

We were intending on seeing how far around we could go on the new Narrabeen Lake path towards Cromer Golf Club. However, because  the skies looked so dark and ominous we decided to take the safer option that kept us close to shelter and headed around the lake from Narrabeen to Collaroy. What a good decision that turned out to be! As usual it was a lovely walk around the lake and back. Given the weather it was fairly quiet on the track and not much action on the lake either. Instead of breakfasting lakeside we headed up Waterloo Street to Ocean Street and back towards Collaroy to Barbuto Restaurant (across the road from Narrabeen beach).

Barbuto Restaurant

I don’t really know what to say about this restaurant other than it was a real mixed bag. The food was great but the service was odd. Actually, on the whole I would say the service was good - the food arrived so quickly we were stunned. There was just one surly waitress who gave us the impression that we were ruining her day by having to wait tables and another waitress who was playing a power game with us...or at least that's how it seemed.
This was another cafe enticing us to try a Bloody Mary or other cocktail for breakfast. I think I have missed something here - since when do you drink cocktails at breakfast? Showing my age again!!!

Talking about showing my age - I went to a 30 year high school reunion last week. 30 years - I can hardly believe it.....how did I get this old???? and how fast has 30 years gone!!!! It was great to catch up with some old friends and some others who I didn't really know back then but the best bit was having a blast with my girlfriends from school that I still see. Hope you have finally recovered Mandie and Gill!

Our reviews
Narrabeen Lake
difficulty:                        easy
distance:                        6 km return
time taken:                    2.5 hours (including breakfast)                  
parking:                          Berry Reserve car park
worth doing:                  definitely
dog friendly:                  yes, on leash.

water and toilets available at Berry Reserve Narrabeen.
Barbuto Restaurant
food:                                great
service:                           good
ambience:                        good
would we go again:         yes

Queenscliff to Shelley Beach

love the shadow...'tall at last'

Manly or Noosa? Well after a week in beautiful but rainy Noosa its great to come back home and be reminded that Manly is even better than Noosa. Noosa has a great boardwalk on the beach but the boardwalk from Queenscliff to Manly and onto Shelly Beach is close to perfect and on a glorious sunny winter’s day it is even better. Instead of going through Queenscliff park we started our walk from the high side of Queenscliff on Bridge Street. This road goes down a very steep hill to the bridge across the lagoon then onto the beach boardwalk. From there we walked all the way to Shelley beach and then up through the bush track of Shelley Beach Park to the lookouts at the top. From up here there is a great view of Freshwater Beach and all the way up to the central coast. 

The walk around from Manly Surf Club to Shelley Beach goes alongside the crystal clear waters of the Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve. Every time I walk this track I do wonder why  we wait until we are away on holidays to go snorkelling when here at Manly the water is as clear and clean as anywhere – maybe the coral isn’t up to the standard of the Barrier Reef but there's still beautiful fish and other creatures waiting to be explored. Better put that one on the bucket list!

In Situ Restaurant and Bar

For breakfast this morning we made our way back to the Beachfront. We were going to try Bluewater Café but as usual it was full. That café is always full at breakfast time so I imagine their breakfasts are great - I have only had lunch there and it was delicious. Instead we headed away from the beachfront to In Situ Restaurant on Sydney Road (next to the markets). In Situ is mainly known for its nightlife but by day it doubles as a great café and out the back under the heaters was warm and cosy. The food was absolutely delicious - Shaz and I both had the corn fritters which are served with bacon, a divine roasted tomato and topped with a sprinkling of fetta. The breakfast menu was a great mix of with eggs, muesli, pancakes and omelettes and the the food coming out looked great. The menu recommended  a ‘Bloody Mary’ to go with your meal – we weren’t quite up to that at 9.30 on a Sunday morning, so stuck to a coffee! Maybe I need to get out of my comfort zone and try something new!

Our reviews
Queenscliff to Shelley Beach
difficulty:                        easy
distance:                        9 km return
time taken:                    2.5 hours (including breakfast)                  
parking:                          on street in Hill, Crown, Pavilion or Queenscliff Rd –    can be difficult to find a park
worth doing:                  definitely
dog friendly:                  yes, on leash.

water and toilets available all along the way.
In Situ Restaurant
food:                                great
service:                           great
ambience:                        great
would we go again:         yes definitely

Mona Vale to North Narrabeen

With Shaz not feeling great we stayed close to home this morning and did one of my favourite tracks and one that we have already reviewed – South Mona Vale to Narrabeen via Warriewood and Narrabeen Headlands. I run this track a couple times a week and never tire of it – it has it all – spectacular views of all the beaches from Mona Vale to Narrabeen, a great track through bushland and a few hills and stairs to really challenge yourself. I always think to myself how fortunate I am to have this all at my doorstep and how brilliant it is to out there making the most of it.

Starting off at Mona Vale Hospital we headed south along Narrabeen Park Parade, down to Warriewood beach to join the track which goes up through Warriewood Headland, past Turimetta Beach, past the houses to the bottom of the hill and up and around the Narrabeen headland and down to North Narrabeen Rock Pool car park. Then it was onto our breakfast stop on the other side of the bridge.

AJ’s Café

This café on Ocean Street near North Narrabeen Surf Club was our breakfast stop this morning and I would have to say I left disappointed. It looked promising – the menu had all the standard breakfast dishes, the waitresses were hovering and a table in the sun beckoned. Shaz made the better choice of muesli with fruit and yoghurt which was really nice. I had the omelette with spinach and fetta which looked pretty sad and uninspiring – and it was – it was overcooked and tasteless! The bacon, eggs and  other dishes served to other tables looked pretty good so I left feeling slightly cheated. At least the coffee was good, though we won't be back for breakfast in a hurry!

Jude's thought for this week

I can't help noticing that the waitresses uniform de jour is the short shorts which seem to get shorter as the legs get longer and stronger. I am glad that as a mother of sons I don't have to confront girls fashion issues! The boys are bad enough with their pants half way down their backside. I will be glad when this fashion changes. I have always thought that in 15 or so years when they look back at themselves they will be just as mortified as I am looking back on old photos of me in shoulder pads with huge hair.

Our reviews
South Mona Vale to Narrabeen
difficulty:                        moderate
distance:                        6 km return
time taken:                    2.25 hours (including breakfast)                  
parking:                          On street at Mona Vale Hospital or nearby
worth doing:                  definitely
dog friendly:                  Dogs are not allowed on headland trails. You can avoid trails and walk on the adjacent roads.

water and toilets available at the Warriewood ad North Narrabeen beaches.

AJ’s Cafe
food:                                good
service:                           good
ambience:                        ok
would we go again:         probably not

Mona Vale to Church Point

Bayview

A beautiful sight greeted me when I woke up this morning - clear skies and the shining sun. After two wet weekends Shaz and I finally hit the tracks again. It was a stunning morning – cold, crisp and sunny. Today we returned to Mona Vale and walked around the beautiful Pittwater foreshore to Church Point.  It is such a lovely walk  - around Winnereremmy Bay, then Bayview and onto Church Point. There were loads of people out enjoying the fresh air and sunshine - we even ran into a friend (and blog follower) who was out on her morning walk with her dog. Hi Lynda!

We are now getting to the stage that we have done and reviewed many coastal walks on the Northern Beaches. We now need to expand our horizons and perhaps even venture out of our comfort zone beyond the Northern beaches. We plan to do walks around West Head and Mosman but (both being princesses and fair weather walkers) we need a Sunday when we the tracks are not so boggy and when both have a bit more time available. If you have any suggestions we would love to hear them. You can send it to us in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.

 

Naturally Shaz and I spend a lot of time talking on our Sunday walks. We often solve world problems, pick apart our politicians and celebrities, but mostly we just chat and counsel each other. I thought I might start sharing some of these thoughts with you……

Jude’s thought for this week

Last night I attended a fundraising function for a father at my sons’ school who has a terminal medical condition. The night was amazing – amazing because it brought a community together; amazing because of what a community can do when it gets together; and amazing to see, and be reminded of the inherent goodness in people. A lot of money was raised for the family and that is fantastic, but even more important is the moral support, comfort and love shown to the family. It really is priceless. My family and I have received an overwhelming amount of community support and love ourselves and I do know how comforting and uplifting it is. Never ever doubt how far a little kindness goes, nor how well it is remembered!

Church Point General Store

We decided to give the Church Point General Store another try for breakfast. Last time we gave it a bad wrap because it is a bit more pricey than other cafés and because you have to order your food by joining the queue for the general store. I do still find that a little odd but as the saying goes I built a bridge and got over it!. The food and the coffee were pretty good: we both had dishes with poached eggs that were cooked to perfection. However the best thing about this place is the setting. It has a cruisy atmosphere and it is so peaceful sitting there and watching the boats and people come and  go. It would be a great place for lunch and I hear its pretty good on a summer's evening too.

Our reviews
Mona Vale to Church Point
difficulty:                        easy
distance:                        8km return
time taken:                    2.5 hours (including breakfast)                  
parking:                          Woolworths carpark or on street
worth doing:                  definitely
dog friendly:                  yes, on leash and off leash dog park at Rowland Reserve

water and toilets available along the way at the various parks and marinas.

Church Point General Store Cafe
food:                                good
service:                           good
ambience:                      great
would we go again:      definitely

Curl Curl

Dee Why to Curl Curl

Now that the mornings are getting cooler we notice that there aren’t so many people out and about. I must admit it is harder to get out on a cold morning - I am so tempted to pull that doona up and snooze. What gets me up on these cold mornings is knowing how much better I do feel once I am out amongst it all, and the fact that Shaz will be waiting in the cold for me always give me that added boost.

We had a bit of everything in this walk – from the rocky and somewhat overgrown track on the headland between Dee Why and North Curl Curl, to the well-used pathway through the Curl Curl playing fields and then through the suburbs of Curl Curl and Dee Why. Whenever I walk the track through the Curl Curl playing fields I am always surprised at what an expanse of green space there is. I found myself reminiscing about the amount of time I have spent on the sidelines of these ovals over the years. On the Abbott Road side for soccer games then over the other side at Weldon Oval for AFL. Then of course there have been cricket games on the various ovals. Most of you have probably experienced this area too: the games, the Saturday traffic jams and parking chaos especially around the netball courts – doesn’t it bring back a flood of memories!
Back to the walk - we started at the end of Pacific Parade and headed up through the small reserve and up the steps to the bush track which goes through the bush, winding around the coast in between the ocean and the houses. Follow the track around to North Curl Curl Surf Club then head down Griffin Road and over the lagoon, then across the road and onto the pathway through the reserves. After walking to the end of the reserves and back we crossed back over the lagoon and headed up a side street to our breakfast stop at the corner of Pitt and Ross Streets. We then took the shorter route back to our car - up Griffin Road, but of course you could retrace your steps and go via the coastal route.

Curly’s on the Corner

They do great coffee here and I have had several take-aways over the years but this was the first time either of us tried their food.  We both went for the scrambled eggs with spinach and bacon and tomatoes on the side. The eggs were tasty and the bacon and tomatoes delicious, but honestly, it should come with a warning that the serving size is huge – we really could have done with one between two. The meals coming out to others looked great and appeared to be normal sized servings, so I guess we just ordered badly!

Our Reviews

Dee Why to Curl Curl and surrounds

difficulty:                             easy to moderate

distance:                             6km return

time taken:                          2.25 hours including breakfast

parking:                               on street at Dee Why (we parked on Pacific Parade East)

worth doing:                         yes

dog friendly:                         on leash

Water and toilets are available at Curl Curl Surf Club and at the playing fields when they are open.

Curly’s on the Corner

Food:                                 good and coffee great

Service:                              good

Ambience:                           good - outdoor heaters are a bonus!

Would we go again:               yes

Elanora to Narrabeen

Elanora really is a hidden leafy enclave on the northern beaches. If you don’t live there you wouldn’t know how beautiful the leafy streets look in autumn with a riot of red and orange. It’s a great place to live when you are bringing up a young family and both of us lived there when our children were younger. Things have changed somewhat since our time there but more of that later.

Starting at the shops and heading toward windy Elanora Road we made our way down the hill towards Narrabeen Lake. Heading south toward the Lake we discovered Narrabeen markets were setting up and our walk was nearly sabotaged by stopping to browse at some of the goods on offer. We pressed on and managed to reach the playground at Wheeler Park at the south end of Narrabeen before we turned back and made our way up to Elanora.  There are many routes you can take to get back to Elanora, all of which involve hills. We went up Woorarra Road (which has some killer hills) and followed it around onto Lumeah Road then back onto Kalang Road and to the shops.

There have been a few changes at the Elanora shops since we lived there – there is a new unit/retail shop development at the corner of Powderworks Road including a great café called Bean & Bread, and the block with the butcher and video shops has gone and will be redeveloped. Fortunately May and Jack’s IGA is still there but unfortunately so is the bakery which has not changed it menu since the 1960’s. 

Bean & Bread Cafe

What a breath of fresh air for Elanora shops – a fabulous, warm and inviting café that serves great coffee and great food. In fact, the food was so good we were still talking about it a week later! The breakfast menu was great - I chose the fritters which were served with bacon and poached egg and Shaz had the breakfast bruschetta which was spinach, bacon and poached egg served on sourdough. They were just delicious and presented beautifully…...we are looking forward to going back and trying something else.

Our Reviews

Elanora to Narrabeen

difficulty:                                moderate – some rather steep hills. (take extreme care of cars on   windy section of Elanora Road)

distance:                                 8.5km return

time taken:                              2.75 hours

parking:                                   Parking bays at Elanora shops

worth doing:                            definitely

dog friendly:                            yes – on leash

Water and toilets are available at the Berry Reserve Narrabeen

Bean & Bread Café

Food:                                      excellent food

Service:                                   great

Ambience:                                great

Would we go again:                   definitely

Palm Beach revisited

A fabulous way to celebrate Mother’s Day was a walk with my mother and my sister! Our first great idea was to beat the mother’s day rush and celebrate it on the Saturday instead of the Sunday. Our second great idea was to combine lunch with a walk. As mum lives on the Central Coast the obvious destination was Palm Beach. Our third great idea was to try the Boatshed for lunch…..that’s where our great ideas fell apart, but more on that later……

Mum caught the ferry across from Ettalong and we drove up the coast to meet her and, as history dictates in our family, Trish and I were a tiny bit late! Mum nearly got in the car with someone else who was waving wildly at her, but alas she was actually waving to the lady standing next to her!.... wonder what would have happened if she did get in that car! After a coffee at the Dunes Kiosk we headed off on the walk up to the Barrenjoey lighthouse. This walk has been on mum’s bucket list for ages. She has, for one reason or another never been able to do it, or thought she was not up to it….but surprise, surprise, she got there….way to go mum! I am reminded every time I do that walk that it really is quite steep in places, and looking through my mum’s eyes, or should I say walking in her shoes, it is quite challenging. However, for Trish and me it was just very pleasant.

Anyway, I got to thinking about bucket lists and wondered if I were to create one what would be on my list ….I am still thinking about that…..perhaps it’s something we should all give some thought to.

For specific walking directions, refer to our first blog post 8/1/12.

The Boatshed and Dunes Kiosk

Now back to the great ideas that fell apart. It seems to me that a pattern is emerging…...it is always the café or the food that lets us down. No surprises that The Boatshed was full to overflowing for lunch. I really don’t get it – what is so good about that place? Is the food really so fantastic that you can overlook 1) waiting for a table 2) waiting in a long queue to order at the counter, and  3) being packed in like sardines at your table in a noisy, crowded café. Maybe it's me, and I’m just not with it (or too old and fussy!)

Back we went over the other side of the hill to the beachside. Dunes Restaurant looked fabulous but we weren't really planning on a eating at a flash restaurant, so we went to Dunes Kiosk next door. There is a choice from the food on display such as quiches, frittata’s and salads, or the blackboard menu of beer battered fish and chips or burgers. We order and sit down on a table in the sun…all going well so far….. but then they serve you, or should I say, they call out your name and you serve yourself. Still no problems, until you notice you get your meal in a cardboard box and  the only cutlery available is cheap plastic crap. I am more than happy to eat from cardboard boxes when I get take-away fish and chips, or when picnicking, but not when I am dining in at a café and paying café prices for the pleasure. Even asking for a plate was no good, I was told “no, not on weekends, we are too busy” – too busy for what I ask?…..service perhaps!!! By the way - the food was okay, but nothing special…such a shame because it’s such a lovely place to sit and soak up the sun.

Our Reviews

Palm Beach to Barrenjoey Lighthouse

difficulty:                             moderate

distance:                             4km return (from the carpark)

time taken:                          1 hour

parking:                               meter parking in carpark (Pittwater parking permit valid)

worth doing:                         definitely

dog friendly:                         no dogs allowed              

Water and toilets are available at the surf club near Dunes and on the Pittwater side near the Boatshed but nothing available along the track.

Dunes kiosk

Food:                                   average but coffee good

Service:                                poor

Ambience:                             okay

Would we go again:                only for coffee