Tsunami? Not this time!

Narrabeen's wonderful ocean pool suddenly got very empty today.

The news this morning had been about a mega-earthquake in the Pacific, and tsunami alerts in New Zealand, Norfolk Island and elsewhere. Sydney's a bit further away, but it's still in a straight line to those Kermadec Islands.

A police helicopter came circling overhead. It was broadcasting an unintelligible message. Must be a tsunami alert! Everyone got out pretty quickly.

Comparing notes with the other evacuees, we decided it was probably a missing person request in fact. There was something about a man wearing a blue T-shirt. This was confirmed later when we studied the police notices. No tsunami today!

LATE UPDATE:   NSW Police announced late this evening that a missing 88-year-old Narrabeen man had been located safe and well in the CBD. Excellent news!

Back to the beach

North Narrabeen and Turimetta beaches in fact. The water was a bit cold but the sky was blue and everything was as clear and colourful as it gets. 

Stormy weather swallows ocean pool

The drought, the heatwave, the fires, and the big winds have been and gone. It was rather a nice day today. Perfect temperature, blue sky, ideal for that trip to North Narrabeen and a dip in Sydney's best ocean pool.

But it's not to be. Recent stormy weather is still showing wreaking havoc along the east coast. So no swimming in the ocean pool today.




I wasn't the only photographer who was enjoying the dramatic views This chap had to keep running for cover as enormous waves broke around him.

Cromer Heights delights

'Cromer Heights delights' was the name aptly chosen by one of my bushwalking companions recently for her outing to the Northern Beaches bushland  inland from Dee Why, Collaroy, and Narrabeen.

I'd never explored this area properly before, so I was suitably delighted.

There was a large coloured rock platform, providing some rather convincing aerial views of the surface of Mars.

And another rock platform with aboriginal carvings, like this ancestral being one, I think.

We started our walk at Dee Why, and finished at Narrabeen, with the last section being along the recently renovated Narrabeen Lagoon circumnavigation track.



A fine day out, as ever.

Stormy weather and a demolition derby

Sydney had sunshine and blue skies today, following several days of very stormy weather.

A perfect day really for Narrabeen's family fun day demolition derby! The heavy rain had washed away the foundations of a house on a hill, and it was teetering on the edge of collapse, endangering other houses nearby.







There had been lots of media attention, and with a promised pubic demolition today, we decided it was the perfect destination for a little outing.

There were dozens of police and firies. There were camera crews from all the TV stations, seeking out the locals from within the crowd for interviews, there were media helicopters hovering overhead, and one sightseeing seaplane even diverted from its usual route for a better view.

Unfortunately we had to leave before the magic moment. They were attaching a heavy cable to it at the time, and warning people with babies and dogs about the loud noise that was to come. After we got home we were able to witness the big moment over and over on all the TV stations anyway.

A nice little day out somehow!