Curl Curl beach and waiting for whales

It's about to be whale-watching season again, and there have been reports already of sightings of northbound cetaceans. 

So I killed two birds with one stone, by going to Curl Curl to look for them. I'd never really explored Curl Curl beach or nearby headlands.

 

 

 

A beautiful day, and I'm sure I'll be back to try out the fine-looking ocean pool sometime. But no whales this time. Lets give them another couple of weeks.

Warriewood's wetlands & Irrawong Reserve

 

There's a nice little network of very scenic walking tracks to be explored in Warriewood. Just start near the shopping centre, and head off in northerly and westerly directions.

Bayview's Kooroowal Reserve & Flying Fox Cafe

It seems to be referred to as the 'Flying Fox Cafe', because it's next to a rather spectacular children's playground with a flying fox. But it alsoanswers to the name of 'Cat's Pyjamas'.

Through the Wormhole!

The Manly Wormhole.What's that all about?

Turns out it's a tunnel through the headland between Queenscliff and Freshwater beaches. It was built by rock fishermen to access their favoured fishing spots.

 

You pass the ocean pool, and head across the rocks towards the pink love heart.

 

 

 

And there it is!

Out the other side, turn left, and make your way along another series of rock  ledges.

 

 

 

And through the Wormhole is Freshwater Beach (aka Harbord Beach).

Welcome to the waves!

We called in on Bungan Beach the other day. It's right there in the middle of the Northern Beaches beaches, but it's relatively unvisited and unknown. Not at all like Newport to the north, or Mona Vale to the south.

How can this be? It's just not that easily accessible. Difficult to get close to it by car, a bit hard to park, and a steep incline to walk down. A perfect situation, I thought!

The surfers seemed to know all about it, of course. There they were, running to catch the waves. We were there just to drink in the views, dip our toes in the water, and enjoy the seemingly endless 2016 summer sunshine. Wouldn't be dead for quids, the saying goes.

'Welcome to the waves', said the sign in the footpath.

Life's a beach

And if you live in Sydney's Northern Beaches area, you've got lots of beaches to choose from. There are 22 in fact in the stretch Palm Beach to Manly. I know because I counted them as I walked the 33km walk recently.

Here's the list:  Palm, Whale, Avalon, Bilgola, Newport, Bungan, Basin (aka Bongin Bongin Bay), Mona Vale, Warriewood, Turimetta, North Narabeen, Narabeen, Collaroy, Fishermans, Long Reef, Dee Why, North Curl Curl, Curl Curl, Freshwater, Queenscliff, North Steyne, Manly.