Sydney’s Northern Beaches - dolphins, big swell at Avalon rockpool, a Sydney red gum at West Head, Ku-ring-gai National Park

Two days ago Sydney Nimble was treated to the sight of a pod of dolphins playfully swimming and surfing waves at the northern end of Palm Beach.

They were spotted whilst walking near Barrenjoey Lighthouse. There were at least 14 dolphins in the grouping. A rare treat!

On the way back from Palm Beach the swell had picked up during the day. A few individuals had chanced their arm and bodies by swimming in the Avalon rockpool which was being bombed with foam from breaking waves. The brave swimmer(s) in two of the photos are clearly exposed to the power of ocean.

Next stop was West Head lookout where we came across a Sydney red gum (Angophora Costata) which was shedding it rich earthy-coloured bark.

The smooth barked Sydney red gum is a native of the east coast of Australia and is characterised by twisted and gnarly branches.

Summer is a great time to visit and enjoy the beauty of the Northern Beaches and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park!

dolphin line up

Sydney Nimble Tours visits Georges Heights on our Northern Beaches, Sydney Harbour, National Park tour.

This area has spectacular harbour vistas that include the entrance to Sydney Harbour, Watsons Bay, Rosebay and Shark Island. A good view of the city of Sydney is on offer if you look south west.

The harbour aspect also provided a solid location to install defensive artillery should Sydney Harbour come under attack.

Military memorabilia in the form of gun pits, fortifications, canons and anti-aircraft guns have been well maintained and are on display at Georges Heights.

A former military hospital which was built for patients from World War I houses the anti-aircraft gun.

Close to the gun pits is the Gunner’s Barracks, a fortified sandstone building built in the 1870s. This building was constructed to accommodate artillerymen whose job was to look after the artillery and if necessary fire it.

In the course of a recent visit to Georges Heights we came across a chilled kookaburra resting on a sign near the Barracks.

Our feathered friend was most accommodating and happily posed for photographs.

The kookaburra is a member of the Kingfisher family and has one of the most unusual bird calls.

The laughing Kookaburra is not laughing at another kookaburra’s jokes! The cackle of the Kookaburra is a territorial call aimed at warning other birds to stay away.

Be gone, the insects, lizards, rodents and small snakes in this patch are mine!

The word kookaburra is yet another example of an indigenous word enriching our language and originates from the Wiradjuri word “guuguuburra”.

a delightful Australian bird

boom

loud and proud

Sydney Harbour has some quality beaches which are often overlooked by visitors and locals alike. Bondi Beach, Palm Beach or Manly Beach are more likely to attract the attention of beach goers.

Standout harbour beaches located to the north of the Harbour Bridge include Balmoral Beach, Chinamans Beach, Clontarf Beach and Castle Rock Beach.

These beaches offer something different by providing a safer place for a dip, being largely protected from the surf. Some harbour beaches, such as secluded Castle Rock Beach, are enhanced by a natural bush setting. Castle Rock Beach can be accessed via the Manly to Spit Bridge coastal walk and is adjacent to the Sydney Harbour National Park.

Another less known beach is Chinamans Beach, which was named after Chinese residents who organised market gardens in the reserve approaching it. The beach stretches for about 200 metres and faces directly north. This beach is a solid choice if you seek a mellow experience away from the crowds.

Balmoral Beach’s popularity can sometimes be a negative as it gets busy on warm weekends - too much love! The better option is to visit during weekdays or early in the day on a hot weekend. It is however a beautiful beach with great views towards the entrance to Sydney Harbour (the Heads). On a Saturday afternoon you may catch the impressive sight of yachts racing in the distance.

There are several restaurants on Balmoral Beach. Alternatively follow the advice of local real estate agents and have take away fish and chips at the beach whilst enjoying the village atmosphere!

Although referred to as Balmoral Beach, it is in fact two beaches, with Edwards Beach being located to the north of Rocky Point Island (you can’t miss it) and Balmoral Beach located to the south.

Sydney Nimble Tours can include a visit to any of these beaches in our Sydney Harbour, Northern Beaches, National Park Tour. There are other harbour beaches on offer but why give away all of our secrets in one blog?

Go forth and get harbour beached!

a small and secluded harbour beach

The official canine representative of Sydney Nimble Tours at full speed - Sandy Bay, a designated dog beach near Clontarf Beach.

slick curves at Clontarf

no mob at Chinamans

A harbour beach to yourself?

Dust storms do not generally occur in coastal areas of NSW but yesterday was the exception. Sydney was hit by gale force winds. The city was enveloped in a cloud of dust. The dust storm was brought by a cold front which moved through the western parts of NSW.

On a positive side surf conditions were excellent. Offshore winds and 3-4 feet plus of southern swell made for some very nice lines and quality waves. Curl Curl in particular had one of its best days in quite some time. Whilst Manly was also shapely it was smaller as it missed some of the Southern swell.

Sydney Nimble Tours visits Curl Curl, Freshwater, Manly, Bilgola and Palm Beaches on the Harbour, Northern Beaches and National Park Tour https://www.sydneynimbletours.com.au/sydney-harbour-and-northern-beaches-tour/

Please enjoy the photos of surfing glory at Curl Curl and Manly Beaches.

Manly Beach tube

Curl Curl surf on the day of dust

Boogie boarder carving it up

Going right late in day

Manly hanging ten

Whilst on a northern beaches tour we observed half a dozen kiteboarders speeding through the water and doing some amazing aerial manouvres. If you are fortunate enough to be driving by a beach and spot this activity it is worthwhile pulling over and having a look, even if only for ten or fifteen minutes. Kite surfing requires a reasonably strong wind so the conditions will not always be right. The photographs below, taken at Long Reef Beach, show the acrobatic feats being achieved in the course of what can only be described as a thrilling sport.

no fear of heights

cruising back to beach

hard landing?

controlling the kite can be challenging