Thursday, January 3, 2013

sydney's northern beaches

during the days between christmas and new years this season i stayed at the apartment of friends who live close to a beach called dee why, and were overseas for the holidays.   from their place, i did many coastal walks, sat on beaches reading books, ate an overabundance of fresh mangos and ripe avocados, and drank too much wine.   it was lovely. 

incidentally, if you've never read the bone graphic novels by jeff smith, you should, immediately.   such a clever, funny, engrossing adventure story on par with the best epics i've ever read or watched.  the series is a good gift for yourself or any reader of any age.   i recommend the color version (9 books), but they're a little more expensive.  you can get the whole thing in black and white in one thick book. 


anyway, on to the beaches!     

this flower, called the frangipani in australia and plumeria everywhere else i've seen it, produces one of my favorite smells.   i have a little plant in my flat, but it hasnt produced flowers in two years :(   whenever i see fallen flowers in good condition, i pick one up and carry it around with me for a while.


the water is still crisp and cool this early in the season, but feels comfortable on the skin very quickly after diving in.  it always surprises me how strong the australian surf is. 


i love the turquoise color of the water, the various shapes of all the boulders, the smooth sand, and the fact that there are so many rocks leading right into the water.


this is a pool right at the edge of the ocean.   the water splashes pleasantly up against the rocks.  depending on the tide, the spray can be incredibly powerful, as you may remember from when i reported on the unfortunate incident at north curl curl beach early last year. 


this is the view from the hill.  australian beaches can be simply stunning.  hard to believe there are so many...    


walking along the coast reveals movement along the edges.  


it was a nice holiday.   i'll post photos of sydney's new years celebration soon.  in the meantime, it's back to work!

3 comments:

Chris said...

Watch out for rat creatures. Stupid, stupid, rat creatures.

Unknown said...

chris ;)

cameron said...

I really love the northern beaches in Sydney. They're one of my most favourite places to go and bring the kids to when we have a bit of free time over the weekend. There's nothing like seeing your kids splashing in the surf..