A day on the river...

One of the many things I like about Sydney is that within 30 minutes from the city centre you can be in the most beautiful nature you can imagine.
The other day we took the kids to Hawkesbury River. We drove to the Empire Marina on Bobbin Head Road and started with a nice coffee at the Galley Foods Kiosk. In the meantime the kids enjoyed themselves with feeding the many fishes swimming in the marina!
At this same marina we hired a small tin boat (also called a tinny by the Aussies). It has an outboard motor and a convenient sunroof. From the marina we sailed all the way up onto Cowan Creek till Cottage Point. Cowan Creek is a beautiful river with many scenic bays to swim, fish or have a rest. On the way back we anchored in one of those bays and enjoyed our picnic, what a treat!
Bobbin Head is part of the Ku-ring-gai Chase national park. Besides enjoying this gorgeous river you can also try the many hiking trails this area has to offer to explore much more of this beautiful part of Sydney!

Vaucluse's little gem

Tucked away on the water edge of Vaucluse you will find Shark beach. This gorgeous white sanded beach is situated behind the unspoiled green Nielsen Park where you can play ball and enjoy your picnic. Of course it is one of the several beautiful beaches Sydney has to offer, but this one is special due to several reasons. The first reason is the way you can get there. You can park your car right behind the park but you can also park on Bay View Hill Road. From there you start a 45 minute hike which leads you along the foreshore of Vaucluse to Nielsen Park. The track, which is part of the Sydney Harbour National Park, is a bit up and down hill, but very easy to follow. You pass several small glistening white secluded beaches, as Queens beach and Milk beach and you have a constant view towards the city, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge! The other reason is that when your hike is finished and you have arrived at Shark beach you can sit down and relax at The Kiosk. This beautiful authentic cafe, formerly the Old Kiosk, has been build in 1914. It belonged to the Greycliffe house, a large Victorian sand stone residence, but is always used as a cafe for the locals visiting Shark beach and Nielsen Park. When sitting on the terrace or on the brick steps of the beach you can still feel the atmosphere of the early days, as if time stood still... Another reason to experience this gem!

Is hiking your thing?

My love for hiking actually has started in Hong Kong but luckily Sydney is into hiking as well! It has many walking tracks and most of them along the harbour and the ocean, oh yes! One of my favorites is the Mosman to Manly hike. It starts at the Spit Bridge in Mosman and ends on the Manly wharf. It's a 3 hour walk and you will be treated by gorgeous views, a great variety of terrain and a large selection of different beaches to swim or relax. But the greatest reward you will get when you have finished: a good coffee or delicious lunch in one of the great cafes Manly has to offer!