Brighton Le Sands

The Water is Waiting

An unexpected work opportunity, lack of sleep and various other domestic projects of late, have all conspired to keep me from getting out on the water. We havent had time to get out in the tinny for weeks and blood salt levels are at an all time low. This was compounded last weekend by the cancellation of a long anticipated day’s racing on Sydney Harbour with some girlfriends. So by late Thursday afternoon, with eyes on stalks from burning the midnight oil and a pair of restless kids on my hands I remembered that we’re still only a stones throw from the beach at Brighton Le Sands. I didnt have my camera with me so I decided to get in the retro photo craze and test out my recently acquired iphone App “Hipstamatic”, and the results were quite pleasing.

An hour down on the sand late in the afternoon reminded me what this blog is all about: being inspired to snatch some time (even just an hour) away from the rug rat race and make the most of what’s on the doorstep. Once you step down off the boardwalk you can’t even hear the traffic.

Beach Ballet

OK, so you can see the industrial silos at Botany Bay and the planes landing and taking off at Kingsford Smith, but they’re in the back ground. Their visible presence only served to remind me that I had stepped back from the rush for a second and was in respite mode.

: Watching the World Go By

An hour down on the beach was all I needed to recharge the batteries, clear the fuzz and be thankful that, despite its urbanity, I live within close reach of so many soothing places. Where’s your favourite “round the corner” place to unwind?

: The Water is Waiting

: Feets

: A deckchair is all you need

: Have Umbrella…. Won’t Travel

: Us Three

: Cloud Gazing

: Little Digger

: Beach Ballet

: Watching the World Go By

Losing Myself in The Brighton Le Sands of Time….

The dune...where land meets sea

When Secret Water was kicked off back in January this year one of my aims was to stay motivated to get in, on and around the water with my family. The arrival of baby Harriet, as expected, has curtailed our adventures somewhat, as newborn babies, winter weather and tinnies are a slightly unrealistic combination. Harriet has been out and about though and we have been reminded yet again what an amazing city Sydney is if you have a love of the outdoors and the water. There are so many accessible options for getting your family into the fresh air and near the briny without a tinny, a backpack or a GPS but that still leave you feeling you have had some respite from urbanity.

Compared to the ocean beaches of the Eastern and Northern suburbs, Brighton Le Sands and Botany Bay at first seemed a little bit concrete and subject to too much passing traffic for my liking. However, on a windy Sunday last week, inspired by 52 suburbs, a blog that goes in search of “beauty in the burbs” on a weekly basis, I decided to take a closer look.

On closer inspection...

I have often secretly wished I was born about fifty years ago and whilst spending a few hours down by the board walk near the kiosk in the old bathing pavilion it wasn’t hard to imagine what the suburb was like a few decades ago…all dunes and weatherboards. Walking rather than just driving through on the way to the Shire, showed Brighton to be bursting with character, good coffee and a safe beach for children to play and swim.

Happy Feet

The walk back via Ramsgate required several stops for babycino and took a long time with a toddler in tow but was worth it for the peaceful walk back through the Hawthorne Street Nature Area.

Nature Walk

This is a beautiful patch of bushland which is apparently one of the few remaining pockets of Kurnell Dune Forest and home to the endangered mouse eared fishing bat. Walking through this little haven it then occurred to me that this is what the area was really like way back when. Heres the rest….