A few k’s down the coast is the sleepy village of Minnamurra, at the mouth of Minnamurra River. Haven’t done this myself, but it’s possible to wade across at low tide and walk north to Bass Point. South from here is Kiama, via a few beaches.
Monthly Archives: December 2009
Ashes to Austen
Now this isn’t too bad at all, given my liking for Austen and Ashes to Ashes.
South Coast Line – Bass Point
A couple of kilometres out of Shellharbour village is Bass Point. The whole area is apparently a remnant of a volcanic plug, hence all the black granite that’s around. It’s also a great place for diving and snorkling, particularly below at Bushranger’s bay.
South Coast Line – Shellharbour
Shellharbour is a growing town. New housing estates seem to sprout up like mushrooms, and there’s a rather large mall on the outskirts. Luckily the old part of town still retains its charm, especially the rock platform (probably how the town got its name) and its old-fashioned seawall.
The Whitlams with the SSO
Saw another wonderful show at the Opera House last night. This time it’s a collaboration between Sydney band, The Whitlams, and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The last time I saw an SSO collaboration of this kind was a few years back with Ben Folds, but The Whitlams show was a different beast all together.
For one, we had their four-piece band on stage, hence the arrangements were more of a collaboration between the band and the orchestra, meaning that for the most part, the existing arrangements of their songs remained in tact. With Ben Folds, the orchestra was the backing band, meaning that the arrangement can be completely different to the original songs themselves. Doesn’t mean that the show was any worse, just different.
I liked that they played the album Eternal Nightcap in its entirety. I owned this album while I was at uni. It was played often, so the songs were familiar, even if I hadn’t heard them for a number of years (I gave the album away eventually). The songs Buy Now and Pay Later and Charlie No. 3 were highlights, but after the interval there was a magical arrangement for a song I’m not familiar with, called Out the Back, which tells about a surfing moment. The middle string movement was so sensual – I could see the waves lapping the shore, literally hear the seagulls calling, and almost taste the salt. It was magic, and shows how evocative an orchestra can be, if utilised in an imaginative way.
Well, here’s a taste of what I saw last night, a rendition of No Aphrodisiac.
South Coast Line – Wollongong
And we come to Wollongong. It’s only 60km from the boundaries of Sydney but that’s far enough away for it to have a different feel. I took this shot from the top of Mount Keira, on the escarpment. It shows the harbour area that is centred on the old lighthouse.
South Coast Line – Bulli Point
Around the corner from Austinmer is Bulli Point, where you can see all the way up the coast line to the cliffs of the national park.
South Coast Line – Austinmer
Further down the coast (although not quite in Wollongong) is the village of Austinmer. It has a little beach that is surfable, rock pool that I’ve swam in many a time, and is backed by the Illawarra Escarpment.
Fortunately/unfortunately, it’s been gentrified, so instead of the old milk bars we now have cafes.
South Coast Line – Bald Hill and Stanwell Park
We’re out of the national park and driving down the Grand Pacific Drive. The view from Bald Hill has got to be one of the most photographed in NSW after Sydney Harbour and Blue Mountains. On a clear day you can see all the way to Port Kembla, even all the way to Saddleback Mountain near Kiama. If the wind is favourable you can see the hang and para gliders do their thing.
Stanwell Park beach is pretty nice too, but it’s really a surfing beach and not a swimming beach. I’ve been caught up in a scary rip or two there to know.
Static and Silence 