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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Given that this is one of my favourite places, I think Wattamolla warrants another post.
The highlight of the lagoon for some people is the 5 metre high rock platform. I think it’s a rite of initiation for kids from the Shire to jump off it, and believe me, there’s always a small crowd wanting to do this despite the warning signs.
But the lagoon has some tranquil bits as well, like this place near where we picnicked.
A kilometre down the coast is Wattamolla proper. This is an inlet with a little beach on one side…
And a magnificent lagoon on the other.
I’ve spent many summer days in that lagoon. I can’t deny that it is a popular spot, but no matter how busy it gets on land, I’m always able to find a serene spot on the water to float away.
One of my all-time favourite walks is the Coast that spans the length of the Royal National Park. Funnily enough, I haven’t walked the length of it yet, but this bit between Little Marley and Wattamolla is my favourite. Sure, there are similar sights up and down the coast line, but the cliffs here are rather more dramatic to my eyes.
I also love how the sandstone form multi-caked layers, like pancakes.
Since I’ll be travelling down the South Coast in a few weeks, I’m starting a series on its magnificent coastline. I’ll start off at Bundeena. It’s in the Royal National Park, and technically still in Sydney, but it feels like a world away, especially when viewed from the water.
Static and Silence 