No. 7 of my/our Big Walk, Warriewood Beach to almost Collaroy, 9 Oct 2011

And only one week since we last walked, Ryan and I are off again, probably encouraged by the really nice little coffee shop at Narrabeen Park at the end of last week's walk - great fish and chips that sustained Sebastian for the drive home!

Me at the start of Walk no. 7, in much warmer clothes
than last week.

A extremely comprehensive list of many of the dangers
we might meet along the way, and not one
involves sharks!

After reading the long list of dangers of Turimetta Head, we forged ahead regardless, encountering wild flowers, bush and stunning views, both north towards Mona Vale Headland and south to Narrabeen Head and further on to Manly.

Then we came across this gorgeous little secluded, rocky beach, Turrimetta Beach, and managed to get these great photos of one young surfer. His mate jumped off the rocks into the waves, this guy just couldn't do it, but enjoyed the thrill of the waves anyway, without surfboard.

Misses jumping in with his mate

Pondering what to do next

Gets the wave anyway

Then it was a short climb over Narrabeen Head and on to the Narrabeen Peninsula, surf on one side and lovely calm lakes on the other, but we didn't get to see the surf because Ryan refused to walk on any more sand, and so we strolled along Ocean Street, the name of the streets that are always one back from the beach (should be renamed No Ocean View or No Ocean Breeze Street!)

Narrabeen Beach, view to Manly (I think) and the lakes behind.

Ryan finds yet another Combi, they are alive and well
on the northern beaches....

Whistling Percy came along too, not yet ready to come
out of his packaging

What was special about today, well, that great photo of the surfer 'catching' his wave, being reminded of how lovely the Narrabeen Lakes are and what a different feel it is to be on a lake rather than the surf, and after all the headlands we've crossed to finally get to the longest stretch of sand on the Northern Beaches, from Narrabeen to Collaroy Beach. And that it wasn't as freezing cold as last week's walk. And that finally I have finished the walk from Barrenjoey to Narrabeen Lakes, the first walk in the set of 5 coastal maps, the next one covers Narrabeen to Manly Lagoon.

Monument to surfing at Narrabeen Beach

Walk no. 6 of my/our Big Walk, 2 Oct 2011

Finally, we are back walking the coasts again, this time from Mona Vale, around the headland, across Basin Bay and the 'rock baths' (see photo below), and along Mona Vale beach to end up at Warriewood Beach. The best part of this walk was that I managed to convince the whole family to join me, the worst bit was the biting wind, sand-in-your-eyes stuff, wild surf, and unseasonably cold weather - albeit bathed in glorious sunshine.

The family at the beginning of the walk - watch carefully as we swap shirts/jumpers in an effort to keep warm

Wild surf floods the 'rock baths' at Basin Bay,
you can't even cross the concrete path. Hmmm, would love to swim
there - some other day.....

Wild surf never stops Ming, the intrepid photographer.

Mona Vale  Beach: wild winds are loved by wind surfers

Ryan battles the wind,

Sebastian invents a novel way of keeping
his arms warm!

Ryan found yet another Combi, hence, yet
another photo op. 

Boys waiting at bus stop, windblown, and wearn different
jumpers,

More sand dune flowers, must find out what they are called.

So it was a wild and blustery day, the boys and I made it to the end, caught a bus back to the car, Sebastian fortified himself with a huge serving of fish and chips, Ming ended up retracing his steps because he was convinced he'd lost his glasses (I found them in the car a week later.......), and again, Ryan wonders about my sanity in doing these walks.