Friday, November 16, 2007

Jacaranda Avenue

Back on deck. Feeling like I've been slugged in an alley but that's the flu for yer. Managed to totter out for a walk this morning. Bloody hot day for it.


Naroo Road Umina

Naroo Road. Tiny street off Veron Road in Umina, near the High School. A favourite site at this time of year. Locals often refer to it as Jacaranda Avenue.

The jacarandas are still in flower all over the Peninsula. Love their soft trumpet-shaped flowers and their warm soft honey scent.


Lion Island from Ettalong Beach

Hot and hazy day on the Coast. That's just low cloud or leftover mist hanging over Sydney, not smog. Been foggy up and down the NSW coast for a few days.

Taken from Ettalong Beach, near the dunnies at the end of Picnic Parade.

Left to right: Wagstaffe (closeest), Barrenjoey Head (distant), Pittwater (most distant), Lion Island (right of centre), Commodore Heights in the Ku-ring-gai (behind the Lion), Ettalong Beach (closest) and Mt Ettalong (behind it).


Pop over and have a gander at this wee old house on Mullet Creek. A Umina resident has snapped it from the train.

Mullet Creek is an offshoot of the Hawkesbury River, which is one of the branches of Broken Bay. Woy Woy is in Brisbane Water and Brisbane Water is also part of Broken Bay. Mullet Creek is stoppered at its end by Dangar Island, which has electricity but only one car.

Rumour has it this house has no electricity nor running water. Dear God! It's rather pleasant though and is either a late example of Old Colonial Georgian (1788 - circa 1840) or Victorian Georgian (circa 1840 - c.1890). I plump for Victorian. The area wasn't built in until the 1860s from what I can gather.

To get home its residents would have to get off at tiny Wondabyne station("passengers for Wondabyne please inform the guard and alight from the rear door or the rear carriage") or row for 20 minutes from Brooklyn township.


Dangar Island map

Dangar Island is the red dot the arrow is pointing at. Mullet Creek is the wee offshoot of river rising vertically above it and half obscured by the name of Woy Woy.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

I would like to be magically transported to jacaranda avenue right now. I just love those trees.

Anonymous said...

i remember seeing this house at wondabyne from the train, there was another nice old house right next to the tracks but railcorp or whoever it is owned the house pulled it down a few years ago- my mother always used to say to me when i was a kid as our train we were on travelled thru there was its where the devil said goodnight!!!

Unknown said...

Hiya,

I have read the wwwalkies and I have some things maybe you can help me with. This might be one of you more lengthier comments...

First about me. I live in Rotorua, New Zealand, having moved here from the states 5 years ago. I have compared Rotorua and Woy Woy, and they are about same size. I enjoy walking too, and soon hope to walk the same streets as you.

A friend here had a photo of Copacabana beach on his wall, and I asked him about the area. He said it was his favorite in the world. I have an Auntie in Sydney, and am now looking to shift over there, after coming here to visit my mom, and ending up getting married, and then after a time, settling my mum/mom's estate. Now, of course, my mom is gone, my wife and I divorced, my closest family is in Sydney, AND now I have this cool special kiwi visa to use as long as I want in Australia.

In the states, I worked in the silicon valley for many years, and was unable to find decent work while in rural Rotorua, but....I sure enjoyed the slower pace. So I looked up Copacabana on the internet, and eventually found your adventures.

Presently, I am getting the "logistics" of the move sorted, but thought to contact you at least once, because, I would guess, you are the best resource on the net for anyone interested in "the peninsula". I have decided to move there, sight unseen, and thanks for giving us netizens the best street level view of a prospective neighborhood that one could ever hope for.

OK, so, if you could help me with a few things, first the ones I noted while reading..

1. I am guessing not, but was hoping, that there was a way to walk (along the coast) around to pearl beach from umina , that would be cool, but I think you would have mentioned it.

2. Are there any rock pools/baths on the peninsula that still hold (sea) water?

3. How long of a ferry ride is it to palm beach?

And now more practical questions, hoping not to burden you or any casual readers.

1. What is the water situation on the Peninsula, which catchment do they use, or alternative source?

2. Are you able to suggest a decent broadband ISP there; I am interested in reliability over gigabyte volume (lots of downloading).

3. Are there any parking spaces for bicycles and/or motorcycles provided for at the Woy Woy train station?

My apologies if any of these were covered in blogs after the Woy Woy Walkies, as I've only glanced at the latest walkies you have started recently in nearby suburbs.

Ok your turn.. and hoping that you have time for a few other questions that I may have before I arrive next month.

And wishing to see "Jacaranda Avenue" myself.

Anonymous said...

Oh my God, you have no idea at how happy i am to see this picture of Naroo Rd, one of those houses is ours, and we are living in India at the moment and talk everyday about how much we miss the house, the street, the suburb and the country. To see this chearful, bright happy picture of our home in full jacaranda bloom is amazing...thank you!!

Spike said...

Jen, expect magic carpet in inbox.

Michael, I heard about that other house. Thought it was just a rumour.

Why did the devil say goodnight there? Am fascinated.

Jeff said: "I would guess, you are the best resource on the net for anyone interested in "the peninsula".

This seems to be true.

thanks for giving us netizens the best street level view of a prospective neighborhood that one could ever hope for.

Thank yer.

1. Pathway to Pearl Beach

2. Umina Beach

3. 20 mins.

1b. Yes.

2b. No.

3b. Yes.

Peninsula News
Express Advocate

Missing home, yer welcome :)

Anonymous said...

It was one of my mothers sayings I have no idea where it came from.
about that house it wasnt a rumour i remember seeing the house myself everytime i went past in the train it was painted pink just before it was pulled down

Spike said...

Michael, the fibro one right next to the tracks? I remember it now. Never did get a decent photo of that one. Bugger.

Jeff, clarification of 1b: the dam's up at Mangrove Mountain or somewhere and there's hardly a drop left in it. Groundwater just went in on the Peninsula. We're on both.

Anonymous said...

yeah thats the one i think - nice little cottage it was but wouldnt like to live right next to the tracks with the trains (especially the freight ones) literally rumbling right past your front door practically every five minutes

Spike said...

Michael, shit yeah. Yer teeth'd rattle right out of yer head!

Dan said...

I would love to live on Jacaranda Avenue! I grew up with one of these trees in my front yard.