Walking Turcot Yards is Neath's walkies blog. He walks through an industrial area under a freeway exchange in Montreal and takes good and interesting pictures.
Did a post last week listing all the suburbs and towns walked and on my walkies list. There's a map as well.
Got a few Gmail invites left. Email me at spikebotster at gmail .com if you want one. First in best dressed.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Get yer fresh hot dingies here
Forgot to post this photo on Monday. It's from Wagstaffe as well. Someone's dingy tied up next to the ferry wharf. Sat there under the tree for a bit watching the water. The light was great. Very blue day. Out on one of the sandbars there was a small motorboat. It was pulled up onto the edge of the sandbar and a dad and a kid were wading up to their ankles in the water with a bucket. Don't know what they were looking for, crabs maybe, but it looked like fun.
No walkies today. Not feeling the best. Nothing major. But by the end of the day I'll be thoroughly shat off as I intend to spend it wrangling these word whatsits so they'll go onto black tee shirts. This involves making the background transparent. Which involves me shouting at the photoshop thingy for a few hours.
To put off the Evil Hours of Transparency, I bunged the dingy photo on some stuff at my wee shop. Go straight to all the Dingy at Wagstaffe Wharf stuff or have a sniff around all the stuff I've made so far.
Monday, January 29, 2007
Cow house
Crystal Spirit and holiday makers at Wagstaffe Wharf. One of the Palm Beach Ferries fleet at Wagstaffe wharf. The Palm Beach ferries operate out of Palm Beach in Pittwater, which is the northern-most beach of Sydney and 15-20 minutes ferry ride to the south. You can work in Sydney, get the bus up the Princes Highway to Palm Beach and then pop across on the ferry and there you are.
The Palm Beach Ferries aren't strictly Brisbane Water ferries but they service a bit of Brisbane Water. Together with the ferry runs that never leave Brisbane Water, there's four ferry runs I think. Lady Kendall the lunch-n-gawk sightseeing one, the Codock II AKA the Cockatoo, the Palm Beach mob and the Saratoga which is the catamaran that does the Empire Bay run.
This place I want to move into. It's got the lot, it's pretty, it's got a good veranda, water frontage, big yard, boatshed, ferry stop down the road a bit, fresh oysters daily (growing on the jetty) and own private jetty. Brilliant.
It's on Wagstaff Avenue Wagstaffe. Wagstaffe (suburb) and Wagstaff (Avenue) are both correct, like Kincumber (town) and Kincumba (Mountain).
This place isn't half bad neither. Two places actually, the wee blue and white cottage on the left with the boatshed and jetty and the place on the right with the big yard for a dog to run round in and a seat under the shady tree. I'll take both.
On Wagstaff Avenue Wagstaffe as well, just along from the photo above.
You can see in this photo the frangipanni trees are flowering now. Basking in the sun and putting out their simple white flowers. Lovely. The jasmine is out too of course, and the orange jessamine. When the sun's on them the perfume is glorious.
(Embiggulate)
The cow house, Wagstaff Avenue Wagstaffe. Heard about this place. Might've read somewhere that the owner used to own a milk bar and kept the cow off the shop. But don't quote me on that.
Hardly walked at all today. Rode around on the ferry for a bit then sat under a tree and looked at the water. Bloody tired. Didn't sleep well. Might have to go to bed at a decent hour and miss Shameless.
Shameless is brilliant but I miss Oz. Mind, Oz wouldn't be the same anyways without Keller. Saw the feller wot played Keller in that Law and Order show. He is fucking wasted in that, wasted. Same goes for James Marsters in Superman's home town. They both had big roles playing sexy sexy guys now they're in pretty standard roles.
Saturday. Beautiful wind. Gusts building up, blowing the curtains up half way to the ceiling then banging them back down against the flyscreens. All day it blew. Got rid of every last iota of the week's mugginess. Bloody glorious.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Firework
Taken Friday night at the Australia Day thingy in Woy Woy. It was overcast all day then the clouds started clearing late afternoon and by fireworks time the sky was clear and there was enough breeze to gently drift the smoke away. Brilliant.
Had a few mates over for a barbie on the balcony. We laid about all afternoon drowsy and replete with sausage and beer. The first firework went off with a bang and woke us up. We trotted down there and got off a few hasty snaps from Railway Street. This was the only decent one.
How was your Straylya Day?
Friday, January 26, 2007
Straylya Day
It's that time of year again. Pop over to the Ducktionary for a quick rundown on Australia Day.
Official Australian national anthem:
Advance Australia Fair
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We've golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in Nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history's page, let every stage
Advance Australia fair!
In joyful strains then let us sing,
"Advance Australia fair!"
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross,
We'll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing
"Advance Australia fair!"
Girt is not someone's aunt but an archaic word meaning surrounded by. Australia is an island nation and thus surrounded by sea. The Southern Cross is a constellation seen in the southern sky. It's on our flag. The Commonwealth of ours is the Commonwealth of Australia.
In the light of recent unpleasantness and the hatred our current Prime Minister John Wanker Howard does much to encourage, I'd like to remind all my fellow Australians of this section of the second verse:
"For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair."
And this from the Telstra ad & Judith Durham:
"We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian."
Fucking don't forget. Or I'll come round your place and rip yer bloody arms off.
Unofficial Australian national anthem:
Waltzing Matilda
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"
Along came a jumbuck to drink from the billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?".
Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers, one, two, three,
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?"
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?".
Up jumped the swagman, leapt into the billabong,
"You'll never catch me alive," said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong,
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong,
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"
Yep, it's chockers with colloquiallisms and archaic stuff. Translation.
Official Australian flag on the left. Aboriginal Australia's flag on the right.
Aboriginal Australia's flag: red for the earth, black for the people, yellow for the life-giving sun.
Official Australian flag: Union Jack (UK/Great Britain's flag), the Star of Federation and the Southern Cross, a constellation of the southern hemisphere's sky.
The New Zealand flag is similar to the official Australian flag. Just whip off the Star of Federation (bottom left) and the wee star and Bob's yer Kiwi uncle.
Okay. Happy Straylya Day. I'm off.
Official Australian national anthem:
Advance Australia Fair
Australians all let us rejoice,
For we are young and free;
We've golden soil and wealth for toil,
Our home is girt by sea;
Our land abounds in Nature's gifts
Of beauty rich and rare;
In history's page, let every stage
Advance Australia fair!
In joyful strains then let us sing,
"Advance Australia fair!"
Beneath our radiant Southern Cross,
We'll toil with hearts and hands;
To make this Commonwealth of ours
Renowned of all the lands;
For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair.
In joyful strains then let us sing
"Advance Australia fair!"
Girt is not someone's aunt but an archaic word meaning surrounded by. Australia is an island nation and thus surrounded by sea. The Southern Cross is a constellation seen in the southern sky. It's on our flag. The Commonwealth of ours is the Commonwealth of Australia.
In the light of recent unpleasantness and the hatred our current Prime Minister John Wanker Howard does much to encourage, I'd like to remind all my fellow Australians of this section of the second verse:
"For those who've come across the seas
We've boundless plains to share;
With courage let us all combine
To advance Australia fair."
And this from the Telstra ad & Judith Durham:
"We are one, but we are many
And from all the lands on earth we come
We share a dream and sing with one voice:
I am, you are, we are Australian."
Fucking don't forget. Or I'll come round your place and rip yer bloody arms off.
Unofficial Australian national anthem:
Waltzing Matilda
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong,
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And he sang as he watched and waited 'til his billy boiled
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"
Along came a jumbuck to drink from the billabong,
Up jumped the swagman and grabbed him with glee,
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And he sang as he stowed that jumbuck in his tucker bag,
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?".
Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred,
Down came the troopers, one, two, three,
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?"
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
"Where's that jolly jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?",
"You'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?".
Up jumped the swagman, leapt into the billabong,
"You'll never catch me alive," said he,
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong,
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me".
Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by the billabong,
"Who'll come a-Waltzing Matilda, with me?"
Yep, it's chockers with colloquiallisms and archaic stuff. Translation.
Official Australian flag on the left. Aboriginal Australia's flag on the right.
Aboriginal Australia's flag: red for the earth, black for the people, yellow for the life-giving sun.
Official Australian flag: Union Jack (UK/Great Britain's flag), the Star of Federation and the Southern Cross, a constellation of the southern hemisphere's sky.
The New Zealand flag is similar to the official Australian flag. Just whip off the Star of Federation (bottom left) and the wee star and Bob's yer Kiwi uncle.
Okay. Happy Straylya Day. I'm off.
Suburbs & towns
Haven't updated my walkies map for a bit so here it is, updated to walks completed and in progress, January 2007. The orange outline is my target area, the solid orange is completed targets. I started in March 2005 and I'll complete all the walks in the outline within a year probably.
The blank islands are uninhabited and have no roads. The green lines are landscape contours lines indicating hills and ridges.
Brisbane Water is part of Broken Bay. The Broken Bay heads are Box Head (BW side) and Barrenjoey Head (Sydney side). The other two parts of Broken Bay are Pittwater (between Barrenjoey Head and the Ku-ring-gai) and the Hawkesbury River.
Below are all the names of my walkies targets, clockwise, around the Woy Woy Peninsula and around Brisbane Water, the estuary Woy Woy is on.
[W] after a name means I've walked it.
[PW] after a name means I've walked part of it.
* after a name means it's an old or semi-official name for an area or it's an inhabited landscape feature like a bay or beach.
Woy Woy Peninsula:
(clockwise from station)
Woy Woy (station) [W]
Blackwall [W]
Orange Grove [W]
Booker Bay [W]
Ettalong [W]
Umina [W], Ocean Beach* [W] & Umina Beach* [W]
Pearl Beach [W]
Patonga [W], Dark Corner* [W] & Brisk Bay* [W]
Umina again
Woy Woy South [W] /Correa Bay* [W]
Brisbane Water suburbs & towns:
(clockwise from Woy Woy)
Horsfield Bay (Deadmans Bay) [W]
Phegans Bay [W]
Woy Woy Bay [W]
Parks Bay* [W]
Koolewong /Murphys Bay* [W]
Tascott [W]
Noonan Point* [W]
Point Clare [W]
Fagans Bay [W]
West Gosford [PW]
Gosford [PW]
Point Frederick (Longnose) [W]
Caroline Bay* [W]
East Gosford [PW] & Peeks Point* [W]
Springfield [PW]
Erina [PW]
Ironbark Point*
Rocky Point*
Green Point
Yattalunga [PW]
Saratoga [PW]
Davistown [PW]
Yattalunga again
Kincumber [PW]
Kincumber South [PW]
Bensville
Empire Bay [PW]
St Huberts Island [W]
Daleys Point [W]
Fishermans Bay* [W]
Killcare & Putty Beach*
Hardys Bay
Pretty Beach
Wagstaffe
Kourung Gourong Point*
Lobster Beach*
Okay, we're all caught up now.
The blank islands are uninhabited and have no roads. The green lines are landscape contours lines indicating hills and ridges.
Brisbane Water is part of Broken Bay. The Broken Bay heads are Box Head (BW side) and Barrenjoey Head (Sydney side). The other two parts of Broken Bay are Pittwater (between Barrenjoey Head and the Ku-ring-gai) and the Hawkesbury River.
Below are all the names of my walkies targets, clockwise, around the Woy Woy Peninsula and around Brisbane Water, the estuary Woy Woy is on.
[W] after a name means I've walked it.
[PW] after a name means I've walked part of it.
* after a name means it's an old or semi-official name for an area or it's an inhabited landscape feature like a bay or beach.
Woy Woy Peninsula:
(clockwise from station)
Woy Woy (station) [W]
Blackwall [W]
Orange Grove [W]
Booker Bay [W]
Ettalong [W]
Umina [W], Ocean Beach* [W] & Umina Beach* [W]
Pearl Beach [W]
Patonga [W], Dark Corner* [W] & Brisk Bay* [W]
Umina again
Woy Woy South [W] /Correa Bay* [W]
Brisbane Water suburbs & towns:
(clockwise from Woy Woy)
Horsfield Bay (Deadmans Bay) [W]
Phegans Bay [W]
Woy Woy Bay [W]
Parks Bay* [W]
Koolewong /Murphys Bay* [W]
Tascott [W]
Noonan Point* [W]
Point Clare [W]
Fagans Bay [W]
West Gosford [PW]
Gosford [PW]
Point Frederick (Longnose) [W]
Caroline Bay* [W]
East Gosford [PW] & Peeks Point* [W]
Springfield [PW]
Erina [PW]
Ironbark Point*
Rocky Point*
Green Point
Yattalunga [PW]
Saratoga [PW]
Davistown [PW]
Yattalunga again
Kincumber [PW]
Kincumber South [PW]
Bensville
Empire Bay [PW]
St Huberts Island [W]
Daleys Point [W]
Fishermans Bay* [W]
Killcare & Putty Beach*
Hardys Bay
Pretty Beach
Wagstaffe
Kourung Gourong Point*
Lobster Beach*
Okay, we're all caught up now.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Damp & smoky
Sat on my balcony last night in the rain. There was a lovely storm then the rain started to fall. It was beautiful on my bare skin. The storms rolled past all evening and when I woke up this morning it was still raining. The air was cool and fresh. The rain was pouring out of the gutters onto the concrete below and tapping onto the leaves of the trees. Beautiful.
There were storms again this morning and it's still raining. It tamed the Ku-ring-gai fire. Not sure about the one up at Mangrove Mountain. That's about 23 kays (14.2 miles) north-north-west of here.
Didn't go for a walk. Stayed home and enjoyed the rain on my balcony again. The neighbours think I'm balmy. Read the paper and found in it a brave tale of one man's victory over his IQ. He tried to avoid arrest by crossing through the carpark of the copshop. "Two officers made a simple arrest." (Central Coast Express Advocate). In other and smarter news, a guy down south survived a shark bite to the head.
My wee shop
Made some new stuff as per the photo below. Hoodies and shirts and tops.
Click to suss out the new stuff
Changed my mind about those shirts with photos on them, except the ones with wee photos up near the shoulder. They can stay.
Fuck, I'm tired. All this heat's been keeping me awake half the night and the days I've spent squinting at the screen. But I'm ripping into my New Year's resolution. Promised in front of witness I'd exorcise some guilt and that's exactly what I've been doing. Getting rid of all my put-it-off guilt accumulated over 2006, fixing stuff round the flat.
There were storms again this morning and it's still raining. It tamed the Ku-ring-gai fire. Not sure about the one up at Mangrove Mountain. That's about 23 kays (14.2 miles) north-north-west of here.
Didn't go for a walk. Stayed home and enjoyed the rain on my balcony again. The neighbours think I'm balmy. Read the paper and found in it a brave tale of one man's victory over his IQ. He tried to avoid arrest by crossing through the carpark of the copshop. "Two officers made a simple arrest." (Central Coast Express Advocate). In other and smarter news, a guy down south survived a shark bite to the head.
My wee shop
Made some new stuff as per the photo below. Hoodies and shirts and tops.
Click to suss out the new stuff
Changed my mind about those shirts with photos on them, except the ones with wee photos up near the shoulder. They can stay.
Fuck, I'm tired. All this heat's been keeping me awake half the night and the days I've spent squinting at the screen. But I'm ripping into my New Year's resolution. Promised in front of witness I'd exorcise some guilt and that's exactly what I've been doing. Getting rid of all my put-it-off guilt accumulated over 2006, fixing stuff round the flat.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Sunday Bloody Sunday
I could smell the smoke when I woke up. I could see a faint smudge of smoke against the pink of dawn. The fire is down in the Ku-ring-gai, the national park you can see from Patonga, about 15 kays from Woy Woy. Overnight the smoke drifted up to Brisbane Water.
Berowra/Ku-ring-gai bushfire seen from Ettalong this morning. The plume extends for a couple of kilometres to the right of frame.
It closed the F3, the highway up from Sydney. The railway line beside the F3 was closed for a bit as well and at one point the campers on Bobbin Head in the Ku-ring-gai were in of danger of a roasting. The trains are back on this morning but F3’s still closed and the traffic’s being diverted to the old Pacific Highway.
It started yesterday and yesterday was a bastard. It was fucking hot. 43 (110 F) by my gauge and muggy with it. It was still with a hot wind stirring every now and then. Not what the fieries wish for.
Northern Beaches and the Woy Woy Peninsula. The outlined bit is the Ku-ring-gai.
Over the weekend it pissed down raining in Victoria and South Australia. The Thredbo fire was put out and there was flash flooding in some country towns. No rain for months then the poor buggers have to sandbag the main street.
I am as tired as fuck. All these hot bloody nights lying sweating on a towel are giving me the shits. Bring on winter and the nice cool walkies weather!
Berowra/Ku-ring-gai bushfire seen from Ettalong this morning. The plume extends for a couple of kilometres to the right of frame.
It closed the F3, the highway up from Sydney. The railway line beside the F3 was closed for a bit as well and at one point the campers on Bobbin Head in the Ku-ring-gai were in of danger of a roasting. The trains are back on this morning but F3’s still closed and the traffic’s being diverted to the old Pacific Highway.
It started yesterday and yesterday was a bastard. It was fucking hot. 43 (110 F) by my gauge and muggy with it. It was still with a hot wind stirring every now and then. Not what the fieries wish for.
Northern Beaches and the Woy Woy Peninsula. The outlined bit is the Ku-ring-gai.
Over the weekend it pissed down raining in Victoria and South Australia. The Thredbo fire was put out and there was flash flooding in some country towns. No rain for months then the poor buggers have to sandbag the main street.
I am as tired as fuck. All these hot bloody nights lying sweating on a towel are giving me the shits. Bring on winter and the nice cool walkies weather!
Friday, January 19, 2007
Umina Beach
Been feeling very cross and tired lately and nearly didn't get out of bed this morning. Laid there like a starfish with the fan on me wondering if it was too hot for a walk. The forecast was for 31 (84 F) and they're always under by a few degrees and it was already warmish and I was tired. Eventually I levered myself out of bed and wandered into the kitchen for a cuppa tea. Stood there for an hour moodily sipping tea and glaring out at the sunshine. Then I decided, Fuck it I'll go, flung some shorts on and buggered off down the beach.
The light was iffy, dark one minute then not quite bright enough the next. But Lion Island was clear and looked close enough to touch. (That never comes across in the photos.)
Sat on the sand for a bit and stared across at the island. The Lifesavers were setting up and it was busy with dog walkers and strolling locals and tourists. The icecream truck will do a good trade there today.
Barrenjoey Head (centre) with the lighthouse just visible, Pittwater in the background to its right, Lion Island (closest) and Commodore Heights in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park on the far right. Map.
They knocked the Ocean Beach Surf Life Saving Club down in October or November 2006, leaving just the balcony standing. The club was about the size of a small house. Haven't seen the plans for the new one.
Doesn't look like they've made any progress but I poked my head over the fence and they're doing the foundations at the moment.
Looking west-south-west to Mount Ettalong (left) and The Rampart in the background. The seat in the right foreground is the Bob Da Silva memorial.
W.L. Lloyd Park Norman Street Umina Beach. Go down to the beach end of Trafalgar Avenue to where they knocked down the Ocean Beach SLSC (not the Umina Beach SLSC at the end of Ocean Beach Road).
This wee park sits just behind the dunes. In the foreground is the loo. It's getting pretty dodgy. The walls have cracks in them and the roof is losing tiles. There's a wee shelter (left, white & green roof) with picnic tables under it and the playground gym and a few seats dotted about. The SLSC balcony is to left of pine tree.
Fire and ice
Thredbo, one of Australia's biggest snow skiing resorts, is under threat from a bushfire. This is the same Thredbo where snow fell on Christmas Day.
These ice storms and blizzards in America and Europe are bad news if you're there, and particularly if you're there and died of it, but it makes lovely looking at when one is sitting in Australia in one's underpants with the fan on full blast.
The light was iffy, dark one minute then not quite bright enough the next. But Lion Island was clear and looked close enough to touch. (That never comes across in the photos.)
Sat on the sand for a bit and stared across at the island. The Lifesavers were setting up and it was busy with dog walkers and strolling locals and tourists. The icecream truck will do a good trade there today.
Barrenjoey Head (centre) with the lighthouse just visible, Pittwater in the background to its right, Lion Island (closest) and Commodore Heights in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park on the far right. Map.
They knocked the Ocean Beach Surf Life Saving Club down in October or November 2006, leaving just the balcony standing. The club was about the size of a small house. Haven't seen the plans for the new one.
Doesn't look like they've made any progress but I poked my head over the fence and they're doing the foundations at the moment.
Looking west-south-west to Mount Ettalong (left) and The Rampart in the background. The seat in the right foreground is the Bob Da Silva memorial.
W.L. Lloyd Park Norman Street Umina Beach. Go down to the beach end of Trafalgar Avenue to where they knocked down the Ocean Beach SLSC (not the Umina Beach SLSC at the end of Ocean Beach Road).
This wee park sits just behind the dunes. In the foreground is the loo. It's getting pretty dodgy. The walls have cracks in them and the roof is losing tiles. There's a wee shelter (left, white & green roof) with picnic tables under it and the playground gym and a few seats dotted about. The SLSC balcony is to left of pine tree.
Fire and ice
Thredbo, one of Australia's biggest snow skiing resorts, is under threat from a bushfire. This is the same Thredbo where snow fell on Christmas Day.
These ice storms and blizzards in America and Europe are bad news if you're there, and particularly if you're there and died of it, but it makes lovely looking at when one is sitting in Australia in one's underpants with the fan on full blast.
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
An unregarded corner
(Random walkies)
This is one of my favourite buildings in Woy Woy. It's a quiet unassuming creature, seen by many and remembered by few. Downstairs is a girly hairdressing place, tucked into the Chambers Place end is a narrow staircase going up to a solicitor's office or something similar. It's been built to fit the corner and thus has an eccentric shape.
It's on the corner of Oval Avenue and Chambers Place, opposite the footy oval, just down from the Library and a few dozen metres from the railway station. It's been hard to get decent photos of. Usually there's cars parked in front of it. These photos I got at 7AM this morning. Those palms shadowed on the facade are from out front of the footy oval.
I'm going to put it in Inter-War Art Deco (circa 1915 - c. 1940) and close to 1940. With those tethers on the veranda and the age of the materials it doesn't seem to fit into Post-War International (circa 1940 - 1960).
That little archway (next to the lamppost) puzzles me. What did it belong to? Judging by the archway's style, there was a fairly grand building to the right of the lamppost in the early 20th century and that wee archway was part of it. I feel a research trip coming on.
The stepped side of the building is another Art Deco thing. That wee boutique next to it looks like Art Deco as well. The change in the colours of the bricks on the side of the boutique I haven't seen on another Art Deco building or any other local building, except for repaired buildings. Perhaps cheaper bricks used where some other structure originally covered them up.
Detail of the decorative brickwork. That raised edge of the facade. There's two or three more edges like that in the station area, though they have just the one row not two. Don't have photos of them yet. There's few examples of decorative brickwork on the Peninsula. Offhand I can only think of three, including today's and this one on Whatsit Street.
Men in black
Men in little black dresses. Sydney Frontrunners are having a charity run on Saturday 10th of February, 9AM, Centennial Park Sydney. Go down Oxford Street past Victoria Barracks (the ex-army place not the drag queen), turn into Parkes Drive at the Centennial Square lights.
Be there or be straight. It's part of that glam time of year we like to call the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.
This is one of my favourite buildings in Woy Woy. It's a quiet unassuming creature, seen by many and remembered by few. Downstairs is a girly hairdressing place, tucked into the Chambers Place end is a narrow staircase going up to a solicitor's office or something similar. It's been built to fit the corner and thus has an eccentric shape.
It's on the corner of Oval Avenue and Chambers Place, opposite the footy oval, just down from the Library and a few dozen metres from the railway station. It's been hard to get decent photos of. Usually there's cars parked in front of it. These photos I got at 7AM this morning. Those palms shadowed on the facade are from out front of the footy oval.
I'm going to put it in Inter-War Art Deco (circa 1915 - c. 1940) and close to 1940. With those tethers on the veranda and the age of the materials it doesn't seem to fit into Post-War International (circa 1940 - 1960).
That little archway (next to the lamppost) puzzles me. What did it belong to? Judging by the archway's style, there was a fairly grand building to the right of the lamppost in the early 20th century and that wee archway was part of it. I feel a research trip coming on.
The stepped side of the building is another Art Deco thing. That wee boutique next to it looks like Art Deco as well. The change in the colours of the bricks on the side of the boutique I haven't seen on another Art Deco building or any other local building, except for repaired buildings. Perhaps cheaper bricks used where some other structure originally covered them up.
Detail of the decorative brickwork. That raised edge of the facade. There's two or three more edges like that in the station area, though they have just the one row not two. Don't have photos of them yet. There's few examples of decorative brickwork on the Peninsula. Offhand I can only think of three, including today's and this one on Whatsit Street.
Men in black
Men in little black dresses. Sydney Frontrunners are having a charity run on Saturday 10th of February, 9AM, Centennial Park Sydney. Go down Oxford Street past Victoria Barracks (the ex-army place not the drag queen), turn into Parkes Drive at the Centennial Square lights.
Be there or be straight. It's part of that glam time of year we like to call the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
No flashing adverts
Just before Christmas I made one of them CafePress online shops. It was fun. You upload some images and they print them onto stuff for you and Bob's yer uncle.
Been uploading and wrangling images over the last few days. Before I had a couple of mugs and cards. Now I've bunged up some tee shirts and hoodies and stuff and the mugs are better.
Click here for tee shirts, tops & hoodies
Click here for mugs
There's also some cards & postcards and magnets, stickers & mousepads and possibly a pair of underpants. If there's a particular picture you want on a tee shirt or whatever, ask and ye shall recieve.
There's another lot of stuff to bung up next month then that's it really. It can sit there quietly running itself.
I'm not going to have flashing adverts or nothing. This blog remains a blog and is not going to morph into Spike's Cunning Emporium.
Been uploading and wrangling images over the last few days. Before I had a couple of mugs and cards. Now I've bunged up some tee shirts and hoodies and stuff and the mugs are better.
Click here for tee shirts, tops & hoodies
Click here for mugs
There's also some cards & postcards and magnets, stickers & mousepads and possibly a pair of underpants. If there's a particular picture you want on a tee shirt or whatever, ask and ye shall recieve.
There's another lot of stuff to bung up next month then that's it really. It can sit there quietly running itself.
I'm not going to have flashing adverts or nothing. This blog remains a blog and is not going to morph into Spike's Cunning Emporium.
Monday, January 15, 2007
Davistown Road
(Yattalunga #1)
This lot are from just before Christmas. Yattalunga is the handle of the axe-shaped Saratoga & Davistown peninsula. It looks out over Kincumber Broadwater to the east and over the main part of Brisbane Water to the west and north. To get to it turn down Davistown Road from Avoca Drive between Kincumber and Green Point, or catch the ferry from Woy Woy to Davistown and walk up Davistown Road.
The photo on the sale board I thought was a view from the back of this house showing the Kincumber Broadwater. But it's a view north-west from Yattalunga across Brisbane Water to Point Clare, West Gosford, Longnose (AKA Point Frederick) and Green Point on the right. Have a look on the biggest size.
The photo on the board is good but I wanted to see the Kincumber Broadwater from this angle.
Taken on the other side of Davistown Road, just a few metres down from the photo above. Looking straight across Brisbane Water to Tascott.
Re-organised some photos on Flickr. You can now look at all the Islands of Broken Bay (includes Brisbane Water) on one page.
Bloody sky's clearing again, blast it. It looked like rain earlier so I just nipped out for the paper and went round the block. Might squeeze in a proper walk this afternoon.
This lot are from just before Christmas. Yattalunga is the handle of the axe-shaped Saratoga & Davistown peninsula. It looks out over Kincumber Broadwater to the east and over the main part of Brisbane Water to the west and north. To get to it turn down Davistown Road from Avoca Drive between Kincumber and Green Point, or catch the ferry from Woy Woy to Davistown and walk up Davistown Road.
The photo on the sale board I thought was a view from the back of this house showing the Kincumber Broadwater. But it's a view north-west from Yattalunga across Brisbane Water to Point Clare, West Gosford, Longnose (AKA Point Frederick) and Green Point on the right. Have a look on the biggest size.
The photo on the board is good but I wanted to see the Kincumber Broadwater from this angle.
Taken on the other side of Davistown Road, just a few metres down from the photo above. Looking straight across Brisbane Water to Tascott.
Re-organised some photos on Flickr. You can now look at all the Islands of Broken Bay (includes Brisbane Water) on one page.
Bloody sky's clearing again, blast it. It looked like rain earlier so I just nipped out for the paper and went round the block. Might squeeze in a proper walk this afternoon.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Railway Street
(Random walkies)
It's going to be another hot one. Yesterday was 34 or summat (94F) and bloody unpleasant. I closed the blinds and laid about in my undies reading. It's a tough life.
Today I'm working on some tee shirts for my wee shop. Gotta get the buggers done this month.
This is a lovely bungalow on Railway Street Woy Woy. Love the colours. Had to go back a few times to get it in the right light then I forgot I had the bugger.
Will go back for another photo when the jacaranda (right) is flowering and see how it looks with the lovely soft purple of the flowers hanging over it.
Can't find it in my hist list. It's either Federation Bungalow (circa 1890 - circa 1915) or Inter War California Bungalow (circa 1915 - circa 1940). I think from the details like the window frames and the veranda posts it's Federation that's been well looked after.
Other business
Did some links updating the other day and bunged these people up:
Midday in the Garden of Good and Evil - Sydney textile artist Gramarye.
Belongum's Blog - Ex alot-of-things. Perth, Western Australia.
No More Dreaming - Haily in Vancouver Canada.
The String Bag - Stitchwort in Durham County in the UK.
And Fuckkit shifted her swearing+backpacking blog to here. Go and tease her about dunny spiders.
It's going to be another hot one. Yesterday was 34 or summat (94F) and bloody unpleasant. I closed the blinds and laid about in my undies reading. It's a tough life.
Today I'm working on some tee shirts for my wee shop. Gotta get the buggers done this month.
This is a lovely bungalow on Railway Street Woy Woy. Love the colours. Had to go back a few times to get it in the right light then I forgot I had the bugger.
Will go back for another photo when the jacaranda (right) is flowering and see how it looks with the lovely soft purple of the flowers hanging over it.
Can't find it in my hist list. It's either Federation Bungalow (circa 1890 - circa 1915) or Inter War California Bungalow (circa 1915 - circa 1940). I think from the details like the window frames and the veranda posts it's Federation that's been well looked after.
Other business
Did some links updating the other day and bunged these people up:
Midday in the Garden of Good and Evil - Sydney textile artist Gramarye.
Belongum's Blog - Ex alot-of-things. Perth, Western Australia.
No More Dreaming - Haily in Vancouver Canada.
The String Bag - Stitchwort in Durham County in the UK.
And Fuckkit shifted her swearing+backpacking blog to here. Go and tease her about dunny spiders.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The birds
(Random walkies)
Back to blue sky today. Nary a cloud as I type. Bit warmish but it is nearly the height of summer. I was going to get up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and go for a dawn walk but when the alarm went off at five I told it fuck off and slept in instead. Eventually got my act together and wandered down to Deadmans Bay.
Don't know if they're ducks or geese. Is there an ornithologist in the house?
Correa Bay Reserve is on Woy Woy Bay Road in the suburb of Woy Woy South. Some of the people living on the water prefer to call it Correa Bay. Sounds classier. I like the old name of Deadmans Bay.
The Reserve is a wee park with a boat ramp squeezed between Woy Woy Bay Road and the water, just before the hairpin bend into The Bays. That's the other side of Correa Bay in the background and those houses are on Horsfield Road.
This one walked right round me then stamped off gloomily.
Is that a fishhead I see before me? They grunted hopefully and eventually got some.
Pelicans are the local bird the tourists remember. They go to feeding time at the blue-green fish and chip shop near the wharf and nearly get their hand pecked off.
This lot were sitting sunning themselves on a private jetty a few metres away and came floating in for the food.
The last of the diners leaving.
Woy Woy is jumping with tourists at the moment. The pubs and the caravan park are bursting at the seams in the Christmas holidays and the streets are even more full of fisherman than usual.
Back to blue sky today. Nary a cloud as I type. Bit warmish but it is nearly the height of summer. I was going to get up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and go for a dawn walk but when the alarm went off at five I told it fuck off and slept in instead. Eventually got my act together and wandered down to Deadmans Bay.
Don't know if they're ducks or geese. Is there an ornithologist in the house?
Correa Bay Reserve is on Woy Woy Bay Road in the suburb of Woy Woy South. Some of the people living on the water prefer to call it Correa Bay. Sounds classier. I like the old name of Deadmans Bay.
The Reserve is a wee park with a boat ramp squeezed between Woy Woy Bay Road and the water, just before the hairpin bend into The Bays. That's the other side of Correa Bay in the background and those houses are on Horsfield Road.
This one walked right round me then stamped off gloomily.
Is that a fishhead I see before me? They grunted hopefully and eventually got some.
Pelicans are the local bird the tourists remember. They go to feeding time at the blue-green fish and chip shop near the wharf and nearly get their hand pecked off.
This lot were sitting sunning themselves on a private jetty a few metres away and came floating in for the food.
The last of the diners leaving.
Woy Woy is jumping with tourists at the moment. The pubs and the caravan park are bursting at the seams in the Christmas holidays and the streets are even more full of fisherman than usual.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Footbridge
(Random walkies)
As you can see from the photos it's overcast and a crap day for photos. Not sure what the haze is. Looked like smoke and I smelt bushfire smoke this morning. The wind's been blowing from a few different directions and it's impossible to tell if the fire's local or what. Will have a decko at NBN news tonight.
The new footbridge is finished. The one at the Woy Woy end of Brisbane Water Drive. They still gotta do the path at one end then after that we can all start walking and cycling over it.
In the background on the left is Daleys Point and Blackwall Mountain in the middle. In the foreground is the two parts of Pelican Island and the channel that separates them. Woy Woy is in the middle distance and Roma, the CWA and the old pub can be seen just to the left of the bridge. The pines are in the Woy Woy Memorial Park (old name Soldiers' Park). Have a look at the big size.
The bridge completes the path from Woy Woy to Gosford. Same path as is used for the annual Woy Woy to Gosford Fun Run. Last year we had to use the road for the first hundred metres or so. It's very visible in the landscape. Not sure yet if I like it. Completing the path is good but.
As you can see from the photos it's overcast and a crap day for photos. Not sure what the haze is. Looked like smoke and I smelt bushfire smoke this morning. The wind's been blowing from a few different directions and it's impossible to tell if the fire's local or what. Will have a decko at NBN news tonight.
The new footbridge is finished. The one at the Woy Woy end of Brisbane Water Drive. They still gotta do the path at one end then after that we can all start walking and cycling over it.
In the background on the left is Daleys Point and Blackwall Mountain in the middle. In the foreground is the two parts of Pelican Island and the channel that separates them. Woy Woy is in the middle distance and Roma, the CWA and the old pub can be seen just to the left of the bridge. The pines are in the Woy Woy Memorial Park (old name Soldiers' Park). Have a look at the big size.
The bridge completes the path from Woy Woy to Gosford. Same path as is used for the annual Woy Woy to Gosford Fun Run. Last year we had to use the road for the first hundred metres or so. It's very visible in the landscape. Not sure yet if I like it. Completing the path is good but.
Friday, January 05, 2007
Pelican Island
What is this? A fucking conspiracy? First couple of sunny days in yonks and I gotta stay home. Today I'm doing all those little fiddly jobs fixing stuff round the house. You know the ones. I've already had half the crap on top of the wardrobe down on my head and found a homemade porno I thought I'd lost.
(Embiggulate)
Pelican Island Nature Reserve the sign says. This is the island that runs from Woy Woy Wharf along along parallel with Brick Wharf Road and finishs level with the park at the end of North Burge Road. Boaties will know the park as the one with the yellow and black submarine cable sign.
(Click image for annotated version. Red dot at top right is Saratoga walk #3, red dots at right are Illoura Reserve Walk.)
It's a sand island so the tides and currents change its shape and size. I've seen a photo of it from 1910 or something when it was about half it's current size. It's maybe two hundred yards from bustling downtown Woy Woy and the railway station. I love living in a town with an uninhabited mangrove island on its doorstep.
There's a crowd of kayakers who paddle through the channel every now and then. They're with some tour group apparently. I gotta get on that tour and paddle through those mangroves.
One of the Illoura Walk's plaque thingies says nearby Rileys Island is "a low-lying island with a large expanse of mangrove swamp around the edges (Avicennia marina (Grey Mangrove) and Aegiceras corniculatum (River Mangrove)), and dry schlerophyll forest in its’ interior."
That description seems to fit Pelican Island and, since they're only a few hundred yards apart, the plant and animal inhabitants are probably the same. But don't quote me on that. I ain't a botanist.
(Embiggulate)
Pelican Island Nature Reserve the sign says. This is the island that runs from Woy Woy Wharf along along parallel with Brick Wharf Road and finishs level with the park at the end of North Burge Road. Boaties will know the park as the one with the yellow and black submarine cable sign.
(Click image for annotated version. Red dot at top right is Saratoga walk #3, red dots at right are Illoura Reserve Walk.)
It's a sand island so the tides and currents change its shape and size. I've seen a photo of it from 1910 or something when it was about half it's current size. It's maybe two hundred yards from bustling downtown Woy Woy and the railway station. I love living in a town with an uninhabited mangrove island on its doorstep.
There's a crowd of kayakers who paddle through the channel every now and then. They're with some tour group apparently. I gotta get on that tour and paddle through those mangroves.
One of the Illoura Walk's plaque thingies says nearby Rileys Island is "a low-lying island with a large expanse of mangrove swamp around the edges (Avicennia marina (Grey Mangrove) and Aegiceras corniculatum (River Mangrove)), and dry schlerophyll forest in its’ interior."
That description seems to fit Pelican Island and, since they're only a few hundred yards apart, the plant and animal inhabitants are probably the same. But don't quote me on that. I ain't a botanist.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
Dingies & kayaks at Davistown
(Davistown #3)
It's another overcast day here in sunny Woy Woy. Plus I gotta stay home and wait for the plumber. Again. And he's not even cute. Here's some sunny photos from last week's walk to be going on with.
Dingies at Illoura Reserve Davistown with Daleys Point, St Huberts Island & Rileys Island.
Those dingies belong to the houses facing onto the reserve. What bliss it would be to potter out of your house of a morning, push the dingy into the water and row for a bit before breakfast.
Kayaker (in yellow), Rileys Island & Mount Pleasant Saratoga from Illoura Reserve Davistown. Looking roughly west. Woy Woy is behind Rileys Island. Just a short ferry ride or paddle away.
More kayakers passing in front of the mangrove forest off Daleys Point. Also taken from Illoura Reserve Davistown, looking south.
That seagull followed me. It figured if I keep putting something up to my face I must have food.
It was a lovely day. There was a storm in the afternoon but the morning was bright and sunny and all the tourists and weekenders were out with their dogs and their kids and their boats having a high old time.
World wide walk
One of the world's more famous blogging walkers is Steve Vaught, The Fat Man Walking. Steve walked across America in 2006. By himself. He had a few people walk a few miles with him and TV crews kept interviewing him towards the end, but the rest of the time he was alone with his tent and his thoughts. Bloody hard yakka.
When he got back he realised it wasn't the end of the story, he needed to keep going. So he's going to walk around the world. He's organising it now and he needs your help. Drop him an email or snail mail and offer him a bed for the night when he gets to your part of the world.
In his own words:
For the new comers, I am Steve Vaught, otherwise known as Thefatmanwalking, last year I walked across the United Stated to lose weight and regain my life. ... [After I returned] I decided to take the best elements of the first journey and head off seeking just those; I have decided that I need goals to reach, barriers to get over and excitement along the way. So I am going to travel around the world by backpack, walking, riding, sailing in some cases, but solely by chance and the kindness of strangers. I have come to truly believe in the kindness of strangers and I want to prove that a person can get around the globe because of it.
It's another overcast day here in sunny Woy Woy. Plus I gotta stay home and wait for the plumber. Again. And he's not even cute. Here's some sunny photos from last week's walk to be going on with.
Dingies at Illoura Reserve Davistown with Daleys Point, St Huberts Island & Rileys Island.
Those dingies belong to the houses facing onto the reserve. What bliss it would be to potter out of your house of a morning, push the dingy into the water and row for a bit before breakfast.
Kayaker (in yellow), Rileys Island & Mount Pleasant Saratoga from Illoura Reserve Davistown. Looking roughly west. Woy Woy is behind Rileys Island. Just a short ferry ride or paddle away.
More kayakers passing in front of the mangrove forest off Daleys Point. Also taken from Illoura Reserve Davistown, looking south.
That seagull followed me. It figured if I keep putting something up to my face I must have food.
It was a lovely day. There was a storm in the afternoon but the morning was bright and sunny and all the tourists and weekenders were out with their dogs and their kids and their boats having a high old time.
World wide walk
One of the world's more famous blogging walkers is Steve Vaught, The Fat Man Walking. Steve walked across America in 2006. By himself. He had a few people walk a few miles with him and TV crews kept interviewing him towards the end, but the rest of the time he was alone with his tent and his thoughts. Bloody hard yakka.
When he got back he realised it wasn't the end of the story, he needed to keep going. So he's going to walk around the world. He's organising it now and he needs your help. Drop him an email or snail mail and offer him a bed for the night when he gets to your part of the world.
In his own words:
For the new comers, I am Steve Vaught, otherwise known as Thefatmanwalking, last year I walked across the United Stated to lose weight and regain my life. ... [After I returned] I decided to take the best elements of the first journey and head off seeking just those; I have decided that I need goals to reach, barriers to get over and excitement along the way. So I am going to travel around the world by backpack, walking, riding, sailing in some cases, but solely by chance and the kindness of strangers. I have come to truly believe in the kindness of strangers and I want to prove that a person can get around the globe because of it.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Illoura Reserve
Shepherds washed their socks by night
Snow fell on Christmas Day in Australia and rain put out half the busfires, Warnie's hanging up his shin pads (though probably not his texting thumbs) and if I never see ham again it'll be too soon.
Ta very much for all the nice Christmas wishes. How was your Chrissy?
Illoura Reserve
Had a nice gentle walk this morning. Got the ferry over to Lintern Street Wharf and did the Illoura Walk along the foreshore round the horn of Davistown to Central Wharf then came back again on the ferry. Very pleasant. Birds chirped and twittered, tourists wandered to and fro and asked each other what that island out there was called, dogs bounded and splashed at the water's edge and sniffed each other's bums. The sun was a bit warm but nothing like the fucking sauna it was this time last year.
Get the ferry from Woy Woy Wharf to Lintern Channel between Rileys Island and the Saratoga-Davistown peninsula, get off at Lintern Street Wharf. There's a foreshore park on your right. That's the start of walk. (Map of walk)
The thingy reads:
"This area if the Illoura Reserve was the location of the largest Aboriginal camp in the district during the days of early white settlement.
It was home to a coastal Aboriginal people, whose country stretched from the north side of Sydney Harbour,
through Pittwater and Brisbane Water to the southern end of Lake Macquarie.
There customs and beliefs were etched into the local sandstone surfaces. There are well over 7 thousand rock carvings
and 2 thousand rock art sites in this region. They believed in the Great Creator, Baiyami and there remains totemship with the
land and all its creatures including the Sky world and the sea. It is from these beliefs that the Dreamtime stories evolved.
The women provided most of the food, using lines to catch fish and gathering shellfish, fruit, tubers, insect larvae, snakes, lizards and small animals.
The men hunted kangaroos with spears, boomerang, shields and stone axes and speared fish with
multi-pronged fish spears tipped with fish teeth or bones. They wore possum hair belts to carry their possession.
Shellfish middens were so large that they were later excavated for a local lime burning industry that supplied lime for building works in Sydney.
Whale Dreaming Totem of the Darkinjung people
by local indigenous artist,KEVIN DUNCAN of the
Gomilaroi Darkinjung."
"Shellfish middens ... were later excavated for a local lime burning industry". Bet that made archeologists scream with rage when they found out.
The Darkinjung link says there's only about 320 words of the Darkinjung/Central Coast language left. Haven't yet done enough reseach to identify them in their original forms. Some local placenames are of Aboriginal origin but suffered in translation when originally recorded by whitefellas. They often don't sound right or recognisable in the original language.
The thingy reads:
"Illoura Reserve Walk
Brisbane Water Ferry Services
Ferry services were relied upon by the small communities around
Brisbane Water to get them to Woy Woy and Gosford prior to the opening of the Rip Bridge in 1974.
The Ferries provided more than just transport!
Along with the cargo of daily newspapers, mail and produce, crews and passengers passed on the social news.
The Ferry also took bodies of the deceased to Gosford for burial!
Every second Thursday was Market Day in Gosford.
The Ferries would take shoppers and stop off at the same scenic locations as they still do today!
The Kincumber ferry Grower was a familiar sight to
Davistown locals and holidaymakers.
(Dundon Collection, Gosford City Library)"
Those "same scenic locations" are Veterans Hall at Henderson Road Saratoga, just round the corner from the old cemetery, Lintern Street Davistown, Central Wharf at the end of Davistown Road Davistown, Pine Avenue just a few hundred yards along from Central Wharf and Empire Bay.
The thingy reads:
"Illoura Reserve Walk
Riley's Island & Illoura Peninsula
Look to your right, across the channel and you can see Riley's Island.
Originally known as Shell Island, it was bought by John Riley in 1855 for 140 pounds, 17 shillings and sixpence!
Riley first used the island as a farm, running a few cattle before establishing a banana plantation that used seaweed for fertilizer!
At least two ships, possibly three were built on Riley's Island in the 1860s.
The island is low lying with a large expanse of mangrove swamp at its edges and its' interior containing dry sclerophyll forest,
There are two species of mangrove Grey Mangrove (Avicennia marina)
and River Mangrove (Aegiceras corniculatum) providing a valuable habitat for marine and terrestrial creatures.
In the 1960's, there were plans to develop canal divisions on both
Riley's and St Hubert's Islands. Following a major environmental battle supported by the
famous comedian Spike Milligan, Riley's Island was saved and is now a santuary for local fish and bird life.
Shell Island was sold by the Crown
to John Riley for £140, 17 shillings and sixpence in 1855
(Gosford City Library)"
Extraneous punctuation is theirs not mine. I go in more for typos.
In the drawing Rileys is the island on the right. The left one is St Huberts. "Illoura Peninsula" presumably refers to the Saratoga-Davistown peninsula.
The thingy reads:
"Illoura Reserve Walk
Yow Yow Estate - "the favourite of Woy Woy"
The Yow Yow Estate land subdivision was described as the
"favourite of Woy Woy" in advertisements in 1908.
The prospectus for the estate said
"...every lot is a prize; surrounded by wooded hills;
the best bathing facilities;
Yow Yow will always improve in value, beautiful and varied scenery;
the biggest catches of fish; refreshing helathful breezes."
This are is in the vicinty of Yow Yow Wharf,
named after the 100 hectares that became the Yow Yow estate.
It was originally owned by the son of convicts,
Robert Henderson who with his wife Catherine Geary came to Brisbane Water in 1824.
He was the District Constable.
Henderson was known as a shrewd and enterprising man,
but was also implicated in rum smuggling around Broken Bay and Lower Hawkesbury.
He is best remembered for his connections to his ajoining porperty, Veteran Hall,
where his remains rest in a private cemetery.
Yow-Yow Subdivision map 1908.
(Gosford City Library)"
The waterfront on that map on the thingy shows most of the Illoura Walk. The Yow Yow estate is the area now bounded by Pyang and Emora Avenues in the north, Restella Avenue in the east, Paringa Avenue/Illoura Reserve in the south-east and Lenora Avenue, Malinya Road and Illoura Reserve in the west.
The Dear Old Things sometimes ask for "Yow Yow Wharf thank you young man" on the ferry. The young fella looks bewildered and says do they want the Davo.
The thingy reads:
"Illoura Reserve Walk
Exploration by Governor Arthur Phillip
In March 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip lead a small party of officers and marines on an exploratory voyage along the coast north of Sydney Harbour
when it was made clear that reliable supplies of waters and food must be found if the First Fleet settlement were to survive.
In an eight day trip, Phillip's party made a brief exploration of both sides of Broken Bay, including a tributary which was originally known as the
"north arm", then the "north east arm" and is known today as Brisbane Water.
This first voyage passed the site of Davistown and rowed towards the modern Bensville but found little of immediate use to the Sydney Cove settlement.
Phillip's observed "the land was much higher than that at Port Jackson, more rocky and equally covered with timber;
large trees which grow on the summits of mountains."
The local Aboriginal people were apparently impressed by Phillip's missing front tooth - as this was an
Aboriginal initiation rite to knock out the front tooth of young Aboriginal men.
A more thorough investigation of Brisbane Water (north west arm) up to Green Point was undertaken in June 1789.
The rugged nature of the area ruled out its use for agricultural purposes.
The explorers then discovered the Hawkesbury River and this area was considered much more suitable for farming.
James Webb was the first white settler on Brisbane Water, who took up land at The Rip (the entrance to Brisbane Water) in 1823.
Governor Arthur Phillip passed the future site of
Davistown several times while exploring local waterways
in 1788 and 1789.
(Dundon Collection, Gosford City Library)"
Map of Broken Bay/Brisbane Water
The thingy reads:
"Illoura Reserve Walk
Central Wharf
Tragedy struck this place on 29th March,
1936 when two cars drove down Davistown Rd and
plunged off the wharf straight into Cockle Channel!
The driver of the first car had mistaken the wharf for a bridge.
This terrible error resulted in all but two of the
cars' eight occupants drowning in the Channel.
Locals rushed to the rescue in their rowing boats.
Survivors were cared for nearby at the Glenorie boarding house.
Putt-Putt Boasts have long had a
place in Davistown history.
Many lovingly restored examples
still ply the waterways.
(Gosford City Library)"
Cockle Channel runs between Davistown and mpire Bay not, as I've previously asserted, between Davistown and Kincumber South.
The thingy reads:
"Illoura Reserve Walk
Origins of Brisbane Water Shipbuilding
James Marks, one of the first settlers of the area named his 60-acre grant which lies to east of Davistown Road "Burramun".
It was purchased by shipwright Benjamin Davis in 1851, who later sold portions of his land to his brothers Thomas, Rock and Edward.
The area was home to the Davis families resulting in the place being known by locals firstly jokingly and now officially as Davistown.
Benjamin also lent his name to the adjoining area, now known as Bensville!
Between 1869 and 1879, Ben built an estimated 34 vessels at Davistown and a further 15 at Bensville.
Rock built 8 vessels at Davistown between 1854 and 1862.
He later moved to Blackwall (near Woy Woy) where he built at least
160 vessels between 1863 and 1904.
Other local shipbuilders include Alfred W.R.M. Settree
who built 7 vessels at Davistown, including day Dawn,
Edith Keep and Dewdrop, between 1869 and 1879 and Giles Jenkins built
10 vessels, mostly ketches between 1876 and 1889.
The ketch Day Dawn was built at
Davistown by A.W.M. Settree in 1869.
(Dundon Collection, Gosford City Library)
For locations see map of the area.
It's taken me half the bloody day to bung that lot up. My brain's on holiday.
Snow fell on Christmas Day in Australia and rain put out half the busfires, Warnie's hanging up his shin pads (though probably not his texting thumbs) and if I never see ham again it'll be too soon.
Ta very much for all the nice Christmas wishes. How was your Chrissy?
Illoura Reserve
Had a nice gentle walk this morning. Got the ferry over to Lintern Street Wharf and did the Illoura Walk along the foreshore round the horn of Davistown to Central Wharf then came back again on the ferry. Very pleasant. Birds chirped and twittered, tourists wandered to and fro and asked each other what that island out there was called, dogs bounded and splashed at the water's edge and sniffed each other's bums. The sun was a bit warm but nothing like the fucking sauna it was this time last year.
Get the ferry from Woy Woy Wharf to Lintern Channel between Rileys Island and the Saratoga-Davistown peninsula, get off at Lintern Street Wharf. There's a foreshore park on your right. That's the start of walk. (Map of walk)
The thingy reads:
"This area if the Illoura Reserve was the location of the largest Aboriginal camp in the district during the days of early white settlement.
It was home to a coastal Aboriginal people, whose country stretched from the north side of Sydney Harbour,
through Pittwater and Brisbane Water to the southern end of Lake Macquarie.
There customs and beliefs were etched into the local sandstone surfaces. There are well over 7 thousand rock carvings
and 2 thousand rock art sites in this region. They believed in the Great Creator, Baiyami and there remains totemship with the
land and all its creatures including the Sky world and the sea. It is from these beliefs that the Dreamtime stories evolved.
The women provided most of the food, using lines to catch fish and gathering shellfish, fruit, tubers, insect larvae, snakes, lizards and small animals.
The men hunted kangaroos with spears, boomerang, shields and stone axes and speared fish with
multi-pronged fish spears tipped with fish teeth or bones. They wore possum hair belts to carry their possession.
Shellfish middens were so large that they were later excavated for a local lime burning industry that supplied lime for building works in Sydney.
Whale Dreaming Totem of the Darkinjung people
by local indigenous artist,KEVIN DUNCAN of the
Gomilaroi Darkinjung."
"Shellfish middens ... were later excavated for a local lime burning industry". Bet that made archeologists scream with rage when they found out.
The Darkinjung link says there's only about 320 words of the Darkinjung/Central Coast language left. Haven't yet done enough reseach to identify them in their original forms. Some local placenames are of Aboriginal origin but suffered in translation when originally recorded by whitefellas. They often don't sound right or recognisable in the original language.
The thingy reads:
"Illoura Reserve Walk
Brisbane Water Ferry Services
Ferry services were relied upon by the small communities around
Brisbane Water to get them to Woy Woy and Gosford prior to the opening of the Rip Bridge in 1974.
The Ferries provided more than just transport!
Along with the cargo of daily newspapers, mail and produce, crews and passengers passed on the social news.
The Ferry also took bodies of the deceased to Gosford for burial!
Every second Thursday was Market Day in Gosford.
The Ferries would take shoppers and stop off at the same scenic locations as they still do today!
The Kincumber ferry Grower was a familiar sight to
Davistown locals and holidaymakers.
(Dundon Collection, Gosford City Library)"
Those "same scenic locations" are Veterans Hall at Henderson Road Saratoga, just round the corner from the old cemetery, Lintern Street Davistown, Central Wharf at the end of Davistown Road Davistown, Pine Avenue just a few hundred yards along from Central Wharf and Empire Bay.
The thingy reads:
"Illoura Reserve Walk
Riley's Island & Illoura Peninsula
Look to your right, across the channel and you can see Riley's Island.
Originally known as Shell Island, it was bought by John Riley in 1855 for 140 pounds, 17 shillings and sixpence!
Riley first used the island as a farm, running a few cattle before establishing a banana plantation that used seaweed for fertilizer!
At least two ships, possibly three were built on Riley's Island in the 1860s.
The island is low lying with a large expanse of mangrove swamp at its edges and its' interior containing dry sclerophyll forest,
There are two species of mangrove Grey Mangrove (Avicennia marina)
and River Mangrove (Aegiceras corniculatum) providing a valuable habitat for marine and terrestrial creatures.
In the 1960's, there were plans to develop canal divisions on both
Riley's and St Hubert's Islands. Following a major environmental battle supported by the
famous comedian Spike Milligan, Riley's Island was saved and is now a santuary for local fish and bird life.
Shell Island was sold by the Crown
to John Riley for £140, 17 shillings and sixpence in 1855
(Gosford City Library)"
Extraneous punctuation is theirs not mine. I go in more for typos.
In the drawing Rileys is the island on the right. The left one is St Huberts. "Illoura Peninsula" presumably refers to the Saratoga-Davistown peninsula.
The thingy reads:
"Illoura Reserve Walk
Yow Yow Estate - "the favourite of Woy Woy"
The Yow Yow Estate land subdivision was described as the
"favourite of Woy Woy" in advertisements in 1908.
The prospectus for the estate said
"...every lot is a prize; surrounded by wooded hills;
the best bathing facilities;
Yow Yow will always improve in value, beautiful and varied scenery;
the biggest catches of fish; refreshing helathful breezes."
This are is in the vicinty of Yow Yow Wharf,
named after the 100 hectares that became the Yow Yow estate.
It was originally owned by the son of convicts,
Robert Henderson who with his wife Catherine Geary came to Brisbane Water in 1824.
He was the District Constable.
Henderson was known as a shrewd and enterprising man,
but was also implicated in rum smuggling around Broken Bay and Lower Hawkesbury.
He is best remembered for his connections to his ajoining porperty, Veteran Hall,
where his remains rest in a private cemetery.
Yow-Yow Subdivision map 1908.
(Gosford City Library)"
The waterfront on that map on the thingy shows most of the Illoura Walk. The Yow Yow estate is the area now bounded by Pyang and Emora Avenues in the north, Restella Avenue in the east, Paringa Avenue/Illoura Reserve in the south-east and Lenora Avenue, Malinya Road and Illoura Reserve in the west.
The Dear Old Things sometimes ask for "Yow Yow Wharf thank you young man" on the ferry. The young fella looks bewildered and says do they want the Davo.
The thingy reads:
"Illoura Reserve Walk
Exploration by Governor Arthur Phillip
In March 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip lead a small party of officers and marines on an exploratory voyage along the coast north of Sydney Harbour
when it was made clear that reliable supplies of waters and food must be found if the First Fleet settlement were to survive.
In an eight day trip, Phillip's party made a brief exploration of both sides of Broken Bay, including a tributary which was originally known as the
"north arm", then the "north east arm" and is known today as Brisbane Water.
This first voyage passed the site of Davistown and rowed towards the modern Bensville but found little of immediate use to the Sydney Cove settlement.
Phillip's observed "the land was much higher than that at Port Jackson, more rocky and equally covered with timber;
large trees which grow on the summits of mountains."
The local Aboriginal people were apparently impressed by Phillip's missing front tooth - as this was an
Aboriginal initiation rite to knock out the front tooth of young Aboriginal men.
A more thorough investigation of Brisbane Water (north west arm) up to Green Point was undertaken in June 1789.
The rugged nature of the area ruled out its use for agricultural purposes.
The explorers then discovered the Hawkesbury River and this area was considered much more suitable for farming.
James Webb was the first white settler on Brisbane Water, who took up land at The Rip (the entrance to Brisbane Water) in 1823.
Governor Arthur Phillip passed the future site of
Davistown several times while exploring local waterways
in 1788 and 1789.
(Dundon Collection, Gosford City Library)"
Map of Broken Bay/Brisbane Water
The thingy reads:
"Illoura Reserve Walk
Central Wharf
Tragedy struck this place on 29th March,
1936 when two cars drove down Davistown Rd and
plunged off the wharf straight into Cockle Channel!
The driver of the first car had mistaken the wharf for a bridge.
This terrible error resulted in all but two of the
cars' eight occupants drowning in the Channel.
Locals rushed to the rescue in their rowing boats.
Survivors were cared for nearby at the Glenorie boarding house.
Putt-Putt Boasts have long had a
place in Davistown history.
Many lovingly restored examples
still ply the waterways.
(Gosford City Library)"
Cockle Channel runs between Davistown and mpire Bay not, as I've previously asserted, between Davistown and Kincumber South.
The thingy reads:
"Illoura Reserve Walk
Origins of Brisbane Water Shipbuilding
James Marks, one of the first settlers of the area named his 60-acre grant which lies to east of Davistown Road "Burramun".
It was purchased by shipwright Benjamin Davis in 1851, who later sold portions of his land to his brothers Thomas, Rock and Edward.
The area was home to the Davis families resulting in the place being known by locals firstly jokingly and now officially as Davistown.
Benjamin also lent his name to the adjoining area, now known as Bensville!
Between 1869 and 1879, Ben built an estimated 34 vessels at Davistown and a further 15 at Bensville.
Rock built 8 vessels at Davistown between 1854 and 1862.
He later moved to Blackwall (near Woy Woy) where he built at least
160 vessels between 1863 and 1904.
Other local shipbuilders include Alfred W.R.M. Settree
who built 7 vessels at Davistown, including day Dawn,
Edith Keep and Dewdrop, between 1869 and 1879 and Giles Jenkins built
10 vessels, mostly ketches between 1876 and 1889.
The ketch Day Dawn was built at
Davistown by A.W.M. Settree in 1869.
(Dundon Collection, Gosford City Library)
For locations see map of the area.
It's taken me half the bloody day to bung that lot up. My brain's on holiday.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Coomal Avenue
Another low light day today. Haven't got time for walkies anyways. Doing an edit. Turning someone else's tortured text into reader-friendly prose. It and its little hairy author are giving me the shits. Just as well there's a fat fee. These Davistown photos are from Monday.
East end of Coomal Avenue. There's a couple of houses off the end of it, out of frame on the right. Other than that it's just used as the start of an unofficial BMX track and shortcut.
What lies between. Between the west and east ends of Coomal Avenue. It's a mangrove swamp, all dried out in the drought. Prime excuse for development.
Can't find anything on its development online but there's no way some entrepeneur isn't going to leap all over it.
Western end of a street that's going to be developed. The local kids are using it at the moment as a BMX track.
Took this photo a few weeks back on a day with dodgy light. But I sorta like the gloom anyways. The contrast between the blue of the sky and the dark trees and the grunge of the dried mud.
The 2 red dots are Coomal Avenue west and east. Bet yer fifty bucks there's a retirement village between them inside two years.
The Fat Man
Not sure if I can squeeze another walk in before Christmas. You lot have a good one and come back around the 29th.
East end of Coomal Avenue. There's a couple of houses off the end of it, out of frame on the right. Other than that it's just used as the start of an unofficial BMX track and shortcut.
What lies between. Between the west and east ends of Coomal Avenue. It's a mangrove swamp, all dried out in the drought. Prime excuse for development.
Can't find anything on its development online but there's no way some entrepeneur isn't going to leap all over it.
Western end of a street that's going to be developed. The local kids are using it at the moment as a BMX track.
Took this photo a few weeks back on a day with dodgy light. But I sorta like the gloom anyways. The contrast between the blue of the sky and the dark trees and the grunge of the dried mud.
The 2 red dots are Coomal Avenue west and east. Bet yer fifty bucks there's a retirement village between them inside two years.
The Fat Man
Not sure if I can squeeze another walk in before Christmas. You lot have a good one and come back around the 29th.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Saratoga
(Saratoga walkies #3)
Blue sky today. Haven't seen that much in the last couole of months. Warmish but a good breeze. Zotted up to Gosford this morning then down to Saratoga for lunch with a mate. Had grilled fish, a gasbag about who's shagging who and a nice wander along the water. Perfect day.
Saratoga and Davistown form a roughly pickaxe-shaped peninsula near the Woy Woy peninsula. Today's visit was to the pickaxe's handle. (Photo, map)
Centennial Avenue Reserve Saratoga. Nice spot for a picnic. It looks west-nor'-west across Brisbane Water to Point Clare, Longnose (Point Frederick) and East Gosford.
Standing in the Centennial Avenue Reserve looking across the public wharf to Steyne Road and Mount Pleasant. Tascott in the right background.
An old shop in Mimosa Avenue Saratoga, just a few metres from the water end of Jirramba Avenue. It now sells "arts and crafts".
It's style is Art Deco, an inter-war style running from circa 1915 to circa 1940. Can't find it in my hist list. There's a circa 1914 shop listed at No 91 in nearby Steyne Road and another two in other streets but nothing listed for Mimosa Avenue.
Last house on Jirramba Avenue. Very symmetrical Inter War California Bungalow (circa 1915 - c. 1940).
It faces nor'-nor'-west to Point Clare, Longnose (Point Frederick) and East Gosford. There's nothing between it and the view except the Cennetennial Avenue reserve and some yachts.
Point Clare, Longnose & East Gosford from Centennial Avenue Saratoga. (Embiggulate)
You can see the faint haze in this photo. Bushfire smoke I think. Smelt it faintly last night. Come across from the Blue Mountains fire maybe or all the way up from Vic. Doubt if it'd be up from Tassie. Some of the Kiwi firefighters injured helping out and a couple of people have been killed in the fires, not sure yet if it's one or two. Poor bastards.
Looking west-sou'-west towards Mount Pleasant and Steyne Road Saratoga.
Notice the rash of 1980s houses. There's a couple of little old places left though. Have a look in the big version.
Saratoga circled in red. Woy Woy in the middle bottom.
Take the ferry from Woy Woy Wharf or turn off Avoca Drive down Davistown Drive, at the roundabout between the Green Point Baptist Church and Dunlop Hill.
Blue sky today. Haven't seen that much in the last couole of months. Warmish but a good breeze. Zotted up to Gosford this morning then down to Saratoga for lunch with a mate. Had grilled fish, a gasbag about who's shagging who and a nice wander along the water. Perfect day.
Saratoga and Davistown form a roughly pickaxe-shaped peninsula near the Woy Woy peninsula. Today's visit was to the pickaxe's handle. (Photo, map)
Centennial Avenue Reserve Saratoga. Nice spot for a picnic. It looks west-nor'-west across Brisbane Water to Point Clare, Longnose (Point Frederick) and East Gosford.
Standing in the Centennial Avenue Reserve looking across the public wharf to Steyne Road and Mount Pleasant. Tascott in the right background.
An old shop in Mimosa Avenue Saratoga, just a few metres from the water end of Jirramba Avenue. It now sells "arts and crafts".
It's style is Art Deco, an inter-war style running from circa 1915 to circa 1940. Can't find it in my hist list. There's a circa 1914 shop listed at No 91 in nearby Steyne Road and another two in other streets but nothing listed for Mimosa Avenue.
Last house on Jirramba Avenue. Very symmetrical Inter War California Bungalow (circa 1915 - c. 1940).
It faces nor'-nor'-west to Point Clare, Longnose (Point Frederick) and East Gosford. There's nothing between it and the view except the Cennetennial Avenue reserve and some yachts.
Point Clare, Longnose & East Gosford from Centennial Avenue Saratoga. (Embiggulate)
You can see the faint haze in this photo. Bushfire smoke I think. Smelt it faintly last night. Come across from the Blue Mountains fire maybe or all the way up from Vic. Doubt if it'd be up from Tassie. Some of the Kiwi firefighters injured helping out and a couple of people have been killed in the fires, not sure yet if it's one or two. Poor bastards.
Looking west-sou'-west towards Mount Pleasant and Steyne Road Saratoga.
Notice the rash of 1980s houses. There's a couple of little old places left though. Have a look in the big version.
Saratoga circled in red. Woy Woy in the middle bottom.
Take the ferry from Woy Woy Wharf or turn off Avoca Drive down Davistown Drive, at the roundabout between the Green Point Baptist Church and Dunlop Hill.
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