Shark Beach, Nielsen Park

One last look at this beautiful beach on Sydney Harbour

The net

Nielsen Park's beach may be called Shark Beach, but there's no need to worry about having a swim - it's netted during the summer months. Th floor of the enclosure. e bottom of the net sits on the sandy

Nielsen Park Cafe and Restaurant.

The cafe/ restaurant at Nielsen Park dates from 1914.

The verandah is a particularly pleasant spot to sip coffee, and watch dolphins travelling up the harbour.

Inside there's a lovely dining area as well.

Website here.

Floating

This woman was having the best time floating around in the swimming enclosure at Nielsen Park.

Nielsen Park - looking west

Another view from the water at the swimming enclosure at Shark Beach, Nielsen Park, Vaucluse

View from the water, Nielsen Park

Floating, looking back at the cafe/restaurant at Nielsen Park.

Shark Beach, Nielsen Park, Vaucluse

Continuing the Nielsen Park Series. See yesterday and the day before. Trees are also a feature of this lovely setting. 

Shark beach, Nielsen Park, Vaucluse

Continuing a series started yesterday from Nielsen Park. This is one of my favourite Sydney harbour pools (though it is hard to choose!)

The beach is called Shark Beach, but no need to worry, it's protected by a shark net in the summer months.

Read more here. 

Shark Beach, Nielsen Park, Vaucluse

Feel like a dip? Come on in, the water's great at Nielsen Park, Vaucluse. This is one of my favourite Sydney harbour pools (though it is hard to choose!)

The beach is called Shark Beach, but no need to worry, it's protected by a shark net in the summer months.

Read more here. 

Parsley Bay: A Little Piece of Paradise

Parsley Bay: Eastern Water Dragon

Lots of the very live Eastern Water Dragons sunning themselves on the rocks, but only one sand crab!

The Eastern Water Dragon ((Intellagama lesueurii) is Australia's largest dragon lizard. They are able to swim totally submerged, and rest on the bottom of shallow creeks or lakes for up to 90 minutes to avoid detection.

They love to bask on rocks.

Parsley Bay: the bridge

The suspension foot bridge at Parsley Bay is a unique feature of the location. It was considered by Vaucluse Council as early as 1906, in order to improve pedestrian access between the two sides of the bay.

This cable suspension bridge was built in 1910 at a cost of £500. It was designed by Edwin Sautelle the Town Clerk and Engineer of Vaucluse, and built by council labour.

Parsley Bay, Vaucluse

For the next few days, we're going to visit Parsley Bay in Sydney's east - a picture perfect swimming cove on the harbour, complete with shark net, great coffees, a unique structure, and some intriguing resident wildlife.

The traditional owners of the land were members of the Birrabirragal band, a coastal group which clustered around the periphery of Sydney Harbour.

There are two  popular versions of the origin of the name Parsley Bay. One, that a hermit called 'Parsley' lived in early years in one of the caves at the head of the bay, the other is traditional and was probably used by the first exploratory parties (1788) to refer to an edible plant growing there, closely resembling parsley, which was used as an anti-scorbutic (scurvy) by the vitamin starved First Fleeters. 

The Bay was set aside for public recreation use in 1907.

South Head Signal Station

The lookout was established on 20 January 1790 by Captain John Hunter of H.M.S. Sirius, flagship of the First Fleet to signal the colony of Sydney Cove of any vessels arriving off the port.

A flagstaff and timber huts were placed on site for crew members of the Sirius, who were placed in charge.

The present ston ebuilding was designed by colonial architect, Mortimer Lewis and erected by convict labour in about 1840 to replace the wooden huts.

The station is now staffed by members of the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard.

See and read more here, at Louise's blog : 52 suburbs.

Macquarie Lightstation, Vaucluse

Australia's oldest lighthouse stands as a magnificent beacon to Sydney Harbour and still provides a light to guide ships entering the Heads. The lighthouse was built in 1818 on the cliff top at South Head. Designed by convict architect Francis Greenway, it was constructed of sandstone quarried on site. When the stone began to erode a new lighthouse was built by James Barnet in 1883 - the one standing today. The light is now operated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. The grounds are open year-round and you can explore the historic lighthouse on tours.

Chien lunatique

So, at this exclusive Vaucluse address, down this garden path, there lives a mad dog - or at least so they want us to believe!

Nielsen Park

A great place to picnic and swim at Vaucluse in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs. Which is exactly what I did with friends today.