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

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

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. 

Little Bay swimming

Red leaf

Before being renamed Murray Rose Pool (see previous post), this harbour pool at Seven Shillings Beach was called Redleaf. Perhaps I found the red leaf?

Splash!

It's fun to jump from the boardwalk at Murray Rose Pool, Seven Shillings Beach.

Seven Shillings Beach, Point Piper

My swimming buddy Darelle proclaims that her heart will go on at Murray Rose Pool, Seven Shillings Beach

Pontoon, Murray Rose Pool

Murray Rose Pool, Seven Shillings Beach

This harbour pool was renamed from Redleaf Pool to Murray Rose, after the three times Olympic swimming champion of the 1950s. Rose lived nearby and learned to swim here.

Read more here.

Swimming enclosure, Clifton Gardens

One of the myriad swimming enclosures in the more gentle waters of Sydney Harbour. Sydney is renowned for its surf beaches, but for those who prefer a gentler swimming experience, there's plenty of options available. The vast picnic and play areas make it popular with families and school groups.

Mahon Pool, Maroubra

I love this pool. It's  true rock pool, which was constructed in 1932 by the local council as an unemployment relief scheme.

See more here. And here. And here, where you can see it looking like a washing machine.

Parsley Bay: great to swim

Out to the shark net and back....a good stretch out!

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.

The take-off

Swimming paraphenalia

The days between Christmas and New Year have always been my favourite days of the year. Time to read, swim, completely tune out.