Diggies, North Wollongong NSW

Diggies offers come-as-you-are entry. It is sited literally beside North Wollongong Beach and across the road from the nearby Novotel. You can feel the ocean breezes, the salt in the air and see the texture of grainy sand not far from your table. The menu changes according to winter and summer preferences. The cafe offers a fusion of styles -modern and traditional, Australian and Mediterranean, vegetarian and meat - but with a sense of creativity, passion and presentation. I love the drink concoctions -from Kissed to Little Tanaka - but what I enjoy most is the relaxed holiday ambiance -and looking out at those container ships queueing up to enter Port Kembla Harbour. Above image, grilled trout with a hard boiled organic egg.

As you would expect, fish and chips are a must (above, with the juice of the day, orange with mint and strawberry). Below, illustrations of a range of smoothies, frappies and other thirst quenching offers. You can choose to be seated on the out deck, inside a mirrored section or just be on canteen styled bar tops. There is also a selection of cakes and pastries, beers and wines, or mineral water.

My breakfast choice (below) of croquet with salmon, poached egg and Hollandaise sauce.

After a meal, you can run,cycle or walk down the user-friendly footpaths that lead one way to the Belmore Basin and Wollongong Harbour Lighthouse, or the other way to Stuart Park beaches, barbecue facilities and picnic grounds.

Diggies is at No 1, Cliff Road, North Wollongong, NSW.

Newport Arms Hotel, NSW

Placid waters (above) from an off shoot of the meandering Hawkesbury River provide a pleasant backdrop to the Newport Arms Hotel. My first visit there was on a Sunday afternoon, with many families, twenty somethings and more gathered for a lazy but gregarious chill out. They were all spread out in various break out seating arrangements. The Hotel has been serving this community in Sydney's northern beaches at Kalinya Street since 1880 and borders the marina at Church Point, Scotland Island and Ku Ring Gai Chase National Park. It is an icon of Pittwater living.

There is a sizable beer garden (apparently Australia's biggest) which adjoins bistro dining. I had fettuccine prawns, garnished by juicy cherry tomatoes (image below) and one can easily access the standard serve of chips or wedges. For more discerning occasions and tastes, there is the Pittwater on Terrace Restaurant. This venue is perhaps best to check out on a Saturday night. Then one can check in one of its limited number of rooms with en suites. It can be a base for exploring nearby sights like Whale Beach, Avalon Village and Palm Beach.

Freshwater Beach, NSW - What a Beaut Day

The South Pacific comes to mind, on a clear and sunny day. Freshwater,the first beach north of Manly in NSW, was once a privately owned estate, apparently with reference to a source or stream of such a resource in the early days of European settlement. Its neighbouring precinct of Harbord was also a personal asset. Today in the 21st century, both suburbs offer an unprecedented lifestyle, in both summer and winter, of immersing both visitors and residents alike in another world, only 30minutes north of Sydney's Harbour Bridge.

Pilu Restaurant at Freshwater is located on a site adjacent to the open ocean, or as it likes to state, "on the beach". We were there too early for lunch, so we settled for its adjoining kiosk, where I was taken by the rich chocolaty froth of its served cappuccino (image above) and accompanying pistachio biscotti.

The suckling pig toasted sandwich (image below), stuffed with rocket and more, made an easy snack on a lazy weekend morning. Associate this with beach break waves over a sandy bottom, a characteristic of Freshwater for surfing quality. It may be too popular for its own good, as the parking lots, sandy spots and water space tends to range from crowded to over crowded. The locals are generally okay if you stay within the boundaries and do not drop in too much. Freshwater hosted the first official historical surfing event in Australia, graced by the Duke himself. Visitors are advised to learn at the northern end of the beach and only go to the mid-section once one improves. Do proceed to the "alley"once you are truly confident, the alley being the southern end.