Berowra Waters, NSW - The Punt and Marina

Arriving at Berowra Waters, north of Sydney's greater metropolitan area, is akin to unexpectedly coming upon a well hidden village - and one which you logically expect to be well preserved, perhaps warped in the mists of time. The approach road is winding and narrow, with a sense of order maintained only by the courtesy of drivers and the effectiveness of brakes. The sense of possible danger is mitigated by the views below, the vista of the destination - a placid river full of mostly little boats, well loved cottages and bigger abodes clinging on to cliff sides and a swath of greenery against rock with character.

All arriving vehicles dutifully lined up to board the punt. This was no gamble, for although there was no bridge across the river, even in this so-called modern age, it was a pleasant and orderly logistical move when boarding the floating platform moved by steel ropes -passengers walked into a cabin, protected from the elements, whilst vehicles were guided into or took a common sense view as to where to place their vehicles while on the punt. I had a dedicated worker telling us where to park. I was particularly thrilled - I had not seen orexperienced such a crossing since childhood!

Two views to enjoy - above, the verdant foliage of surrounding hills while car passengers sat inside their vehicles riding the punt and below, the view from the restaurant and cafe side whilst lining up to await the arriving punt.

Accommodation is available at places like the Lodge, with food outlets like the Waterview Restaurant, Peat's Bite and the Fish Cafe. A range of possible activities, ranging from kayaking, swimming, fishing to boating, beckons one on a summer's day. On cooler days, Berowra offers primarily a get away experience, with waterfront dining, bush walking and river cruising up creeks and inlets as the most attractive options.

Berowra Waters, NSW - Fish and Chips

On the trail of locating the most delightful and tasty fish and chips in New South Wales, we had plans to go to Brooklyn, near the Mooney Mooney Bridge on the road north to Newcastle and the NSW Central Coast from Sydney side. The rather volatile weather made us detour to Berowra Waters, a 20 minute drive by car into the bush north of Hornsby. Berowra Waters is one of the
getaway points along the varied path of the Hawkesbury River. It is sited between cliff sides, but can so well hidden and interestingly enough is better accessible by boat, rather than by its approach narrow and curving roads. We did find a casual seafood place, the Fish Cafe, beside the marina and a fine dining restaurant, across the punt on the northern side of the river. Above image, the fish and chips offered that weekend.

The barramundi grill looked tasty (above) and lunchers can just hop off their boat or water taxi (below) to arrive on decks above the placid waters to take in Sunday brunch.

The salmon (above) was not served medium-rare as requested, and one notices the standard serve and presentation of the side salad. Nevertheless, staff were friendly and held conversations with guests. There was a good variety of accompanying sauces. I chose flat fish (below) and that was appetisingly crunchy!

Helensburgh, NSW - Dosa, Roti and Vegetarian Curry

The Hindu Temple at Helensburgh, the Venkateswara, operates a totally vegetarian canteen on the side of the main building -and provides an opportunity to partake in a light brunch of a different sort. I am particularly fond of the crepes and pancakes, served piping hot and one dabs torn off pieces in light curries of dhall beans and other appetising concoctions. Most of the servings start at only five dollars, a far cry from prices asked at commercial outlets, and the monies collected are for charity under temple management.

The temple can be reached by taking a public bus from the centre of Helensburgh, which itself is connected to Sydney's Central Station. Breakfast and brunch are available from around 10am to 2pm on weekends. This temple has been built in the Dravidian or South Indian tradition, based on a complex in Andhra Pradesh, located in the hinterland outside the metropolis of Chennai (formerly Madras).

Helensburgh lies just outsidethe boundary between greater Sydney proper and the start of the NSW South Coast. It also lies onthe periphery of the Royal National Park and liesaround half an hour drive away on the freeway from Wollongong to its south.

Rotis, or chapatis (background in image above) are flatbreads which can be taken by themselves or stuffed with potatoes or lentils before they are cooked.

You can find a typical recipe on:

http://southamericanfood.about.com/od/breads/r/roti.htm

Dosas (foreground in image above) are lentil crepes. For further information on dosas, I recommend the following web link:

http://www.veggiebelly.com/2011/03/perfect-dosa-recipe.html

Breakfast in St Ives, NSW

Persimmons, apple slices, tomato bites, grapes and omelette with tuna, onions and more. This set the theme for a leisurely and lazy Sunday morning breakfast in St Ives, half an hour north of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Nestled amongst hilly terrain and a fair amount of bush, the suburb is perceived to be settled mostly with Jewish immigrants from South Africa and Brits from the UK, although sixty percent of the householders are Australian born. In this leafy suburb, around 30% of the residents use the car to go to work, as there is no train line, but buses do ply the residential roads. Autumn i s especially evident in this area, with many deciduous trees turning half-way bare during the month of May. Houses predominate, and as mid year 2011, although unit blocks are increasingly built.

Stanwell Tops, NSW - Icarus Flies

No melting wax was involved here, but I am reminded of the Greek legend of Icarus, when I see the bird people off the cliff slopes of Bald Hill at Stanwell Tops, just sited on the south side of Sydney's Royal National Park. On this occasion, the art of flight has been achieved, whether one heads into the direction of the rising sun, or more precisely towards the hillsides of the northern villages leading into the city and harbour of Wollongong. The combination of supporting wind, effective design and human spirit has provided a most spectacular show and capability.