Mitt Liv I Oz

The Daily Telegraph poangsatte Sydneys strander och stranderna i Cronulla i The South dar jag bor framrostades som bast i stan!



Tyckte det var en bra lista over strander for er som ar nya Sydney-bor:

The South

The Beaches: Elouera, Wanda, North Cronulla, Cronulla, Jibbon

Lifeguards: Yes, at all the beaches.

Parking: There's not a parking metre in the whole of the Sutherland Shire. Giddy up. Parking is metred though and the further you get away from the mall, the easier finding a space tends to be. It's also the only beach in Sydney with a train station with walking distance of the sand, so you don't even need to worry about finding a space for the jalopy.

Best food: Start your day with a swish waterfront breakfast at either Zimzala or The Nuns' Pool. As the day warms up cool off with an ice cream from Frangipani. If you're looking for Fish and Chips, Notaras Fish Markets are about as fresh as they come, while Nulla Nulla cafe is a long-time locals favourite. Inland Paul's Hamburgers at Sylvania have big wraps on them.

Best bar: Sunday afternoons at Northies are still an institution for those seeking to make getting out of bed on Monday morning even tougher. The beers and margaritas flow freely at Mexican restaurant El Sol while Zinc Bar and cafe is known for its cocktails.

Surfing: Take your pick really, depending on the swell direction and winds North Cronulla, Wanda and Elouera can all have the best conditions. A project to create a man made sand bar out to sea in March should also improve the breaks along the beach through Autumn and winter.

Swimming: South Cronulla is the safest and also has an ocean pool for added protection, but there are plenty of red and yellow flagged areas along the beach to help you avoid the rips. Take the ferry ride across to Jibbon Beach for a protected swim and something a bit different.

Amenities: The southern end of the beach has the most facilities including showers, toilets, and playground equipment, but by the time get around to Wanda things are a bit more sparse as the sand dunes appear. Even so there's still showers, toilets and drinking water.

Celebrities: Perhaps best known for producing modelling exports Lara Bingle and the Tozzi sisters, Cheyenne and Tahyna, these days you're probably more likely to spot a sports star than model.

Sharks new recruit and NRL bad boy Todd Carney is the latest to head to the Shire, while Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke has moved from the eastern suburbs to the Shire, closer to new girlfriend Kyly Boldy. He joins a host of big name cricketers in the area including Ricky Ponting and former fast bowler Glenn McGrath.

The bad: Unfair or not, the insular peninsular has still got a stigma as the home for in-your-face nationalism since the 2005 riots.

Score: Plenty of parking spots, waves, food, and beers give the Shire an title-winning 8.

Cronulla Beach



The Northern Beaches

The beaches: Dee Why, Freshwater, Palm Beach, Curl Curl, Whale Beach, Manly, Collaroy, Avalon, Newport, Narrabeen, Bilgola, Mona Vale

Lifeguards: Lifeguards patrol all the main beaches from Collaroy to Manly between 9am to 6pm, but the hours vary between beaches. Patrol times are online at www.surflifesaving.net.au.

Parking: There's lots of on-street parking but it's mostly metered, and you'll have to fight off backpackers in sleeper caravans taking some of the best spots. Secure car parks are pricey.

Best food: The coffee at North Curl Curl's Curly's on the Corner is hard to beat, but you're a fool if you bypass the baguettes at Burgers on Parade at Avalon. On the pricier end, Barrenjoey Boathouse at Palm Beach and Pilu at Freshwater are tasty options.

Best pubs: The Steyne Hotel at Manly is the obvious choice. But the Newport Arms, and The Brookvale Hotel with $11.90 steaks everyday, are local hot spots. If you're looking to have a quiet one avoid The Habord Beach Hotel at Freshwater - locals say everyone knows everyone here and you'll probably bump into someone you know.

Surfing: Widely considered Sydney's blue-ribbon surfing belt. Manly has punchy barrels, Queenscliff is the place for big wave riders, and Freshwater Beach is popular among bodysurfers and nippers on body boards.

Swimming: Good swimming beaches, but some like Manly and Queenscliff are better for surfing. With golden sand and pristine water, most have ocean pools for the kiddies. Dare-devils should head to Narrabeen for any water activity under the sun like including windsurfing, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, rowing and fishing.

Amenities: You'll find showers and toilet blocks at each of the beaches, with various levels of cleanliness.

Celebrities: Out of towners call it the St Tropez of Sydney. Palm Beach - or Summer Bay to Home and Away fans - is brimming with sun-seeking celebrities like singer Leo Sayer, bondage queen Madame Lash, Bec and Lleyton Hewitt, model Elle McPherson, Hollywood director George Miller and journalist Jana Wendt. John Cleese, David Bowie and the Duke of Edinburgh have been spotted at Whale Beach. And the regular eye candy at Manly - where Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban got married in 2006 - includes surfer Layne Beachley, former swimmer Kieran Perkins, players from the Manly Sea Eagles rugby league team and surfer Guy Leech.

Dogs: Dogs aren't allowed but there are some off-leash reserves most beaches.

Alcohol: Best to head to the pub for a cold one, these are alcohol free zones.

Bad: Bring your tweezers - ticks are rampant. If you're not a local, be prepared to be stared at. Hard to get to if you don't drive - can be more than one hour on the bus from the city.

Score: 7. So many options, from the overdeveloped corso at Manly to the open stretches of Palm Beach means you're pretty much covered in the North. You just have to survive the drive first.

 
Manly Beach

The Harbour

The beaches: Washaway Beach, Redleaf, Balmoral Beach, Nielsen Park, Obelisk Beach, Little Manly Beach, Camp Cove

Lifeguards: No, it's up to you to play safe.

Parking: Most of the harbour beaches have free parking along nearby residential streets, if not much of it. There are some exceptions most notably Balmoral Beach, which has much-hated metered parking, and Little Manly Beach.

Best food: If The Nielsen Park Cafe isn't booked for a wedding or function it's worth a visit, if you're in the mood for a sit down meal. The tiny Bacino bar at Clifton Gardens also does a decent coffee. At some of the more remote beaches you'll need to pack your own supplies. Just remember there's an unoffical tax in Sydney with a Harbour view, so expect to part with some cash wherever you go.

Best bars: Things are rather civilised along the Harbour's edge and getting your hands on a cold beverage can be a challenge unless you go to a licensed restaurant. The eastern suburbs institution The Sheaf is within walking distance of Redleaf. The Watson's Bay Hotel faces west giving you views of the sun setting over the city.

Surfing: Only on the heaviest days can you surf in the Harbour. Watson's Bay, Nielsen Park have been known to be ridable when most ocean beaches are too big for all but the complete nutbars. A bombie off Middle Head can also fire on big swell days.

Swimming: Everywhere. There are nets to keep out the bull sharks at most beaches so all you've got worry about is not getting too burnt.

Amenities: The most popular beaches, such as Balmoral and Redleaf, have all the mod cons you'd expect for a beach in one of the middle of Australia's biggest city. Hidden beaches like Washaway have nothing, so you'll have to hang on or enjoy the secret satisfaction of peeing in the water.

Celebrities: Either the inner-city beaches are a celeb-free area or the paparazzi are too busy focusing their lenses on Bondi and Palm Beach. I'm guessing the latter. Eric Banner must feel unlucky - he's just about the only A-lister to be spotted on a Harbour beach in the last 18 month.

The bad: Seriously, it's not a beach unless there's a wave. Unless you are under the age of three or have children under the age of three you should be at a real beach.

Score: 5. Only because they're uncrowded. And there's a bonus point in there because you can get nude at Obelisk and not get arrested.

 

The East

The beaches: Bondi, Tamarama, Bronte, Clovelly, Coogee, Maroubra

Lifeguards: Yes, at all beaches.

Parking: Metered, timed and very scarce in Bondi and Bronte. Expect to pay $4.40 an hour in the streets closest to the beach, and $7 an hour for the beach front car park. The car park at Clovelly is free, but you be asked to donate to the local Surf Life Saving Club when you drive in and it's often full. By far the easiest place to park is Maroubra with plenty of two hour car spaces close to the beach.

Best food: Out Of the Blue in Clovelly has the best burgers in Sydney. The best. But you'll have to queue to get one. It's hard to go past A Fish Called Coogee for fish and chips, while Pompeii's in Bondi serves some of the better gelato in Sydney, but prices are steep.

Best pubs: Icebergs and North Bondi RSL have unbeatable views at either end of Bondi Beach. You can also try Bondi Hardware and Bondi FM for something a bit more intimate and upmarket.

Clovelly Hotel has been the long time family favourite on weekends, but if you plan on eating make sure you book ahead as much of the iconic pub is undergoing renovations at the moment.

Surfing: Being the biggest stretch of sand Maroubra has the most surfing options, but Bronte offers the best protection when a southerly blows. When the flags are up at Tamarama it's foam boards only in the water.

Swimming: When the flags are up you can take your pick, really. Just avoid the infamous "backpacker express" rip at south Bondi. Tamarama is also not for the inexperienced beach goer, with rips forming at either end of the beach. While Clovelly is among the safest beaches in the State, according to Surf Life Saving NSW. Only Tamarama and Maroubra lack ocean pools.

Amenities: There are ageing toilet blocks at each of the beaches and the huge crowds in the east means they're not always the cleanest. Bronte reserve is a favourite for family barbecues, while Maroubra has plenty of play equipment for the kids.

Celebrities: Only the grassy knoll at North Bondi rivals the Finger Wharf at Woolloomooloo for most celebrities per square metre.

Everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to Nigella Lawson have been spotted on the sands of Bondi Beach recently. Hell, even the Lifeguards in Bondi are celebrities.

Dogs: Don't even think about bringing your dog on the beach. This is the eastern suburbs, darling.

Alcohol: Ditto dogs. Many of the reserves are alcohol free too, but as long as you're not acting like a moron the authorities will turn a blind eye.

The bad: Bondi is a zoo. The Traffic is a nightmare, parking non-existent, and Campbell parade is hideously ugly and littered with overpriced souvenirs shops and cafes. The southern end of the beach is a wasteland of hungover, pasty skinned backpackers while the north end is a haven for way-cooler-than-thou models, graphic designers and other E-grade miscellaneous celebrities.

Score: Bondi gets a 2, but the rest drag the East up to a 4.

 


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