Friday, May 30, 2014

Cute Hunters Hill House with Style


I have a bit of an obsession with houses in Hunters Hill at the moment.  For those who don't know, Hunters Hill is a waterfront suburb on Sydney's lower North Shore and is further inland from North Sydney, so it has great access to the vibrant inner west of Sydney.  At 695m squared, the block is a large one for the location and the garden looks rather lovely.

I particularly liked the styling in this lovely family home.  There are plans available for a Hamptons style revamp, but it also appears very livable, in its current incarnation.  It's open tomorrow for inspection and you can see all the details for that here.

All the houses I feature on this blog are real houses, styled by real people and I think they do a great job.  Don't you?









Have a great weekend Beach Dwellers

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Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Barrenjoey Light House and Governor Phillip Park Palm Beach

 Barrenjoey Lighthouse and a view of Pittwater

If you are looking for a fabulous spot to bring overseas visitors, or just a place to have a wonderful family day out in Sydney, Barrenjoey Headland is for you.

Barrenjoey peninsula is a hive of activity and there is something here to please everyone.  Whether it's bush walking, historical tours, great food, a round of golf, scenic flights, boat hire, a kiddy romp in the playground, a dip in the Tasman Sea, or a ferry ride to the Western foreshore, there is more than enough in this lovely precinct to engage the whole family for a day, or even longer.


The track up to the light house (1km) requires a moderate level of fitness.  On the way, you will be rewarded for your efforts with beautiful vistas, as you climb further up the headland.



There are some wonderful rock formations on the track.  You will also see the bush regenerating after the recent bush fires last Summer.


At the top, the views are spectacular and make the trip well worth it. 


Scroll down for everything you need to know, about a great day out in paradise. 






Our guide (Sundays only) and the first light house keepers grave.




The Boat House Cafe and Bar at the base of Barrenjoey Head

Dunes Restaurant and Kiosk


Cranky Fins Holiday Inn


Governor Phillip Park



So here's what you'll need to know:

Location of the Light House: Barrenjoey Headland is at the Northern end of Governor Phillip Park
1193 Barrenjoey Rd Palm Beach.

Distance from Sydney CBD: 45.4km and about 1hour and 10 minutes by car.

Walking to Barrenjoey Headland: The lighthouse can be reached by a 1km walk up to the top of Barrenjoey Headland.  A moderate level of fitness is required to reach the summit.  You will find the beginning of the track to the light house at the Northern end of the beach on the Pittwater side of Palm Beach.  Prams are inappropriate for the track, you would need a baby backpack or similar. 

Parking: Plenty of parking, which is ticketed in Governor Phillip Park.  Cars bearing a Pittwater parking sticker, park for free.

Public Transport: Yes, take the L90 bus from Wynyard, which stops on Barrenjoey Road at the entrance to Governor Phillip Park.  It is about a 400m walk through the park from there.

Seaplane: Sydney Sea Planes flies to The Boat House in Palm Beach, from Rose Bay in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs.

Guided Tours of the lighthouse: Guided tours of the light house are conducted every Sunday and are currently run by the Kalkari Discovery Centre Ph 9472 9300.  You can also view the light house keeper's cottage on Sundays. No internal access to the light house or cottage is available on the other days of the week, but the track is open daily.

Other points of interest: 
Visit the grave of the first light house keeper on the summit. 

Barrenjoey light house is also a great spot for whale watching in season, BYO binoculars. It's also a great spot to view the start of the Sydney to Coffs Harbour Yacht Race, usually begun on 2 January annually.

The Barrenjoey Peninsula is the location of much of the filming of Home and Away.  Head to North Palm Beach Surf Club aka "Summer Bay" Surf Club, for an ice cream.

Mr Beach House's cousin Jervis Sparks, looked after the light house for many years and my parents inlaw have spoken about the odd party up there years ago, that they then stumbled home from, down the hill, in the dark.

Views: Spectacular ocean and Pittwater views, are amazing in all directions.

Toilets: Not at the summit, but there are public toilets adjacent to the parking area in Governor Phillip Park. Note there is also no fresh water available at the summit.

Where to take refreshments before or after your walk:

The Boat House Cafe and Bar (Go here for more info)
Northern end of Governor Phillip Park
1193 Barrenjoey Road Palm Beach
Phone: (61) (2) 9974 3868. No table reservations taken.
Open: Daily 7.30am-4pm
Breakfast: 7.30am-12 noon
Lunch: 12pm-3pm.

1 Beach Road Palm Beach NSW 2108
Phone:(61) (2) 9974 1159. No table reservations necessary, but they are available.
Open: Midday to 12.30pm
Closed: Monday and Tuesday

Dunes Restaurant and Kiosk
Southern End of Governor Phillip Park
Phone:(61) (2) 9974 3332 Reservations are advised for the restaurant.
1193 Barrenjoey Road Palm Beach
Open: Daily from 8.30pm to 10.30pm 

BBQ facilities: Yes there are several free gas BBQ's and picnic tables available at the base of the headland, in Governor Phillips Park.

Childrens' Playground: Yes, there is a good unenclosed one, just near the entrance to Governor Phillip Park (400m), which has recently been renovated and is fabulous for toddlers to tweens.

Boat Hire: Barrenjoey Boat Hire operates out of the same building as the Boat House Cafe.  You can hire kayaks, stand up paddle boards and small fishing boats daily.

I hope you enjoyed the tour.

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Monday, May 26, 2014

Yummy Chocolate and Walnut Self Saucing Pudding


I made these Chocolate and Walnut Self Saucing Puddings for the first time last weekend, to take to a friend's dinner party.  They were very well received, but I felt they weren't good enough to blog.  So I made them again this weekend for the Biggest Beach House Brat and his mates and the results were great. One sixth grader even asked for the recipe.

 Rejigging the ingredients worked a treat and now I can recommend these self saucing puddings, as incredibly yummy and comforting.  Of course they are simple to prepare as well.


But when you have indulged in such decadence, the only thing to do, is go for a long walk to compensate for your guilty thoughts.


In fading light, I found myself at the skate park, by the beach.  The talent on show, is evidenced by the shots below.  These kids are very fit, highly skilled and an absolute pleasure to watch.  The biggest Beach House Brat has been inspired and has been practicing on the back deck for hours since our walk.








Chocolate and Walnut Self Saucing Pudding
Serves 4, but the recipe can be doubled to make 8

1/2 cup plain (all purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup walnuts roughly chopped (any other nuts you like can be used)
1/2 cup milk
45g or 2 heaped tablespoons melted butter
1 egg

For the topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa Powder 
Approx 1/2 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F
Lightly grease 4 small ramekins, or oven proof dishes (about 1 small cup in size)
Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa into a mixing bowl.  Add the sugar and walnuts. Stir to combine.
Add the milk , butter and the egg and whisk together until the batter is smooth.  Pour the batter into the four ramekins, leaving 1cm/ 1/2inch to the top of the dishes clear.

For the topping
Combine the brown sugar and cocoa and sprinkle over the 4 pudding dishes.  Carefully pour the hot water over the dishes to dissolve the brown sugar mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes.
Serve straight from the oven with cream or yoghurt according to taste.  So yummy!!!!!!!



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Friday, May 23, 2014

Historic Sandstone Home in Hunters Hill

Historic Sandstone Home in Hunters Hill

Today we are moving a little out of my usual area of Sydney's Northern Beaches for House of the Week and looking at a beautiful home on Sydney 's Lower North Shore, located in Hunters Hill.  The area was originally developed by the French in colonial times and they have certainly contributed to the beauty and the religion of the area.  Hunters Hill is home to one of Sydney's most exclusive Catholic private boarding schools, St Joseph's College.

Many of the historic homes in the area were built from Sydney sandstone.  A large number of which were constructed by Frenchman Dider Joubert (1816-1881) who originally bought 200 acres of land from original settler Mary Reiby (convict and later successful business woman) in 1847.  Joubert used approximately 70 stonemasons to construct the houses: Source Wikipedia.

With 6 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, direct access to Sydney harbour and spread over more than 1000sqm.  This home is surely one of Sydney's finest.  With a price guide of more than $6,500,000, you can view this beautiful home at 1pm on Saturday 24 May.  Here are more of her details and a floor plan of the home.
















I hope you enjoyed the tour of this lovely home.

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