Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NIELSEN PARK & SHARK BEACH
(Vaucluse Rd; daylight hr; 325)
If in need of a swim, Will Wentworth would no doubt have
strolled down to Shark Beach in Nielsen Park, once part of the then 206-hectare Vaucluse
House estate. Despite the beach's ominous name, there's really nothing to worry about -
there's a shark net to put paranoid swimmers at ease.
PARK, BEACH
Today the park and Greycliffe House, a beautiful 1851 Gothic sandstone pile (not open
to visitors), are surrounded by a section of Sydney Harbour National Park. Visit on a
weekday when it's not too busy: just mums, kids, oldies and people taking sickies from
work.
PARSLEY BAY
(enter near 80a Hopetoun Ave; 325)
A hidden gem, this little bay has a calm swimming beach,
a lawn dotted with sandstone sculptures for picnics and play, and a cute suspension
bridge. Keep an eye out for water dragons (native reptiles) as you walk down through the
bush.
BEACH
MACQUARIE LIGHTHOUSE
(Old South Head Rd; 380)
When the original Francis Greenway-designed lighthouse (1818)
fell into disrepair and was dismantled, the current lighthouse (1883) was built in front of it
as an exact replica. It's a pretty spot, with grassy lawns, heavenly ocean views and a cliff-
top trail extending to North Bondi. Before the lighthouse was built, a series of fires were
lit along this coast to keeps ships away from the cliffs.
LIGHTHOUSE
Double Bay
DOUBLE BAY
( Double Bay)
Double Bay (aka 'Double Pay') maintains a flashy, nouveau-riche rep. The
boutiques here have suffered since Westfield Bondi Junction opened up the hill, but no
one seems too worried. Immediately to the west, Edgecliff is a nondescript transport hub
centred on New South Head Rd, sheltering the moneyed mansions of Darling Point - one
of Sydney's richest nooks.
NEIGHBOURHOOD
BEACH
REDLEAF POOL
(536 New South Head Rd; Double Bay)
Not really a pool at all (it's a fenced-off section of
Seven Shillings Beach), family-friendly Redleaf is the closest swimming spot to the city -
as such, it attracts an urbane cross-section of inner-eastern locals. A boardwalk runs
