Sydney

We arrived in Sydney on Sunday afternoon, got our rental car and went straight to Agnes and Björn with their 7 year old daughter Cille, who we still know from Amazon more than 10 years ago and who moved to Australia three years ago.
They were awaiting us for a welcoming party at their office, which is next to one of the beautiful surf beaches North of Sydney. Unfortunately we were held up with a late plane, immigration, luggage etc. and arrived so late, that the party was over by then.
Their home was our home for a few days and it is a little piece of paradise in Bungan Head, about one hour North of downtown Sydney. Agnes and Björn managed to keep on dreaming and living up to their dreams:
The view from their terrace, bedroom or living room rewards you with ocean view and the beautiful green scenery with some stunning houses nestled in.

Cille and Sienna enjoying breakfast

They start their day with a run along the endless golden beaches or they grab the surfboard and take a 5 minute walk to a wonderful beach to catch some morning waves.

playtime…

Then it is time to bring Cille to school and to drive to the office. Of course, the surfboard is next to the laptop with them in the car. The office impresses by its location right at the beach in Narrabeen. After some hours of work, most of the employees go for a surf at lunchtime.

a big smile after a great surf session

What a perfect combination. We love the atmosphere in Bungan Bay, Avalon, Palm Beach and of cause Long Reef Beach.

Palm Beach

There are plenty of bays and beaches, with something for everyone, and surfable waves every day of the year.

For swimming most beaches feature a natural rock pool, which is fed at high tide by fresh ocean water. It is calm and remote and each little place has the feel of a little community, but it is close enough to the bustling city of Sydney which seems to grow out of its seems with over 4 million people in the area. Björn and Agnes are very lucky that they can live and work up here, and do not need to commute each day for an hour each way.

The running tracks are truly spectacular, along the coast, leading high up on the cliffs and down along the surf breaks on the beach. Björn and Agnes clearly run in a different league, at a good pace, and they keep going for an hour or two. After about half their distance, just having completed some steep uphill stairs, we decide that our bodies are ready to return to the home base, while Björn and Agnes still have a big smile on their face and have no plans to turn around yet. We eat very healthy, organic and fresh, a real pleasure for our taste sensations and bodies.
One day we visited the Aquabumps Bondi Beach photo gallery and its owner Uge, who took the pictures, that turn our living room at home into a beach underwater world. When he started, he was taking pictures of Bondi beach every morning and sending them to friends for a great morning wake-up greeting. Some years later he has this great photo gallery and has moved towards professional photography with shots from helicopters here and on various remote islands.

Bondi photographer Uge with one of his biggest fans…

So beautiful, that I would love to buy some more pics. Uge is very peaceful and inspiring, bringing a smile to those who meet him.

Categories: Australia Eastcoast