Eight walkers boarded the B1 bus at Wynyard and made a B line for the front two rows on the upper deck, making as much excited noise as possible (“Just like a bunch of schoolchildren” opined one of our number, who later said this bus ride was the highlight of the day). A ninth walker was waiting for us at Collaroy and we set off for the morning tea stop beside Long Reef Golf Club clubhouse.
During the stop, we enjoyed watching a board rider on one of the new foil boards, moving effortlessly out to sea and back in again, with the board several centimetres above the surface of the water and only the fine foil in contact with the water. We speculated as what the propulsion system was and when the rider eventually returned to the beach, we could see that the board was driven by a small propeller on the bottom of the foil, which other observers said was powered by a small battery pack attached to underside of the board.
Following the stop, there was a gentle walk up to the top of the Long Reef lookout and then down to Long Reef surf beach. A lengthy beach walk, on fairly firm sand, took us to the lunch stop at the ocean pool at Dee Why.
An entertainment at lunch was the seagull which made a deposit (but not a bank deposit) nearby and spattered 3 of us. Lunch itself was hurried, as rain clouds were threatening, and we resorted to one of the eateries on The Strand for coffee. After that, it was a 20 minute walk back to Pittwater Rd and the bus home.
On reaching Pittwater Rd, certain observant walkers noted that the first bus stop we came to showed that the 136 bus went direct to Chatswood, so after a democratic decision we took that option as likely to be faster than going back into the city on the B1. The ride turned out to be an interesting mystery tour around the back streets of Dee Why, Cromer, Beacon Hill & Frenchs Forest, but nevertheless deposited us back in Chatswood a good 20 to 30 minutes earlier than the B1 & train option.
Walk Leader Briefing at Central
The B1 Bus Ride to Collaroy
Setting off from Collaroy
Walking on Fishermans Beach
Morning Tea at Long Reef Golf Club House The Foil Board Rider
A Few Words of Encouragement from Michael Before Heading to the Lookout
Long Reef Lookout
Walking along Long Reef Surf Beach
Finishing at the Dee Why Ocean Pool for Lunch
Leaders: Sue and Michael
Walkers: Ida, Linda, Aileen, Lilian, Lea, Elizabeth P and Barry who (as always) was a great back-marker.
Photographer: Lilian