Day 59: Lots of schoolwork and walking and beaches

Mixing it up again today, with never a dull moment, we had a variety of experiences today. Having been fairly neglectful of some aspects of school stuff, we started off the day with some work. That done, we were off.

Sheila has had a bit of a break because, really, we were only going to drive in a straight line down to Manly. Duncan decided to take the scenic route, so we got to see a whole lot of houses, cliffs and beaches. We stopped for a picnic in Freshwater, at the top of a scenic lookout, then had a little walk along the beach.

Freshwater Beach

Moving further on to North Heads, we were in search of a walk. We ended up at the ex-artillery base following signs to the gatehouse, not having much idea of what was there and what to do about it. This was a good lesson for the boys in 'going with the flow' and not always needing to know everything that is ahead before you set out.

It turned out to be the main artillery training base during the Vietnam war. This was where the soldiers were sent for training before heading off overseas. The buildings are now leased out to interested parties and the area is therefore not developed. There is a fabulous walk that is fairly flat and takes in plenty of views. It takes about 35 minutes, therefore we decided this was the thing to do.

View from the walk 'up top'

Callum had joked with Andrew that the parade ground was where The Biggest Loser is filmed and we all had a bit of a laugh. However, the joke was on us because this is indeed where the series is filmed. According to the nice lady at the visitor centre the contestants did not seem to be out and about today. We did wonder what sort of painful exercise regime they might be putting them through in the bowels of the buildings, or down on the beaches.

The Biggest Loser house

After the walk up top, we headed to Manly Beach and had another walk along the beachfront (much to Andrew's horror). We were going to have a swim there, but for various reasons decided to leave that until we got back to Narrabeen. Instead, we hunted down an Angus and Robertson, as Callum and Duncan are after a Bonsai book. They are both looking into the ins and outs of Bonsai as a hobby. We found one of those fabulous cheapie shops on the way back, where they were selling boogy boards for $15 each. We did not hesitate to get two for the boys, as beaches are very much on the agenda at the moment.

Along the Manly Beach walk

Once we got back to the van it was time for a swim and we headed down to the local beach pool. The waves were far too rough for body boarding, but the pool suited our needs adequately.

Tomorrow we are aiming to go to the Blue Mountains for the day. Quite a change of scenery.