An attempt to visit every suburb in Sydney.

This next instalment in our Northern Beaches escapades jumps around a little, as it's wedged between a few of its brethren. North...

The Glue of the North: North Narrabeen

This next instalment in our Northern Beaches escapades jumps around a little, as it's wedged between a few of its brethren.

North Narrabeen

North Narrabeen is, as you would expect, immediately north of Narrabeen. I crossed the bridge from there which dropped me off into the suburb.

Narrabeen's beauty immediately continues into its northern neighbour. The lagoon extends to here, with a walking path which hugs the water inland,

and another that continues outwards to the coast.

I was initially going to skip this bit of the suburb and head straight to Warriewood, but the little peninsula that makes up Narrabeen head was too enticing.

But not enticing enough for me to climb those stairs.

If you follow the path out, you end up at the point where the lagoon meets the ocean,

and that's just swell.

A little further up still is the North Narrabeen Rockpool, giving you a spot to swim in the sea without having to swim in the sea.

As I headed back inland, I saw perhaps the Sydney-est thing ever, a TAB ad being flown over the beach. If there's two things Sydney does well, its beaches and encouraging gambling addiction.

Back at the roadside, by this combo-Chinese-restaurant-fish-and-chip-shop, I continued onto Warriewood.

North Narrabeen: Part 2

Once the good people of Warriewood kicked me out, I was back in North Narrabeen, but slightly more inland and on the wide and busy Pittwater road.

This bit of the suburb's a little less exciting. For instance, this is a furniture store,

and this is a panelbeater.

Tired of breathing northern beaches SUV fumes on Pittwater Road, I turned off of the main road,

past some community soccer,

and onto this pathway.


The path takes you over a bridge across Mullet Creek. Sadly, I didn't see any 1980s haircuts here but only a couple of folks fishing over the bridge (possibly for mullet? nobody knows).

Fun fact - when I looked mullet up on Wikipedia to find out when the haircut was in vogue, I learned that mullets are illegal in Iran for being an un-Islamic, decadent Western haircut. How about that.

In front of Mullet Creek is a little bit of a reserve where you can sit on benches and watch the trees. That strikes me as odd but I can't really talk - my hobby is walking around and taking photos of people's houses.

Apparently this bit of North Narrabeen is the suburb's auto alley, with a mechanic, a panelbeater, a couple of car dealers and even somewhere you can put your car on a dyno to find out how many beans it has under the bonnet.

Parked outside was this car which apparently once raced in the Shitbox Rally (a charity race across the country in an under $1000, well, shitbox). Cool.

From North Narrabeen, I was trying to head to my next suburb. Sadly, this meant turning onto the steep Powderworks Road.

This climb took me past many wood-panelled homes with precarious driveways,

nestled in what can only be described as "the bush".

Occasionally, a well timed clearing between the trees reveals a peek at the beautiful coast just nearby.

Eventually, the hill changes its identity from North Narrabeen to Elanora Heights.

North Narrabeen: Part 3

After being the first adventurer to ever step foot in the sleepy suburb of Elanora Heights, I re-entered North Narrabeen through this patch of grass,

that becomes straight up bush.

It was probably not the smartest thing to take on a random bush walk at the time, as I wasn't prepared at all and this particular trail has no signage indicating which way to go. That being said, I knew my direction, so made it to the other side before long.

This trail spits you out onto the Narrabeen Lagoon Trail, a walking and cycle path which circles the lagoon.

Thankfully, that meant an easy, albeit long, walk back into town.

The lagoon itself is bloody amazing too.

Once I made it back, I crossed back into Narrabeen proper to catch the B-Line bus back into the city. I don't have a picture of that so here's this slightly out of focus picture of a cockatoo instead.

North Narrabeen: The greatest trilogy since the Godfather. 

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