LESSER KNOWN: SYDNEY’S NORTHERN BEACHES
A bronze Robert Forstermann, a dozen beaches, beautiful scenery, expensive houses and a cycling hall of fame. There's a lot you can pack into 30km around the Northern Beaches.
It was during lockdown that we came up with the idea to tell the story of a neighbourhood through a small cruise around with friends. Fast forward to now, we’re bringing to you the first in a long, degustation-like series titled Lesser Known as we traipse our way through the neighbourhoods of Sydney, and maybe more. The first instalment of this exciting new series finds us near Sydney’s Northern Beaches with beloved friend of the Soup Gang Fran Piazzoni, who introduced us to his neighbourhood and shared everything worth seeing aboard two wheels as we ducked and weaved our way through the area.
ROUTE: FRAN'S NORTHERN BEACHES
Distance: 35.1km / Elevation Gain: +438m
I: A TASTE OF BELGIUM
Shop 1, 549 Sydney Rd, Seaforth NSW
Our meeting spot was at Taste of Belgium in Seaforth – one of possibly only a handful of authentic Belgian non-beer café establishments in Australia. We were greeted by the owner, predictably Belgian and a fellow cyclist who was also a profound source of inspiration for our early morning start. He spoke to us about cycling as we admired his self-made mini cycling hall of fame that had manifested on the walls of his cafe, a few espressos and a pair of fresh-baked, complimentary Flemish-biscotti-stroopwaffle hybrid snacks giving us the energy and motivation to hit the street and start turning pedals.
II: FOG CHECK
Think of the thickest, most dank fog clouds you’ve witnessed. Close your eyes and imagine your primary school discos. You can picture it. Open your mouth and you can almost taste it. Take that possibly unsafe-for-children fog straight from the machine and crank it up a little more. Maybe not the toxicity sure, but definitely the density, its gravitas. As the sun began to rise and we began our lap of the Northern Beaches a blanket of the stuff was gliding over the Spit Bridge, heading straight for us.
As we recall this hazey morning with pen to paper, keystroke by keystroke we cannot help but be transported back to the forgotten Soundcloud and Bandcamp Genres of the last decade (namely Chillwave and really, any genre ending in “Haze”). It seems fitting to pair this with the coastal story we’re in the process of telling. So, here’s a curated selection of 5 top shelf songs to momentarily transport you right back to that nostalgic atmospheric happy place while you read on:
We initially started in Seaforth before moving on to the ultra scenic bends and slopes that make up nearby Balgowlah Heights and Fairlight. In real typical Sydney fashion, while things might be super pretty at street level and incredibly scenic at distance, the repetitive up and down of the local hills will certainly remind your legs that you are in fact alive.
If you follow the route we’ve provided, this is what you can mostly expect over the first little bit of this Tour de Plages du Nord. Fortunately, there are plenty of places to press pause on anaerobic exercise and instead take a few slow, deep breaths, maybe press the shutter a couple of times, or very gently explore the North Head of Sydney Harbour.
(North) heads rolled, cultural installations paying homage to the physique of a typical track cyclist witnessed, pondered and unpacked, the sun finally began to peek through the discotheque of fog that had shrouded the area when we rolled out of the café. Those first kisses of morning sun making the decision to wear short sleeves, even through the cooler months of the year absolutely worthwhile. Lighting conditions on the edges of the harbour provide you with a bit of a show of a morning, as you drop into shadows then back into the light made by trees, retaining walls or our ~beloved~ local hills.
III: SOUTH NARRABEEN SURF CHECK
From North Head you’ll weave through Manly very quickly, then take Pittwater Rd up towards Dee Why and the southern fringes of Narrabeen. By the time you turn off Pittwater Rd and hit the beach, it will be your friend sitting on your left shoulder for the next 10km as you pass South Narrabeen, Dee Why, Curl Curl, Freshwater beaches and then back to Manly beach. As the day started to begin proper for the more sane, leisure-loving members of society (the non-cyclists) we took a quick surf check.
SWELL→ SSE 2-4FT
WIND→ S 20Kn
SEA→ 23 °C
AIR→ 25 °C
IV: FRAN'S FAVOURITES
With Ozzie Wright-fronted Goons of Doom at one end of the sonic vibe spectrum, Lime Cordiale at the opposite end, the area is a music hot bed – but there is a lot more to the neighbourhood than Hottest 100 bait and experimental albums out of 2-week arist residencies piss ups. With a moment to pause and take in the crashing waves of South Narrabeen beach, Fran shared some of his favourite spots around the neighbourhood.
RIDE:
Riding up the coast to Palm Beach, Church Point, or Akuna Bay makes this side of town pretty amazing. Coming from Milan (a busy city with lots of cobbles), then living in Barcelona and London, which were great for riding but again, busy, it’s great to be able to get some good riding before work or during the weekend right at your doorstep.
LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION:
I love the fact that Manly and the Northern Beaches are away from the city but not too far either, about a 40-minute commute by bike or a 25-minute ferry ride across the harbour. I love the outdoors, and I feel so lucky that Manly was the first place I moved to in Australia. I love Sydney's inner west and Melbourne, but Manly's geographical position suits all my needs best.
DRINK:
While historically the range of bars and restaurants catered towards older people, there are now a lot of new funky places to go out if you feel like staying on this side of town. Enjoy some beers at Freshwater Brewing, in fact, there could easily be a brewery crawl around Brookvale now that we have 5-6 breweries in the area.
EAT:
Post ride coffee at Barrel One in Brookvale or visit the old favorite, Rollers Bakers in Manly, after a ride or before a swim. Although, it's more about the pastries than the coffee.
WALK:
I love going for walks when I'm not riding. I feel so lucky to have North Head, Manly Dam, and Narrabeen Lake. They are perfect for spending some time off the grid.
V: THE ELUSIVE HARRIS FARM MARKET MIST
Tully has the Tully Mist, an oppressive layer that rolls in around 3pm. Manly has the Harris Farm Market Mist. Not so oppressive, maybe a little more elusive, and possibly coming with an accompanied gate price of $10 (for the bunch of organic Cavolo Nero it is also hydrating). With the unseasonal warmth belting off the radiant sun, and the mist spritzing off the crashing waves of the Northern Beaches whetting our appetite for h2O, the both of us needed to freshen up before finishing up our loop of the Northern Beaches.
