Ang Kalatas Volume IV April 2014 Issue | Page 16

16 THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA www.kalatas.com.au | Volume 4 Number 7 | April 2014 FOOD & TRAVEL ADVERTORIAL Exclusive swimming at Murray Rose Council Pool Bring your own boat Angelee’s Kitchen adds new Asian delights Homes near murray rose pool One of the Redleaf Cafe murals OUT ‘N BACK Section of Blackburn Gardens at Point Piper Olympians and Spies at Redleaf ANGELEE’S Kitchen is the latest talk of the town with its new delights of classic Filipino, Japanese, Thai, and Asian cuisine for all day dining meals, breakfast and brunch by Chef and sole proprietor Omar Ramos of Blacktown CBD. Angelee’s Kitchen, previously the Gold Ribbon Filipino-Asian Restaurant, also has bestseller cakes, outstanding chillers and Filipino native desserts. Ideal for groups, parties, children suprises and walk-ins, it is located at Shop B2, Good Luck Plaza, 17-21 First Avenue, Blacktown, New South Wales Australia 22149 For queries contact (02) 8678 8771 or email on [email protected] SOME people are enamoured with the idea of being in the same spot where once stood heroes. Or spies. I’m one of them. S o with secret service precision and with the enthusiasm of an Olympian, I drove to Redleaf at Point Piper. Part of being a spy is gathering information, and that’s how I found this secret beach. Timing is important because council parking is limited. But then again, it is an 18-minute walk from Edgecliff Train Station. Point Piper is a part of Woollahra where old money makes this section of real estate somewhat exclusive. Murray Rose Pool, previously known as Redleaf Pool, is more of a protected beach. The netting around this section of beach maybe thought to be a protection from nearby Shark Island. People are usually allergic to sharp-toothed selachimorpha – that means “shark” to us mortals. But seriously, the netting is really to keep the people contained and away from yachts that abound the other side of the netting. There are two floating pontoons in the middle of the enclosure and if you’re a reasonable swimmer, you can sunbathe there rather than on the timber boardwalk on top of the netting. Also pack a picnic basket and have it at rustic Blackburn Gardens. You’ll also find a huge tree there that will take about five people linked handin-hand to give it a hug. The Gardens used to be part of St Brigid’s, now Woollahra Library. What’s the connection between Olympians and spies? Well, Murray Rose was an O ly mpi c s w i m m e r w ho learned to swim in this beach. When he was 17, he won six Olympic medals at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne. He won three medals four years later in Rome. At one time he held the world record for the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle. His nickname when he was competing was “Seaweed Streak” being a full vegan. Get it? The spy bit involves the era of James bond when his movies were about Russian spies. Australia had a real one here, actually a couple, Vladimir and Edvokia Petrov. They weren’t very good at penetrating antiSoviet groups so Vlad contacted ASIO, the Aussie spy group, and defected. His missus, Edvokia, didn’t know what hubby Vlad did, until the Russkies took her to Sydney Airport to take her back to Russia. The Aussies didn’t like that so a large crowd gathered at the airport to try and snatch Edvokia away but they couldn’t. The plane had to stop at Darwin, and that’s where the ASIO successfully got her away from the Russians. Pretty exciting stuff for a little secret spot in Sydney! Redleaf, the name of the house, is now where Woollahra Council is. The history of this little nook goes all the way to the First Fleet, then World War 2. If you want to know more about it, or just want to go swimming and have a feed at the café by the pool, go out n’ back to Redleaf, and fill your imagination with real stories about spies and Olympians. MITCHELL BADELLES is the producer of SAY MORE Radio Show on SWR 99.9FM. He is also a Balintawak Arnis Filipino Martial Art enthusiast. Mitchell is a sales rep for Heritage Profiles & Mouldings, allowing him to travel around NSW as part of his job. llEach year over seven million Australians travel overseas – and each year the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provides consular assistance to more than 20,000 Australians in difficulty. Travel smart provides useful travel information and advice to help you have an enjoyable, hassle-free travel experience. Every traveller, every trip. smartraveller.gov.au