OH! Magazine - Australian Version January 2014 (Australian Version) | Page 33

lucky owners and fortunate friends. The
beaches in Bundeena, at Wattamolla and
Garie are accessible by car, therefore
popular, but if you want solitude, a few
hours walking from either of these places
and you’ll have one to yourself.
Thrill-seekers should do more than
take a break at Bald Hill for a Mr Whippy
ice-cream and the mesmerising views
down the coast. Hook up with one of the
hang gliding companies for a tandem
hang glide that’ll have you soaring above
the cliffs for a heart thumping 20 to 30
minutes and eventually pirouetting down
to land on the beach at Stanwell Park.
The Grand Cliff Drive passes through
Stanwell Park and has been a long time
favourite with motorcycle riders. The
opening of the popular Sea Cliff Bridge in
recent years is an added attraction for
pedestrians keen for a closer look at the
Illawarra Escarpment and ocean below.
Easily recognisable in car commercials,

EAT:
• Sunday breakfast, lunch or high
tea at the historic Ravensthorpe
Guesthouse & Restaurant in Albion
Park. www.ravensthorpe.com.au
• Brunch at Diggies, a North Beach
institution. www.diggies.com.au
• Vegetarian Asian dishes and
exotic teas at the Dew Drop Inn
Tea House. www.nantien.org.au

the 665m balanced cantilever bridge
hugging the cliffs is only a skerrick of the
140km scenic drive that transports
visitors all the way to Nowra and is as
close to the Great Ocean Road as it gets
in NSW.
Ditching the car for two wheels I decide
to get amongst the gloating locals and
check out the beaches using pedal power.
Not having a bike of my own I track down
Spinway cycle station, a bike-share station
at the Novotel in North Beach.
Conveniently located across the road from
the cycle path that’s part of the 42
kilometres of cycle ways and shared paths
that crisscross the city. I head north past
Diggies Café, it’s lunchtime crowd spilling
out over the footpath and twenty metres
further on watch as Skydivers land just
metres from the beach. Much of this
section of the path is flat until just after
Bulli, with most of the path keeping you
within spitting distance of beaches.
If you’re keen to add some Zen to your
day or you’re just curious to see what the
largest Buddhist Temple in the Southern
Hemisphere looks like, then add Nan
Tien Temple to your ‘must visit’ list. I’ve
been there are few times - to have lunch
in the Dew Drop Inn Teahouse and to
wander through the temples especially
when I need a temple fix. Next time I’ll
be staying for the weekend meditation
retreat they run once a month.

SEE AND DO:
• Yoga Spa Day Retreat at Mercure
Resort Gerringong by the Sea.
www.mercuregerriging.com.au
• Indoor rock climbing at Hangdog
Climbing Gym. www.hangdog.
com.au
• One-day or weekend Meditation
Retreat at Nan Tien Temple.
www.nantien.org.au
• Hire a bike from the bike-share
station at Novotel Wollongong
North Beach and cycle the coastal
path. www.spinway.com.au
• Take a guided walk through The
Royal National Park. www.
sydneycoastwalks.com.au
• Learn to surf.