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This Road has become one of the most exclusive areas for property in all of the Northern Beaches. One side is the beautiful Pacific, and on sloping blocks opposite, stand the homes (or investments) of the rich and famous.

Many of these properties don’t offer a great deal of privacy, especially as the tourists drive slowly down the road, either looking for a rare parking spot, or attempting to spy a celebrity.

Palm Beach, Whale Beach, and northwards to Newport Beach, all may be recognizable to some, as the locations of the popular television series “Home and Away” – which you can often watch being filmed.

The southern end of the beach is called ‘Kiddies Corner’ by the locals, as it is protected and safe for the little ones, with barely gentle swell. There is also a 35 metre ocean rock pool here.

There are a couple of café/restaurants about half way down the road, and the southern side is home to the magnificent Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club, and elite Cabbage Tree Club, both shaded by the magnificent trees that gave the area it’s name. The buildings, constructed in the early 1920’s, are just beautiful, gracious and stand on large level blocks. The SLSC is one of the biggest in the state.

Much of the real estate sitting up on the high headland is used as holiday properties, and with the views, and exclusivity some are rented for as much as $30 000 a week in peak season.

Parking at Palm Beach, in the summer months, is nightmarish.

This road is a short strip between Barrenjoey Road and Ocean Rd at the very end of the Pittwater Peninsula, at prestigious Palm Beach.

There are a few older style cottages on the south side of the road, and then further behind on the slopes are larger properties, some of monolithic proportions. Many will have wonderful views of the ocean, Pittwater, and the lighthouse on the headland.

Being Palm Beach, regardless of the views, this is prime real estate, and even the small older cottages would fetch a pretty penny.

The northern side of the street is home to the Palm Beach Golf Club, and extends into large Governor Phillip Park, and upwards to Barrenjoey Headland and Lighthouse. There’s a walking trail up to the top, and it affords wonderful views of this beautiful location.

The western side of Governor Phillip Park provides a calm sandy beach, and a rustic over-water café, where you can also hire small boats for use on Pittwater. The other side of the park leads down to the Pacific Ocean – which can be wild at times.

There are a couple of restaurants on Beach Road, including ‘Beach Road Restaurant’ funnily enough. But my pick for the whole area would be Dunes Restaurant, which is inside the park itself. It doesn’t provide views, but it has a lovely alfresco area, the food is good, and the prices not excessive.

There is also a small playground in Governor Phillip Park.

This quiet circuit has a lot to offer. Many of the houses are older, some have large land level land, and some have been beautifully renovated.

Turning left off Albert Road onto the crescent, the street starts out level, then once around the first corner, begins to climb, descending again, as it completes the circuit – so a percentage of the properties here are on somewhat steep blocks.

It is leafy and green, and there is a little park on the corner of Albert Road – which only has a swing and a seesaw.

A two-minute walk will bring you to the shops on Careel Head Rd, which include an Indian restaurant, and around the corner onto Barrenjoey Rd where there is a pizza restaurant, a fast-food takeaway and a grocery store.

North Avalon Beach is approximately a ten to 15 minute walk away, and Barrenjoey Highschool is closer still. There is a Montessori and another pre-school nearby, and at the time of writing, there is a family day care facility on Dolphin crescent itself. Whale Beach itself is a short drive.

Public transport is good – with buses on Barrenjoey Rd.

Crossing over Barrenjoey Rd brings you to Hitchcock Park playing fields, where there are also tennis courts, and a nearby off leash dog park.

Mona Vale Road is very long. It begins (or ends) in Mona Vale (naturally), climbs up the hill behind, and meanders through several areas and suburbs before finally becoming Ryde Rd on the western side of the Pacific Highway.

One of these suburbs is Terrey Hills – a community with something of a rural feel still existing. There are many large blocks in the area – acreages replete with small mansion houses, big resort style pools, tennis courts, and some even have stables and horse arenas. Obviously these properties appeal to those with equine aspirations

The central area around Terrey Hills Village offers far more modest dwellings, and some of the cheaper properties in the Northern Beaches area.

There are many boarding kennels and catteries in the locale – and this stretch of Mona Vale has numerous nurseries and landscape supply centres.
Several of the nurseries have their own café’s or restaurants, including FlowerPower, the Buddha Belly (in Palmland Nursery) and the Hills Flower Markets – which also has a pretty good, fenced children’s playground (shame their food is poor).

On the northern side of Mona Vale Rd, Aumuna Rd houses the updated, and attractive, Terrey Hills Tavern.

Slightly further west at Belrose is the intersection with Forest Way – and here you will find a large Bunnings, a Home Maker’s Centre, and a fruit market.

This scenic road forks off Coal and Candle Drive in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park. Coal and Candle in turn forks from McCarr’s Creek road in the Terrey Hills vicinity.

Cottage Point is a tiny village enclave situated on the waters of Mooney Mooney Creek – one of the many tributaries of the Hawkesbury River. It is an isolated, though beautiful community of approximately sixty houses, with limited facilities.

As the Road sweeps out of the thick bush of the national park, it descends to the point and the first houses become visible along Cottage Point Road. Also present along this stretch is rural fire brigade station – a good thing considering the location.

At tip of this small peninsula is the Kuring-gai Motor Yacht Club. To the left of this, down steps and a path at the end of Anderson Place is the exclusive Cottage Point Inn – an expensive restaurant with decking right on the waterfront – and it’s own pontoon for those arriving by boat or seaplane (as occurs frequently). The ‘inn’ also has a couple of rooms for overnight accommodation.

On the other side of the peninsula – down a set of steep stairs - is the popular Cottage Point Kiosk. This gorgeous old building with deep verandahs is like a general store that also serves delicious light meals, and hires out kayaks and small boats.

The properties in Cottage Point are a mixture of old cottages and grand residences complete with swimming pools. Many are available as holiday lettings.

This section of the ridiculously long Pittwater Road encompasses apartments, houses, businesses, car parks, and, of course, many shops.

It’s a very busy road and something of a hub in the local community – and particularly as a median stopping point for the Pittwater buses to and from Sydney and the Pittwater Peninsula.

Pittwater Road offers many services including the Dee Why RSL, which is visited by international performers, numerous diverse and ethnic food stores, Kingsway Centre with medical specialists including paediatricians, and, late night chemists.

There is a large council car park in the centre of Dee Why, and it is walking distance to all the facilities and shops. The beach and beachfront restaurants, however, are rather further away, best reached by Howard’s Ave, Oaks Ave or Pacific Parade.

This is an area of high density housing, and the larger blocks and houses, are more concentrated on the western side of Pittwater Road – with a predominance of apartment blocks between Pittwater Rd and the beach.

There are some great restaurants along the beachfront reserve, including the iconic Stella Blu.

Dee Why remains a great place to visit, but residentially, it seems to have become predominantly large rental properties. It may be a good place for a young couple starting out, to buy into the Northern Beaches, but one should choose carefully as there seems to be a glut of apartments on the market in this area. It’s also a comparatively rougher neighbourhood than those further north.

Pittwater Road forks at Mona Vale where the northward bound through-route becomes Barrenjoey Road, and the western bound Pittwater road becomes a quieter section. It is at first part of a bustling urban area, and becomes more sedate, passing by townhouses, the Bayview golf course (replete with large spanking new clubhouse), and Pittwater Highschool.

Slightly further down the road is Rowland Reserve, a large waterfront park with boat ramp (and boat trailer parking) and a huge dog friendly water front park.
This is the prime dog free park in the northern beaches – and families often make a day out of it – in warmer weather, the kids can be seen to frolic in the water, just as much as the dogs.

Continuing on, the road passes a couple of waterfront tennis courts, a local (and hugely overpriced) kiosk in the same block as the Green Pearl Thai restaurant and a couple of marinas. Then it passes by Loquat Valley School, a private Anglican school with a great reputation, and continues down a broad elegant avenue of exclusive, and huge, waterfront estates.

The Quay’s Marina nearby offers a pleasant café with waterfront seating and reasonable food and pricing and beyond this the road continues on to Church Point.

Bangalow Ave appears to be just a level, fairly ordinary suburban street, with neat and tidy houses, and neat and tidy gardens. Well, it is that, but then it is also a whole lot more.

The road begins as a sharp right angle to Bassett Street – which is a busy thoroughfare occupied by many industrial properties. Bangalow Ave then, offers a serene counterpoint. For the majority of the street, one side of the frontage is made up of Bangalow Reserve. This is a large parkland with picnic tables, drinking fountains and an extensive, well equipped children’s playground and this area can keep kids, both young and teenaged, occupied for hours.

Bangalow Ave is also in very easy walking distance to Winnererremy Bay, which is home to another playground, a large bike-path, waterfront reserve, and the Flying Fox café. Two minutes walk brings you to Pittwater High – a public highschool with a good local reputation.

Up the eastern end of Bassett Street are a very useful Mitre Ten, a music store, and a car service centre. In between are a myriad of industrial areas and commercial warehouses.

Bangalow Ave is not great for public transport, but the walk up Bassett street to the Pittwater Road buses, could be made in ten minutes or so.

What a rare gem of a street this is. It’s exactly as it proclaims to be, a lane, and a prince’s one at that.

One end heralds a marina (Princes Street Marina, funnily enough) – but I’m not sure how the public access to this marina is. It certainly wouldn’t be a priority with regards to living here, and nor would water views… because, there are none.

Despite being a hop, skip and a jump from the foreshore of Pittwater, the attractions of Princes Lane have no more to do with the water – than the wonderful proximity (which is more than good enough).

This is a true narrow laneway (and as such is one way) – but the properties fronting it – actually do front it. I would say it is reminiscent of a British village street, but most of the blocks are large, and some span the entire area between the lane and Bardo Road behind. Obviously this is a very quiet road and not a through route by any stretch, and the street (or ‘lane’) frontages are mostly quaint and certainly attractive. It is also flat land area, so can be made good use of.

Plenty of fantastic facilities within walking distance including, playgrounds, Newport Primary school, waterfront dog park, Newport Arms pub, chemist, butcher etc. A great family area.

Grandview Drive

Grandview Drive is certainly a drive with a grand view – a street lined with houses in precarious positions, some of which have fantastic coastal vistas.

The road ascends up to Bilgola Plateau from the base at Seaview Avenue, Newport. It is a very steeply twisting road, with several hair pin bends, and unfortunately many of the local drivers seem to completely ignore the centre road lines, so care should be taken when negotiating these bends.

Right after turning onto the beginning of Grandview, there are two or three speed bumps (mostly for hindrance of the downhill drivers I believe), and then the road evens out.
On the left hand side (high side) of this low section, many of the houses have great ocean views. On the right hand side – many of the lower property’s sloping backyards back on to a reserve with a walking track through to the bottom, flatter sections of Newport – and from thence, giving easy walking access to beach and shops.
This is a good thing for those locals who like to walk – as there are little in the way of footpaths on the street frontage, and to traverse the whole of Grandview Drive by foot would be precarious.

As the road rises, so the blocks become steeper. There is a side cul-de-sac on the first major bend – Sybil Street – attractive for the almost north facing properties with their views, and the steep gardens leading down into rainforest reserve with waterfalls.

Some of the houses in this small cul-de-sac offer wonderful west and north-west views over Pittwater. The houses are mainly larger older style, and especially on the western side of the street, may be on steep blocks. The climb as you turn into the street from Bilwara Ave is particularly steep, however, if you are a big walker, there is an alternative route.

Approximately two thirds of the way up the street – there are stairs which become a pathway, leading up through the bush, into Plateau Park, and to the back entrance of the highly regarded Bilgola Plateau Primary school
Plateau Park has a good, newly constructed circular bush walking path – about a ten minute loop, a large grassed area surrounded by trees, a playground, a few benches and two drinking fountains.

The Park also gives access to Plateau Rd – and turning left you will come to a service station and a row of shops, turning right will bring you past the front of the school, the preschool, and to the Hilltop Deli and Bilgola Vet Clinic.

At then end of Loblay you may catch both the local bus, and peak hour buses to the city. It’s a quiet street, close to great family facilities.

Surfview Rd leads from the end of Bassett Street-East, crosses through the Apex Park, and finishes at Darley Street-East.

The corners of Surfview and Bassett provide a walking path up into the Headland Reserve overlooking Mona Vale. It’s an easy walk with grassy scrublands and magnificent views over the beaches.

Many of the properties on Surfview front the beautiful Basin Bay, and there are a few apartment blocks along this part of the road. The blocks are large, and the land is level.
In the middle section of the road there is a large beachfront car park with toilet facilities, and a little further southwards a surf club.

Built within the rocky outcrop between Basin Bay and Mona Vale Beach – is a tidal rock swimming pool and smaller children’s paddling pool. The location is spectacular, but sometimes very wild in rough weather.

The opposite side of Surfview Rd provides the Apex Park. A large open space with children’s playground, bike paths, barbecues and picnic tables.

The Southern end of the road provides two cafes (actually on the adjoining Golf Ave). Also backing on to Apex Park are the Reef Resort holiday apartments.

The only drawback to this wonderful area – is that it’s a bit of a hike to the buses on Pittwater Rd, and further still to the central hub of Mona Vale.

Jacksons Rd Warriewood, leads off Pittwater Rd, and the street and surrounding area – offers a lot to the community.

The most obvious feature is the Warriewood Centro Shopping Centre. This houses a Kmart, a very large Coles, a Woolworths, numerous smaller retail outlets and cafes, Medicare, a PO, and a food hall. It has good parent’s rooms and facilities, and plenty of parking.

At the Pittwater Rd side of the Centro carpark – you will find a grassed laneway, running next too a creek. This natural alleyway leads through onto the large playing fields of Boondah Reserve, and Jacksons Rd Reserve. The former has a hall on the corner – that is used for many community activities, such as Gymbaroo, and the latter has the Nelson Heather Centre – a community centre and hall available for function bookings.

Both of these reserves are an easy walk from the bus stops on Pittwater Rd, although the Centro is a bit further. Public transport is good with frequent city buses.

Also adjoining Jacksons Rd are the playing fields at the rear of the Narrabeen North Public Primary School. The Centro centre itself, houses Pittwater Council’s Occasional Care facilities for small children.
This is a good family area, without the greenery and steep blocks of its northern neighbours.

Hudson Parade begins at the end of Avalon Parade, where it passes the Hilltop Road shops, and winds down the hill to become, for the most part, waterfront.

As such, the houses on the western (low) side, often have deep water-frontage and their own jetties, not to mention fabulous Pittwater and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park Views. The properties on the Eastern (high) side, can at least boast similarly excellent views.

Hudson Parade is not really a through-route, but it does get busy at times, and in places the street is narrow. It skirts Clareville Beach (one of the best inland water beaches in Sydney, for children in particular) and the Clareville Kiosk (expensive restaurant) and continues around to Taylor’s Point.

Exclusive Taylor’s Point juts out into Pittwater, and the waterfront properties have wonderful views. As this area of land is relatively level, the properties on the opposite side of the road, would have less spectacular views, and in some cases, only glimpses.

Just beyond Taylor’s Point lies Refuge Cove, a hectare or so of bushy waterfront land, leading down to rocky outcrops and, at low tide, a sandy beach – a beautiful spot, private and peaceful. Due to the access – not really suitable for small children (or prams especially) or the infirm.

This graceful cul-de-sac, despite lacking water views, is one of the most prestigious and desirable Avalon has to offer.
This is mostly because the blocks are very large indeed, with many of them being acreages, up to approximately 4 acres.

The northern end of the street, which is a fork opening onto Avalon Parade, is an average example of the local suburban area – but it is the southern cul-de-sac part that carries the kudos. It is secluded and exclusive, the houses (what you can see of them behind the hedges, long sweeping driveways and gates) are gentile and spacious, and for the most part sprawling.

One of the pluses of living here, aside from the quiet and peaceful location – is that it is an easy level walk into Avalon and all its facilities, and also to the beach.

The semicircle of approximately ten properties that makes up the cul-de-sac end, backs on to Angophora Reserve – a parcel of eighteen hectares of somewhat steep and unkempt bush-land. The proximity of such, has led to this area of Avalon (those streets with land attaching the Reserve in particular) – being sometimes nicknamed ‘tick alley’ due to the large quantity of the small bloodsuckers. However, as most areas in this part of the peninsula are effected by ticks, there is not really any differentiation.

McCarrs Creek Road begins where Pittwater Rd finally ends, at Church Point.
This meeting point (and if you look on a map, it really is a point) hosts a ferry jetty and the large car park for the residences of the offshore Scotland Island.

Also at this juncture is Pasadena’s – a pretty local restaurant, with large alfresco area fronting a lawn and Pittwater beyond. Popular for weddings, it also has (or had) rooms above. Pasadena is currently closed for renovations, and we wait with ‘bated breath for the outcome.

A few metres westwards, brings us to the ferry wharf, and the charming Churchpoint Waterfront Store, where you can buy almost anything. There are picnic tables outside on the pavement, and the store itself has a deck. It seems to be a gathering area for the locals, particularly those of Scotland Island, who no doubt give the store its biggest trade.

From this point McCarrs Creek Road meanders away to the South, then west, following the diminishing points of Pittwater which finally come to an end at McCarr’s Reserve in a sharp elbow. Great spot for dog friendly picnics.

The real estate between these points is either waterfront, or hillside – all heavily treed, all on steep – to steepish blocks. Very verdant, very lovely. A ‘get into nature’ locale. Not all that practical, especially in terms of small children… and bushfires… but a lovely place indeed.

Kalinya Street is a short, waterfront road nestled between Gladstone and Beaconsfield streets. Despite the apparent waterfront ‘address’ there are few properties, and no houses, on the Pittwater side of the road.
This is because the majority of land on that side is taken up with; Dearin Reserve – a fairly small leash free dog park – right down on to the water (which never appears to be busy); the Newport Mirage – a midsized hotel which I believe is popular for functions; and most importantly, The Newport Arms – a pub with huge outdoor areas overlooking Pittwater, many restaurant sections, several playground areas, and a large outdoor screen (mostly showing sports).

The Terrace Restaurant – the ‘posh nosh’ part of The Arms, has been known to serve very lovely food, with a fine view. Unfortunately, the quality has been somewhat erratic over the years.

Opposite The Arms is a small shopping precinct including a butcher, a Thai restaurant, a Post Office/General Store, and a very good pharmacy. There is also a nearby Italian Restaurant, a service station, and a preschool.

Buses come right by this area of Newport, but it is otherwise off the main through routes.

There is a waterfront apartment block siding on to Dearin Reserve, and opposite that are the Kalinya Apartments – which are more like duplexes or town houses and rather flash looking. Great area for everyone.

You may think, initially turning on to this street, that all it has to offer is the vaguely dilapidated hospital sitting on prime, near beach-front land. There is certainly nothing to compare Coronation Street to the ancient UK soap opera of the same name.

To be fair, the houses facing the hospital are mostly of an older type, 1970s and thereabouts – and many appear to be original. But, the hospital grounds themselves are pleasant enough – and the public services offered are many. Though the government does not seem to want to spend the money on upgrading the building – which is more dilapidated on the inside, than even the outside appears – they have rebuilt the Emergency Department, and the staff in general are very good.

In the grounds there is a playground, and a hospital coffee shop. The hospital adjoins the Mona Vale Golf Club, which is too far to walk to unless you want to hike across the greens (not an unpleasant prospect). At the end of Coronation Street though – is a wonderful, huge, cliff top off-leash dog park. There are stairs leading down on to Mona Vale Beach.

The street is a bit of a hike into Mona Vale – so I would suggest driving would be necessary for the most part. But there is a city bus stop right at the corner, so public transport is good.

Chisholm Avenue leads off Hilltop Rd, in turn leading off the beginning of exclusive Hudson Parade.

It is a steep incline, and a narrow road leading first east, then south. Heavily treed, sloping blocks, and no footpaths (no room), and also the predominance of on street parking (not all the properties here have off street parking or garages) makes this a very difficult street for walking anywhere. By the time you reach the crest of what seems like the major hill, you would be disappointed to find that the corner reveals a further climb.

It’s a cul-de-sac that ends with a sloping driveway leading down and away into a bushy outcrop with a few further houses, and then onwards into Angophara reserve – which is fairly unkempt residual rainforest (lots of ticks). As such it’s safe, and generally friendly.

Some of the houses are 1950’s cottages, renovated, but still maintaining their original charm. Many have wonderful ocean views.
One of the best things about this street is that because it is high up over Avalon – and many of the houses in the blocks below are on acreages (Ruskin Row) – the view to the ocean may contain very little evidence of suburban habitation.

Unfortunately the eastern side of the street (being downhill) gets very little sunlight in the height of winter for eight weeks or so, but it is wonderful the rest of the year. This is not a great street for older people (who like to walk) or young children.

Before turning off Pittwater Rd, aside from the sign marking the Lakeside Holiday (caravan) Park, Lake Park Parade appears to be fairly nondescript. Deceptively so.

The housing lining the left hand side of the street after turning in, offers no especial ‘wow’ factor. Aside from a few very pretty, well renovated older properties, you could be in any fairly bland suburban street, light on trees. That is, until you take into account what the other side of Lake Park Parade offers.

The right hand side is lake front parkland. There is a good parking lot, a big, fairly basic kids playground, and terrific walking and cycle paths. As you head east along the paths – it becomes more heavily treed, with shaded areas right on the sand up to the very shallow lake. Narrabeen Lakes are tidal – and this particular area at the end of the Parade is exceptionally good for young children. There is a good chance of local wildlife – such as squid – being spotted.

On the opposite side of this area of Lake beach is the tourist park – which looks like a particularly nice one with cabin accommodation etc.
There is a nice café (BK’s) on the corner opposite the entrance to the park – and there is a restaurant on the beachside of Narrabeen Parade – also a short walk.

This would be a lovely place for a family to live – but also for day trips, and even short stays (or longer) in the holiday park