Visit to #WatsonBay #Sydney

Last time we visited Sydney we got the ferry to Manly beach and we stayed at Bondi beach. This time we decided to check out Watson Bay. One of our relations mentioned a well known Fish and Chip restaurant there as well.

​Positioned as it is on the southern head of Sydney Harbour's entrance, Watson's Bay is literally the first place Captain Cook would have dropped anchor as he sailed into the harbour. As Sydney's oldest fishing village (since 1877), this picturesque suburb is drenched in history, and one of its notable must-sees is the South Head Heritage Trail, a scenic bushwalk dotted with historical remnants such as a disused cannon and rifle wall.

Slow down and take it all in when visiting this eastern suburb – it's one of Sydney's top spots for picnics, long lunches, park sprawling, sunbathing (Lady Jane Beach is a legal nudist spot, if you're so inclined) and trail walking. Make sure you leave some time to partake in some fish and chips by the water, an essential Watson's Bay pastime whether it's fancy and on a plate at Doyle's, or wrapped in paper and dripping vinegar on the sand at Camp Cove Beach.

​On arrival, the first thing we came across was the restaurant and being lunchtime and a hot day we decided on take away and sat in the nearby park to enjoy our fish and chips. Apart from watching out for seagulls trying to get food, it was nice to see all the families enjoying the day.

​After an enjoyable meal (comparable to Harry Ramsden's in the UK) although the fish was barramundi, which was caught locally, we set off to explore further. The first thing we came across was the more upmarket restaurant belonging to Doyle's, but were quite surprised that there weren't many other outlets around.

Venturing further, we decided to walk to the Hornby Lighthouse, situated at the South Head Lookout, as this seemed an interesting experience. The path followed the clifftop and along the way were the old fortifications from the Second World War. There were also stunning views down the cliffs looking towards Sydney.

​On the way we passed Lady Jane beach but weren't tempted to go down the path for a swim. Like most passers by on the clifftop walk, we did look down to the beach. Here most sunbathers were on the rocks in the distance apart from two men who seemed to spend their time posing. They were still hanging around when we passed on our return an hour later!

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The Lighthouse was indeed impressive and the Candy stripe paintwork certainly made it stand out.    I sat down to sketch the scene but soon had to give up as I was perched near the cliff edge and it was very windy. This meant that my equipment kept blowing away so I had to finish the sketch when I got back to the hotel

After a pleasant walk and enjoying the scenery we returned into the town for refreshments, in a small café, before walking to another small beach. Here we sat for a while and Sue wrote whilst I did a couple of studies of the sunbathers.

After an enjoyable day we got the ferry back to Sydney. This had been another aspect of Sydney lifestyle we had experienced and it was interesting to see where the city people came for a day out.