Online Candle Making Class

Thinking about trying your hand at candle making? An online class is a great way to learn how.

I purchased my class from ClassBento:

https://classbento.com.au/candle-making-course

They have lots of different options for candle making classes (and classes on pretty much anything else you might want to learn!). The one I chose was run by Forsa Katsis from Early Settler Aromatherapy. The class was run via Zoom on a weekday evening.

There are two options, the class only for $65 or the class plus a candle making kit delivered to you for $99. I took the option of getting the kit delivered and would definitely recommend it. I was a little skeptical when they said the kit was worth $50, but when it arrived I was pleasantly surprised. Buying what was in it at retail prices and having it delivered would probably cost more than $50.

The photo at the start of this post shows everything that was included. It has supplies to make 4 good sized candles. Additional equipment the class instructions say you’ll need are:

Double boiler to melt wax or microwave proof jar
Plastic measuring jug
Thermometer
Scales to measure wax and fragrance

I bought a thermometer but then didn’t end up using it as the instructor shows you how to judge the temperature by the look of the wax so if you don’t already have one, I wouldn’t go out and by one.

The class was run a little differently to what I had expected. I was thinking the instructor would demonstrate how to make candles while everyone followed along making their own candles at home. It doesn’t work like that. The booklet you receive with the kit details how to make the candles and so most of the class is spent covering things like wax selection, what size wicks you need, the ratio of fragrance to wax and jar selection. It’s only after the class in your own time that you make your candles.

The instructor does run face to face classes in Melbourne and these may operate slightly differently to the zoom workshops:

https://www.earlysettleraromatherapy.com.au/about-us.html

The instructor was very engaging and knowledgeable as she has been making candles for over 14 years. She gave lots of helpful tips. There was plenty of time for questions at the end.

And the end result:

I was pretty happy. I’m a complete novice and didn’t have any real trouble following the instructions. I’d suggest making one candle to start so you can then iron out any issues before making the next one. My other big tip would be use one of the opaque jars for your first few candles and leave the clearer jar to last when you’ve had a bit more practice as any bubbles in the wax will be obvious in this jar but not the others.

29/11/2020

Sri Lankan Bites Surry Hills

Sri Lankan Bites is a casual eatery in Oxford Village Surry Hills serving Sri Lankan street food. It’s a great place to head if you’re looking for something cheap and cheerful.

For some reason, it doesn’t seem to have generated the same level of press as Hopper Kade down the road on Crown Street. I can’t really understand this as the food is just as good if not better.

Having been there a few times, my go to dish is now the chicken biriyani. It comes with 1/4 chicken (usually a maryland), seasoned rice, a boiled egg, mint sambol and raita. It’s a good sized meal for one and at $20 really good value the amount of food you get.

The service is great, the staff are always smiling and incredibly welcoming.

They are open for lunch and dinner and usually have specials at lunchtime. They also do takeaway and delivery via Uber eats.

https://www.srilankanbites.com.au/

Shop 10, 55-73 Oxford Street

Monday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am – 9:00 pm

22/11/2020

Day trip to the Southern Highlands

The Southern Highlands is a picturesque area about 90 minutes drive south west from Sydney and a great place for a day trip. It boasts colonial architecture, quirky shops and wineries.

Berrima

Bowral is probably the most well known town and therefore the busiest. Having been there a few times, this time we decided to head to Berrima, a short drive from there. Our first stop was the Bendooley Estate:

https://bendooleyestate.com.au/

Out front is a massive bookstore with a huge range of books and a casual cafe. The lines queuing up to enter are testament to the fact that we are definitely not the first Sydneysiders to discover it.

Through the bookstore is the quieter and more formal restaurant and wine tasting room. The setting is lovely, overlooking the vineyards and with an open fire which no doubt gets a lot of use in winter.

The restaurant has a surprisingly large menu for a winery restaurant and ranges from casual fare such as pizzas to “garden, paddock and ocean” offerings such as blue swimmer crab pasta and roast salmon curry and some more hearty dishes such as slow braised lamb.

My partner describes his crab pasta as full of flavour, with plenty of crab pieces. My barramundi is cooked perfectly and the pea risotto it comes with strangely complements it perfectly.

Meals are just the right size to leave room for one of the very decadent 6 desserts or cheeses.

The wine list is pretty extensive, with 19 available by the glass and more by the bottle. As you’d expect their own wines feature heavily as well as some other local wines and South Australian wines.

There are a number of other wineries within easy driving distance if you’d like to sample some more local wines. In this climate, you need to make bookings in advance, which we hadn’t done but the lovely people at Tertini’s agreed to fit us in with about 15 minutes notice. They have a large variety of wines to sample and generously provide a cheese plate to go with them:

https://tertiniwines.com.au/#

Robertson

For a bit of variety we decided to go back to Sydney via the coast road. Heading toward the coast you pass through Robertson, a quirky little town which is famous for two things, a giant potato and the cheese factory. The potato is worth a quick stop even if only to marvel at how they could get a potato so wrong.

If you are a cheese lover, the Robertson Old Cheese factory is definitely worth a visit:

https://www.robertsoncheesefactory.com.au/

They have a huge range of cheeses at reasonable prices and are happy to let you try before you buy. They also stock a range of local jams, sauces etc. If you’ve time to stay a little longer, there is also a cafe which serves good coffee and an adjoining store which sells locally made homewares and gifts.

Bombo Headland

The coast road from Robertson back to Sydney will take you via Dapto. If you’ve got time for a bit of a detour head a little further south on the coast to Bombo which is just north of Kiama. The former Quarry on the headland is a short walk from the carpark. It looks like some sort of lunar landscape and is a photographer’s dream. The internet is full of pictures taken at sunrise and sunset, but it’s pretty spectacular at any time of the day.

22/11/2020

Kamay Bay National Park

Kamay Bay National Park is situated in Kurnell, about 50 minutes south of Sydney.

Barrawang walk, starting at the main car park / visitor’s centre, takes you down to Captain Cook’s landing spot and also an interesting sculpture on the water’s edge. It’s an easy 1.2km loop and a large part of it is wheelchair accessible. There is are also a grassed picnic area with tables.

Kape Solander is a great viewing spot for whales. You can either drive there or get there via a 40 minute (one way) walk from the visitor centre. The walk through the bush isn’t all that interesting, so I’d suggest driving instead. Keep in mind during whale watching season (mid June – mid July and September – mid November) it can get very busy on the weekends. Try to get there early to avoid traffic delays and the possibility the park may be closed to further visitors.

Overall verdict, decent spot for a picnic, whale watching and some history but if you are after a good bushwalk, there are better options.

https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/visit-a-park/parks/kurnell-area

10/10/2020

Bar 83 Sydney Tower

Bar 83 has recently opened on the top floor of Sydney Tower, making it Australia’s highest bar. As you’d expect, 83 floors up and with floor to ceiling glass, it has sweeping views of the city and harbour.

The decor is definitely something out of the Jetsons, channeling a 1970’s view of the future vibe.

The food menu is very limited and fairly expensive (found I couldn’t quite bring myself to spend $26 on a sausage roll). With a 2 hour maximum seating at the moment, it’s somewhere you’d for a pre or post dinner drink rather than spending an evening.

There is a good size wine list, with 5 sparkling, white, rose and reds available by the glass and twice that many by the bottle. It’s a little hard to work out what price point they are trying to hit with the drinks, a glass of chardonnay is $18 and a roussane $21 but there is a sauvignon blanc for $13.

The website indicates there’s a minimum spend of $30 per person, but on the night we went we only had one drink each and this didn’t seem to be problem.

The wait staff are all very friendly, but it seems as if none of them have ever worked in hospitality before (or given any training), which is very strange given the number of hospitality staff currently out of work.

There were a multitude of staff walking the floor, but none of them were interested in serving us. We waited more than 20 minutes to order a drink. During that time we watched staff clear and clean at least 10 empty tables. Once we finally go to to order, there was a fair wait before the drinks arrived and another wait while they brought back the right wine.

My verdict, worth a visit for the great views and funky decor, but be prepared to be patient. To make the most of it, book in advance and request a table at the window.

https://www.bar83sydneytower.com.au/

06/10/2020

Essential Ingredient Cooking Class

I’ve been visiting the Essential Ingredient since it opened in Crows Nest back in 2005. It’s my favourite place in Sydney to buy gourmet spices, ingredients you struggle to find elsewhere in Sydney, cooking equipment I never knew I needed and a great range of cookbooks. But this was my first time doing a cooking class there.

I chose Mexican because it’s a food I love and it’s sadly under represented in the Sydney dining scene.

The class ran for around 3 1/2 hours starting at 6pm. During the class we cooked 6 dishes: vegetable quesadilla with tortillas we made; tequila prawn tapas with guacamole and pico de gallo; achiote barbecued chicken; barbecued corn with chipotle mayonnaise; rocket, radish and orange salad and Oaxacan mangoes.

Despite a bit of a hitch where someone mistook a bowl of salt for sugar, all of the dishes turned out great. They were all full of flavour but still very light and fresh.

The presenter Wanitha Tanasigam was very bubbly and clearly had a wealth of cooking experience. There were only 8 of us in the class so there was plenty of time for one on one instruction. As well as showing us how to cook the dishes, she helped everyone improve their knife skills and showed us plenty of little tips that will make things easier in the kitchen.

While at $170 it may not be the cheapest cooking class in Sydney, given it included the cooking instruction, wine and beer to have with the meal, take home recipes, a 10% off shopping voucher and a tortilla warmer, I think it was pretty good value especially considering the quality of the instruction and the produce we cooked with.

Classes and Events

06/09/2020

Ovo Cafe Surry Hills

Tucked away in Oxford Village shopping centre in Surry Hills, Ovo Cafe was once a well kept secret amongst local Brazilians. Word has definitely now got out and it’s hugely popular.

Pre-virus, it served an all you can eat Brazilian breakfast on Sundays and lines of people waiting to get in would snake along the wall opposite the cafe. The lines aren’t quite as long now the buffet is on hold, but still expect a wait if you don’t arrive pretty close to their opening time (9am on the weekends) so it pays to get in early.

It’s pretty casual, if dining in you order at the counter, although they bring the food to you.

As you’d expect from a Brazilian restaurant, the coffee is seriously good. At the moment they are operating on a reduced menu. At breakfast the best choices is definitely the breakfast burger – scrambled egg, bacon, avocado and haloumi served on a brioche bun.

The eggs are creamy and perfectly cooked. The serving is huge and at around $12 seriously good value. After eating one of these at 9.30 I wasn’t hungry again until dinner.

Service can be a bit slow, but it’s always with a huge smile and the food is worth waiting for.

https://www.ovotribe.com.au/

OPENING HOURS
Mon-Fri: 7am-4pm
Sat-Sun: 9am-4pm
*Kitchen closes at 3pm every day

CONTACT
Oxford Village Shopping Centre
63 Oxford Street Surry Hills 2010
02 9262 9755
contactus@ovocafe.com.au

03/08/2020

Nel Restaurant Surry Hills

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Nel restaurant is tucked away in the basement of an unassuming building on Wentworth Avenue in Surry Hills, not the most likely of places for a fine dining restaurant. But don’t let the location fool you.

This is seriously good food. Nelly Robinson will change the way you think about British food.

It’s a degustation only menu, which means you can settle in and enjoy the ride without agonising over what to choose. Dietary requirements are catered for as long as you let them know in advance.

At $110 for 9 courses, it’s great value.

The food is creative and fun and presented beautifully. Reading the menu, you form an idea in your mind of what each dish will look like. It’s never even close. There is a back story to every dish and if you’re lucky Nel himself will bring your food to the table and explain it to you.

Take charcoal pork for example, which pays homage to the first dinner Nel’s now wife cooked for him. Apparently her barbecuing skills leave something to be desired. Can you spot the pork ?

Despite appearances, the pork was succulent and tender.

Pea and ham is a tribute to Nel’s grandad as he used to always serve pea and ham soup when Nel came to visit. I’m pretty sure that grandad’s version looked and tasted nothing like this. It’s vibrant and full of punchy flavour.

Similarly, Lanchashire hotpot is nothing like what you’ve been served in an English pub.

Fish out of water is the only one we came even close to guessing. The fish is cooked perfectly and the “water” elevates the dish from good to great.

At the end of the 9 courses, we find we’ve still got room for dessert (just) and leave the restaurant comfortably full, vowing to come back.

75 Wentworth Avenue
Sydney, NSW, 2000

28/06/2020

Zephyr Bar Hyatt Regency

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Zephyr Bar is an upmarket bar on the 12th floor of the Hyatt Regency in Sussex Street. Open and airy, it has great views over Darling Harbour.

On a Friday night it’s a mix of people in their suits who’ve come for an after work drink and those that have dressed up to come into the city for a big night out.

You can book a table in advance and if you are planning on heading there on a Friday or Saturday night, it’s definitely advisable.

The emphasis is on cocktails, with the cocktail menu running to 6 pages. It includes some imaginative twists on classics, such as Salted Coconut Espresso, Passionfruit Mojito, Blood Orange Margarita and Pink Grapefruit Martini.

There is a page of the bar’s own signature creations, as well as a page dedicated to Soft Serve Icecream cocktails. These are definitely cocktails which can’t quite make up their mind whether they are desserts or drinks.

My friend orders the Berry Mix (pictured above) which consists of raspberry gin, raspberry liqueur, strawberry puree, blueberry, lime juice, served over vanilla soft serve ice cream in a martini chiller glass with fresh raspberry and popping candy.

Even though she has a very sweet tooth she’s not quite sure she is a fan. So definitely not one to order if your usual cocktail is a margarita or something else sour. Apart from that the other cocktails we tried were all pretty good.

There’s a reasonable wine list, with 5 whites and 5 reds by the glass plus some bubbles and a rose. Prices aren’t cheap, most of the glasses are $17-20 and the bottles $75 and upwards, but that’s expected given it’s in a 5 star hotel and there’s table service. You are actively discouraged from heading to the bar yourself, but expect a long wait to attract a waitress’ attention and an even longer wait for your drinks.

If you find yourself staying longer than you intended, there is a selection of bar snacks available, which run the gauntlet from healthy (fresh oysters and sashimi) to something to soak up the alcohol (chicken karaage, soft shell crab tacos and tempura prawns).

Overall verdict, if you want somewhere upmarket with a view where you can easily while away a few hours, here is the place to be. If what you’re after is a seriously good cocktails with great service and don’t plan to linger (as it’s standing room only, no seating), head instead a block or so up the road to Cantina OK!:

Cantina OK! Sydney’s Smallest Bar?

Hyatt Regency Sydney

Level 12
161 Sussex St
Sydney NSW 2000

Tel: +61 2 8099 1234

Monday – Thursday: 4pm to late
Friday – Sunday: 12pm to late

09/03/2020

Cantina OK! Sydney’s Smallest Bar?

Cantina OK! would have to be one of the most unlikely bars in Sydney, but somehow it just seems to work.

It’s tiny. There are no stools or chairs, as there simply isn’t room. Some of the reviews say it has a capacity of 20 but on the day we were there, they were only letting in around 12 people, with 3 of those standing on the pavement outside and it’s difficult to see how any more people could be squeezed in.

Then there’s the location, it’s literally in a garage down a nondescript laneway off Clarence Street between Market and King. So the only way to find your way there is if you’ve gone looking for it.

But the fact that on a Saturday afternoon at 4.30pm which isn’t exactly cocktail hour we had to queue for 20 minutes is a testament to the fact it is does work.

What makes it work? I’ts a combination of things. The barman all genuinely seem to love their jobs. It has quirky touches; the walls are bright pink and purple and the ice in the cocktails is carved in front of you from a giant block using a vintage Nepalese ice carving machine. And definitely not least, the cocktails are seriously good.

It has credibility as a Mexican Bar, as it’s run by my the same people as another well known and very popular Mexican Bar, Tio’s in Surry Hills: https://tios.com.au/

Broadsheet recently voted it (after 2 years of research) as having the best margaritas in Sydney:

https://www.broadsheet.com.au/sydney/food-and-drink/article/this-sydneys-best-margarita

I’ll agree the margaritas are damned good. I probably wouldn’t vote it the best margarita I’ve had in Sydney, but that’s only because I am totally biased toward margaritas with a chilli kick.

It’s definitely good quality drinks and service with a smile.

https://cantinaok.com.au/

Council Place Sydney
Open 7 days 4pm – late

08/03/2020

Ripples Milsons Point

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ripples Milsons Point is situated just over the Harbour Bridge right near Luna Park or as they put it “in an iconic waterfront location” and has awe inspiring views of the harbour and bridge .

It’s accessible via train (one stop from the city) or better yet, a ferry ride from Circular Quay.

The views might not be the only reason people choose to eat there but it’s definitely one of the main ones.

One of the other main draw cards is that while they are fully licenced they will let you BYO which is a bit of a rarity in Sydney restaurants these days. Corkage is $12 a bottle but when you compare it to the average wine mark up in restaurants of 300% or more, it represents pretty good value, especially if you are cracking open the cellar to bring a good bottle along.

The food is Italian inspired. For lunch and dinner there are 13 smaller plates to select from which include some classics such as stuffed zucchini flowers and an antipasto plate as well as plenty of seafood options including, Sydney rock oysters, grilled prawns, an octopus salad and a salmon ceviche.

There are 9 mains to choose from, with one vegetarian (pasta) option, 4 seafood, a chicken, beef, pork and a lamb dish (which is meant to be shared among 2 people). At 400g the rib eye is probably also enough for two people. The mains prices range from $29 for the vegetarian pasta through to $52 for the rib eye and $84 for the lamb shoulder, with the remainder sitting at around $40.

While most of the dishes come with some accompaniments, you do need to order a side (or two) to make them into complete meals. The selections are pretty standard, a salad, 2 potato dishes, sauteed kale and green beans.

Ripples whole baked snapper — Whole baked snapper

The food doesn’t really push the envelope in terms of creativity, but it’s cooked well and has plenty of flavour. And after all, it really is about the views.

My verdict, it’s the place you go to if you want to impress an overseas guest with the views or want to spend a sunny afternoon overlooking the harbour with a group of friends enjoying some of your favourite wine.

https://www.ripplesmilsonspoint.com.au/

Olympic Drive, Milsons Point NSW 2061
(02) 9929 7722

Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner

05/03/2020

Kuro Bar & Dining – Japanese Fusion Comes to Kent Street

Kuro Bar & Dining has opened in Kent Street just off Market Street in what was the former Canvas Bar premises.

The venue includes 4 different areas, 3 of which were open when I visited in mid November – Brew Bar, Kuro Dining and Kuro Bar. The 10 seater chefs table is slated to open before the end of the year.

Brew Bar, which is not actually a bar, is open during the day and sells tea and coffee to a primarily take away crowd as well as a very small number of snacks. It’s an interesting choice to include as there is a very popular coffee shop next door which has more food offerings.

Kuro Bar & Dining is currently only open for dinner but is planned to start opening for lunch around the same time as the chefs table opens.

It comes with some very solid credentials – the Executive Chef has worked in Michellin Star restaurants in Tokyo and Paris and the Head Chef came from Bar H, a restaurant which sadly joined the growing list of recent Surry Hills restaurant closures.

The food tends toward Japanese fusion rather than strictly Japanese and includes for example a Japanese take on a Caeser salad as well as a duck confit dish. Mains are around the $40 market although there is a black market sirloin which is $150.

I’d describe the dishes I had as solid rather than outstanding but given they had only opened the day before my visit this is probably understandable. I suspect the food will get better over time as they find their feet more.

The wine list is fairly long and includes a few by the glass. There is also a signature drinks list which are prepared by “mixologists” which consists mainly of cocktails which are described as having Japanese and European influences as well as sakes and whiskies.

Services is professional and polite. The maitre d gives the impression he is very passionate about his job and genuinely wants to ensure everyone enjoys their visit.

Overall a welcome addition to an area of the city in which good food options are pretty sparse.

https://www.kurosydney.com/

368 Kent St Sydney

20/11/2019

Saga Bar Chippendale

Finally someone has realised what we absolutely need in Sydney is a bar which is a cross between Indiana Jones and a Thai Island. Saga is that bar. Hidden behind two carved wooden doors in a back alley near Kensington Street in Chippendale, Saga is another world oasis.

It’s exposed beams, lanterns and vines across the walls and a water feature with a giant Buddha head. Definitely not your every day Sydney bar.

There is a cocktail list which changes from week to week, an extensive spirits list and a good selection of wines by the glass and bottle. Prices are on par with other Sydney bars, with cocktails around $20 and glasses of wine around $15.

The food menu is fairly limited as it’s probably more the kind of place where you’d go for a drink (or three) before heading to one of the multitude of restaurants around the corner in Kensington Street. Having said that, the food we did try (chicken riblets with szechuan and Kingfish ceviche) was very good.

The bar is relatively small and I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking this is going to be my new favourite bar so book in advance if you want to be sure of getting a table.

https://www.saga.bar/

49-51 Goold St Chippendale

09/11/2019

Essential Ingredient Surry Hills Cooking School

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I’ve been visiting the Essential Ingredient since it opened in Crows Nest back in 2005. It’s my favourite place in Sydney to buy gourmet spices, ingredients you struggle to find elsewhere in Sydney (achiote paste you know I mean you), cooking equipment I never knew I needed and a great range of cookbooks.

I was pretty delighted when they moved from Rozelle to Surry Hills early 2019, but also a little nervous about the impact on my credit card of being able to pop in anytime I wanted.

I love experimenting with food. I’ll happily spend hours combing through recipe books and my friends are always making fun of the number I own. I always try to fit in a cooking class whenever I travel but for some reason it’s something I’ve rarely done in Sydney.

The new premises includes a cooking school where they hold regular weeknight and weekend classes and every time I get the Essential Ingredient newsletter I always think the classes look so interesting, so recently I decided to treat myself to a couple of cooking classes for my birthday.

The first class was Mexican food, one of my favourite cuisines and one which is sadly very underrepresented in the Sydney dining scene.

Despite a bit of a hitch where someone mistook a bowl of salt for sugar, all of the dishes turned out great. They were all full of flavour but still very light and fresh.

And perhaps the best recommendation I can give – rather than filing away the recipes as I usually do thinking I’ll get around to trying them again some day, I made most of them the following Saturday. They may not have been quite as picture perfect as the ones we produced at the class but my partner declared all of them a great success and wants to know when I’ll be cooking them again.

I’m looking forward to next Saturday’s canape class. Stay tuned for an update.

Update

I’ve now been to the second cooking class which was creating a Christmas menu. Again, the teacher was great, it was a very friendly group of people in the class, it was loads of fun and I learned a lot, including how to roll out, stuff and truss a loin of pork.

I’m looking forward to the next class list coming out in the new year and signing up for some more.

https://www.essentialingredient.com.au/events/?v=6cc98ba2045f

46 Foveaux St
Surry Hills NSW 2010

08/11/2019

Kuringai Chase National Park Basin and Mackerel Tracks

The Basin and Mackerel Tracks are two of the many great walks in the Kuringai Chase National Park which is about 45 minutes north of the city. You can do either track individually, but a better way is to do both to loop back to your starting point, a walk of about 6 kms. Allow 2 1/2 – 3 hours to complete the loop, including a short ferry ride.

The Mackeral track is quite rough in places, so it’s a good idea to wear hiking boots or some other sturdy shoes.

Start with the Basin Track. In the park turn right onto West Head Road at the junction with Liberator General San Martin Drive Junction. From there drive about 8.5kms. The entrance to the track will be on the right hand side. There is a small car park right near the entrance.

Not far after you enter the track there is an Aboriginal Art site which is worth a quick stop.

The trail winds down toward the Basin campground. Along the way you’ll see glimpses of the bay. There are lots of native wildflowers along the edge of the path. We also saw a goanna soaking up the sun by the side of the trail.

At the campground there are public toilets and picnic tables as well as great views across the bay. There is a small shop however it only sells ice and bait. There is also a vending machine near the bathrooms if you want to pick up a snack.

The campground is also home to some wallabies and kookaburras, who are very used to people and happy to pose for photos.

To continue onto the Mackerel track you’ll need to catch the Palm Beach ferry from the campground wharf. The ferry runs every hour from 9am until early evening. There is a timetable posted in the shed at the entrance t the wharf. The ferry ride to Mackerel beach takes about 10 minutes.

When you get off the ferry turn left. You’ll see lots of wheelbarrows which the locals use to cart their groceries as the properties are only accessible via water. Continue along the path with the water on your left. Continue straight past the path which heads off to the right.

Around 50 metres further along you’ll see a path winding up toward the houses. Take this path. From here it isn’t well sign posted. At one point you have to walk through one of the properties (there is a sign at the entrance which says private property enter at your own risk). At the next property you’ll see an arrow, follow it.

Once you get past the properties the path winds up the hill and into the bush. The terrain is pretty rough and in places the path is not all that obvious. Keep an eye out for the red reflectors which are posted every now and again to mark the trail.

The climb is worth it for the great views back across Pittwater from the top of the hill.

From here the track levels out more and eventually joins up with the Basin Track shortly before the Aboriginal site to return you to the starting point.

https://www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/walking-tracks/the-basin-track-and-mackerel-track

16/09/2019