I’ve started making my way further out, past the airport and
into unfamiliar territory. Lady Robinsons Beach on the western shores of Botany
Bay stretches between the mouths of the Cooks and Georges rivers. Sydney’s
largest beach, it consists of several smaller ones from Kyeemagh in the north
through Brighton Le-Sands, Monterey, Ramsgate and extending round the corner at
Dolls Point.
I’ve always known vaguely about it but never thought to visit
for a swim. It’s not that it’s far away.
A 20 minute drive straight down the M1, this is actually one of the easier
beaches for me to reach. I’ve passed through here a bunch of times on trips
down the coast or over to Rockdale for a reminder of my heritage with a Macedonian
pastry called burek. But stuck in the honking traffic of The Grand Parade looking
across a shore littered with coke cans and Macca’s straws I’ve never found it
that appealing. Planes departing over an industrial shipping port are not the view you expect from
a Sydney beach. It’s far from the picturesque ocean waves crashing onto golden
shores or the cityscape viewed from harbour coves.
This time I decided to stop and easily found a place in one
of the many ample car parks. At Kyeemagh across the scorching sands I bounced
through a maze of tents and beach umbrellas. I cooled off with a splash in the
gentle shallow waters of the netted baths. Lazing in the afternoon sun even the
odd passing plane couldn’t ruin the tranquil mood.
But as I made my way south to Brighton
Le Sands I was in for something else. Busy and noisy, right on the main road, I
had made it to the real party. Cars zoomed past busy restaurants and bars,
Nicki Minaj thumping. Speed boats raced across the water dragging wake surfers
behind them. Wind surfers glided along the horizon, kite surfers launching out
and above them. Most conspicuously though on jet skis bearded, buff dudes with gold chains and fluro-coloured board shorts were flexing to each other. My distant wog cousins, this could easily have been me in another life. I was far from the Eastern Suburbs beaches and their blonde blue-eyed locals.
Rather this area hosts large Southern European and Lebanese communities and an easy access down the M5 from Western Sydney attracts visitors from the further diverse communities out that way.
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| Dolls Point |
By the time I made it to the more peaceful and family-oriented Dolls Point, a
large section of sand curving outwards into the Georges River mouth, I could no
longer take such tantalisation. A sprint to my car and I was soon back in
Brighton spoilt for choice with Greek spots. A wolfed down haloumi gyros and I
was on my way home detouring via Rockdale for burek.
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| Burek |
A special thanks to Rena Zheng accompanying me on this one. All photos (except the Dolls Point and burek ones) belong to her copyright 2019. You can view her further photography work here.
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