Narabeen Lagoon

The trip from Turramurra to Narabeen Lagoon took about 20 mins in the car using Ocean Highway. It is a beautiful beach and sea area. Stan and I had visited with Diana before, but it is one of her favourite places so we took a picnic and spent much of the afternoon there. Narabeen Lagoon is the largest coastal lagoon in the Sydney region. It contains important plants like seagrass and saltmarsh and provides a home for many animals. It is a haven for birds and we saw a wide variety. It is also an important recreational facility for the local community. The water levels in the lagoon are maintained by rainfall (not much of that) and the ocean conditions. The local council monitors the water levels to maintain a healthy habitat for animals and humans and sometimes they have to open the lagoon to minimise the risk of localised flooding.
Because of the rock formations under the water you are able to walk ankle deep quite a way out into the ocean, this gives a sense of real freedom. We walked for a while before going to sit and watch the swimmers in the natural/man made swimming pools. There are two rectangular pools set into the sea. Man made because they have edged outlines. Natural because they have have a natural base and because the tidal water flows into them. After our picnic we walked some more on the beach area, watching the surfers at their craft. Not something I think I would be very competent at! There were few people around, it was hot and it was just such a delight to be there. The one downside (and it wasn't really a downside) was avoiding the little stinging jelly fish on the beach. I was told they would give a nasty sting and would make you quite poorly for a while. They were only about 2 cms across, coloured blue or white and just looked like a small pebble, very innocuous to look at. Apparently, in the water, they have tentacles about a metre long and they are the bits that are likely to give you the nasty sting.