Barrenjoey House

Here’s a great way to spend the weekend in style and leave the car at home: take the L90 from City Railway Square to Palm Beach (or any of its stops along the way), get off  near the Palm Beach ferry wharf, walk across the road and stay overnight at Barrenjoey House.
All you need is an overnight bag, a good book (to read on the bus) and your swimmers.  It’ll take the best part of two hours, depending on traffic and time of day, you’ll save carbon miles and be able to spot glimpses of the blue Pacific along the way. What’s more you won’t have to worry about parking once you arrive, a real headache in these parts especially during summer.

This picturesque haven of the rich and famous has a European feel to it on sunny weekends with its hustle and bustle and swanky cars, boats, water taxis and sea-planes. The good news is that you don’t have to be filthy rich to enjoy a couple of days at Barrenjoey House though it will set you back a bit more than the six shillings and sixpence which former Prime Minister Billy Hughes used to pay when he stayed here. That was after 1923 when it had been restored as a guesthouse and restaurant and Hughes would use the surrounding lawns to practice his golf.

Prior to that, it had served local residents and fishermen as a general store. During World War 2, Barrenjoey House (Barrenjoey is reputedly an Aboriginal word for young kangaroo) became a favourite place for service men and women to enjoy their R&R.
Restored during the 1980s (when Neil Perry did a stint as head chef), it was substantially refurbished to its present modern beachside chic by new owners in 2001.

We checked in mid-afternoon, dropped our bags and headed straight for the surf.  A local resident had pointed us to the sign “To Ocean Beach” just off Barrenjoey Road which leads to the top of the ridge running between the surf and Pittwater.  Admittedly the steps are fairly steep but if you’re moderately fit, don’t be daunted.  After the first few flights, there’s a track which winds through the bush then upwards to a suburban street. Further along to the right is another sign followed by a flight of rough stone steps then a path which winds through a reserve to the southern end of the beach.  It was here we came across the famous cabbage tree palms (‘livistona australis’) after which the now world-famous beach was named, though legend has it that the name was derived from the practice followed by local residents in the early 1800s of wearing hats woven from the leaves of the trees. After such an invigorating walk, it was sheer bliss to jump into the water. We’d run out of energy to hike back, so we jumped on board the L90 to Barrenjoey House where we ordered caipirioskas at the spectacular Havana-style bar and sat outside to watch the sun set over Pittwater.

After a quick shower upstairs in our room, we returned downstairs to the candle-lit restaurant.  By this time, most of the afternoon crowd had left and we were able to enjoy a very pleasant laid back meal in the quirky British colonial style room.  My grilled scallops with orange and fennel salad were moist and delicious, as was my seafood platter (a lovely mixture of warm and cold shellfish and fish) and my partner’s crispy skin ocean trout on ink squid pasta with braised fennel and ‘salsa’verde’ was fabulous. Make sure not to miss the soft-centred chocolate souffle, which is a real treat.   There’s a good variety of mostly Australian and NZ wines to choose from, with a few nods to the French and the service is relaxed and friendly.

Next day we were up bright and early to walk through the National Park up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse.  The 360 degree views from here are breathtaking and, if you’re there on a Sunday, you can take a look inside the lighthouse.  After a quick lunch at Palm Beach Fish & Chips (the flathead fillets are sensational), we boarded a ferry at the wharf which took us on a 50-minute round trip to The Basin, Currawong Beach and Great Mackerel Beach ($12.40 per adult).
There are plenty of other things to do which won’t cost you an arm and a leg, including star-spotting.  During summer, you might catch Rachel Griffiths, Bryan Brown, Lleyton Hewitt or Julian McMahon wandering around.
I’d suggest you go mid-week as it’s quieter and you can take advantage of one of the packages.  The accommodation is straight out of Somerset Maugham with a South Seas feel: timber floors, ceiling fans, reproductions of Gauguin and a common living/breakfast area.  I’d also recommend you keep the windows closed at night to minimise the noise from down below – or ask for one of the quieter rooms at the back.

Sheridan Rogers was a guest of Barrenjoey House
Getting There:
Take L90 bus from City Railway Square and get off at Palm Beach Public Wharf, approx. 90 – 120 minutes depending on traffic. It’s about 40K from the CBD. Or take a sea-plane from Rose Bay.
Stay:
Ensuite room $220.00 per night including light self-serve breakfast.
Room with shared bathroom $180.00 per night including light self-serve breakfast
Escape package: one night accommodation including continental breakfast and 3 course dinner from $150 per person.
Ph. 9974 4001
www.barrenjoeyhouse.com.au

More:
Explore Pittwater by hiring a kayak or boat from Barrenjoey Boating Services
Ph: (02) 9974 4229
www.barrenjoeyboathire.com
Palm Beach Ferries  (02 9974 2411) www.palmbeachferry.com.au
Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours, Sundays 11am – 3pm.  $4/adult – meet at the Keeper’s Cottage at the top.

www.visitnsw.com

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