Snodge's subjective travel blog: Things to do at the Basin

10 November 2012

First you need to get there...

We were a group of 20 and this made it very economical to take the water taxi. We were collected from Sandy Point boat ramp and including a stop on the way over to scatter dad's ashes, it cost us $90. If you've got lots of gear to go camping etc, it's a good option, but its sensible to book it ahead because they do seem to be quite a busy service.

You can also get the ferry from Palm Beach, or walk or cycle down from West Head Road in Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park.

This is the first time we've assembled the whole extended family at the basin since we were children.. too long.. the weather isn't the best. Quite cool and windy by the water so not ideal for swimming..

Clearly this is a shot I prepared earlier ..of the view in to the Basin... on a sunny day

Hang out with loved ones over a picnic lunch

There's a large covered area with gas barbeques. All very civilised. There's also raised wood bbqs and wood supplied.

Find a stick that's bigger than you are!

Firmly advise the local wildlife that you don't have food for them sorry....

Plenty of wallabies around. They don't seem bothered by the people and are easy to see.

Go for wander..

Here we're passing the helipad walking along the entrance to the Basin..past the shark net.

Have a game of cricket on the grass.

Or you can go camping.. or both..or all these things...

Enjoy the scenery or paddle in the shallows.... like generations before you

What's more fun than making the biggest splash you can?

Daughter 2 long before her pine sword making days...

On busy days, you might be padding between the various boats pulled up on this shore facing out to Coaster's Retreat... or you might try jumping off the sides of your grandfather's boat.. something daughter 1 always enjoyed!

Or pose for a family group photo... like this one of me with my mum and siblings.. I'm the little one in this photo!

Or go snorkelling.. these days you can even take a guided snorkelling tour..

Or you can make a video of truly appalling quality (sorry)... to show how to make a play sword out of a Norfolk Island Palm leaf... this is a handy skill for people of all ages given the popularity of Norfolk Island pines at NSW beaches, so despite the embarrassing lack of video production skills I'm posting it anyway! (Credits to my brother for doing the intial tutoring on the day and daughter 2 for the video tutorial).

As you can see my brother was always dab hand with swords in general!

...but I digress

Do some yabbying... are you allowed to yabby in the national park?? I shouldn't have thought so, but these people are!

Watch out for kookaburras who are only too happy to take your lunch or anything dropped on the grass..

Swim or enjoy the vistas over the Basin

Reminisce about the old days... there used to be a pontoon out in the basin that you swam out to..

Look for soldier crabs..

...and there were armies and armies of soldier crabs forming a blue carpet feeding on the sands..there's a lot of castings on the sand, so perhaps there's still a few soldier crabs around... brother says you never see them in the numbers we did when we were kids...

Sis is the eldest and says she hasn't been back here at all since we were children. "Remember the time we were here and we saw Col Joye and Judy Stone"
"not really. I was too little... but you know we've got photos of that day.."
" DO WE??!"
"yep... I'll send them to you.."... I've never regretted spending weeks scanning all dad's slides and photos after he died..

I've posted it before on the blog... but here is the best one again in context..you know I might not even have been born actually...