clareville beach, avalon

Every time o care to stop at the Avalon Woolie's for supplies, or even when pottering about on Careville Beach, I am struck by the beauty of the place and the people. 

The area, between Avalon Beach to the east and Clareville Bay to the west is salty with surfers, sailors and water lovers. Trees, pines, palms and gums,  tend to be enormously tall due to the heavily sloping ground of the Bilgola Plateau, just to the south. Winding narrow roads course through a natural gulley, provide glimpses of old homes, some modified, nestled in among enveloping land and shady trees. While homes are well kept, they seem geared towards comfort and function rather than for show. Many have room for a boat and cars owned by generations of fily that can share a home they are loath to leave. 

Those same streets are populated by ebikers, cyclists and joggers of all ages, out to get a tan and keep young. Its not unusual to encounter older couples, tanned and lithe, softly discussing their next move or meal. Its peaceful, the place and the people. And it's not all white, the community is embracing of those of all incomes and cultures. I'm sure everyone enjoys the garilous smiling Phillipina on door duty at Woolies, or people staffing various local cafes. 

Like all sea people, road rules are a rough guide only, it's common to see a salty late model vehicle double parked, PR over a pedestrian crossing or a corner while a child dicks on to grab something. There's no angst about this, cars just drift around, all polite and rolling about. 

This is the take off point that Ann Gash enjoyed for her circumnavigation. People know of her, they know her children, but here Ann is merely a part of a rich tapestry of the sailing culture. Apparently among the timber getters and boat builders of old emerged numbers of local children, keen to be on the water, sailing dinghies. As the old non-righting dinghies gave way to the decked over VJ dinghy, piracy was about. Local kids would sail into Clareville Beach on sunny Sundays and hold mock battles with one another before waving their swords towards picnickers in return for a share of their fare. Parents, concerned that this playful pastime was sending  the wrong message, set up markers on Pittwater to allow the kids to take up the more gentile art of racing under sail. Like all other aspects of life hear, the attitide to sailing is relaxed and more about socialising on Bilgeula, the local Aboriginal expressipn for the "swirling waters" of Pittwater. 

Clareville Bay, Avalon