THE TOWN
The town of Agnes Water is quite small, the shopping area is really just a curve of shops, comprising the basic needs – newsagent, chemist, bakery, couple of takeaway shops, liquor shop, now a butcher, clothing shop, camping store, post office, coffee shop, a small supermarket and now a bigger Foodland. Since we were here the Foodland has been developed and the butcher has opened. My favourite is Beach Buddies, a swimming costume shop where the lady will make the costume to fit you, in your choice of fabric. A strange business in such an out of the way place. Apart from this there are some other businesses out of town that we really enjoy using. Probably 6km before town is the industrial area. Down a road are probably 4 factories and in one is a seafood outlet. Diane and her husband retail fresh seafood, some they have frozen and the variety is very good. We were there on Sat as she was just getting the freshly cooked prawns out. A couple of people were waiting as they were not quite cooked yet. Another place, about 4km out of town and down a road a km, is Ron’s fresh vegetables. He grows most vegetables and when I asked for a lettuce, he went and pulled it out of the garden. He will do the same with spinach, beetroot, kale etc. The strange thing we have noticed is how the locals don’t seem to necessarily support each other. When we booked into our accommodation, we asked the receptionist if Ron and his vegetable stall was still around. She said, oh no, he’s not there anymore. We were disappointed at this news as we had been looking forward to buying from him. The friendly lady at the visitors centre also confirmed this news. The following day we went for a drive to where he was and he was well and truly around. We went to the butcher for some meat and chatted with the lady serving us, who turned out to be the wife of the butcher and owner. She said they had opened in Nov, after a lot of research and planning. They were very disappointed by the local patronage they were receiving and were finding it tough to make a go of the business. We, of course wondered where the locals would buy their meat, the only other source is packaged meat at Foodland. When we went to the Festival at 1770, chatting with someone from the caravan park there, they said the park owner was not friendly with the other park owners. It is sad that this happens in such a lovely place.
GETAWAY AT 1770
A km out of town is a lovely nursery/coffee shop with some cabins for accommodation. They have created a beautiful bromeliad garden that you walk through before coming to a pavillion where you sit, partially over a lake with lily ponds and a water feature and can eat and have coffee. It is open to the sights and sounds, although they can pull down a see through screen if it is windy. It is such a tranquil place and the variety of plants, their colours and shapes, creating a wonderful garden. The coffee is also good.
1770
This town is 8km north of Agnes Water, and the end of the road. It appears that it was only called 1770 in 1970, prior to this it was called Round Hill. When Captain Cook landed here, his second landfall after Botany Bay, on 24 May 1770, one of his landing party shot a bustard, and along with a couple of cockatoos, it provided their first fresh meat for some time. Hence the name he gave the bay – Bustard Bay. There is a high headland that he rounded to get into 1770 and he named this Round Hill, as he had to sail around it. This is now a lookout, site of some lovely homes with spectacular views and what seems to be a great surf break for surfers, after they have clambered down to the water. A sandbar out from shore provides a lovely sheltered lagoon area for some boats and people to paddle board, kayak, swim. At high tide the water laps the sandy shore and to the south, mangroves. The only commercial thing here is a pub, looking out to the sandbar – fabulous position, but it is old and probably in need of some refurbishment, but I get the idea the locals like it as it is. Some old fishing cottages are perched above the road, also enjoying wonderful views, along with some newer places. They have developed the waterfront area into a lovely park, with plenty of shade, tables, bbqs and paths. A very tranquil area.
It seemed amusing that the Saturday before we left home we had had a picnic with the girls and their families at Kurnell for Mothers Day. We had driven out along Captain Cook Drive, to Kurnell, where Captain Cook first came ashore at Botany Bay. Then on Friday we were driving along Captain Cook Drive to 1770, to celebrate the Festival of 1770 – marking the 2nd landfall that Captain Cook made on 24 May 1770. I have even likened the travelling from Agnes Water to 1770 to being very similar to driving from Cronulla High School to Kurnell. The road with little development along it, although that is changing at Cronulla, and about the same distance. So many similarities.
LOSING THINGS
There have been quite a few instances of things going missing. Luckily I think everything is presently accounted for but – sunglasses, reading glasses, board shorts, hat, chamois…. have all gone AWOL. Interestingly none of the items are mine.
OUR ACCOMMODATION
We were very lucky to find the accommodation we did. Unfortunately for Agnes Water, it was a very quiet time of the year and so the various accommodation places were offering good discounts. Pavilions on 1770 was great. It had originally been built by Grant Kenny and Lisa Curry around 2006. When we were at Agnes Water 3 years earlier I don’t think it was all complete so it has been built in stages. We were lucky enough to be on the top floor looking out across the 25m pool and had glimpses of the ocean, over the trees on the dunes. The rooms were huge and it was well appointed. Paul even had a desk in the living area for his “office”. Another block across the road had some smaller heated pools and was frequented by the children.
OTHER ACCOMMODATION
We went for a walk the other night and walked through 2 of the resorts that are on the road in to our place. They are set off the road from Agnes Water but before you drive as far as us. They are not on the water. The first, Edges on Beaches @ 1770, consists of town houses built around a large central area. In this central area are 4 pools, attractively shaped and landscaped and a bbq area. Many of the townhouses open up to this setting. One pool is heated. There were possibly 40-50 and so few were occupied, maybe 5 or 6. Opposite is a very imposing 2 storey building that is not very attractive from outside but that is because their rooms also open to a central area. This has more pools and an outdoor/indoor restaurant. The most expensive rooms have a ladder from a little grassed area, into one of the pools. ($650/n!) It too was very quiet – noone around. There were a few people eating in the restaurant. Its website seemed to talk about conferences and functions. Around us there are large parcels of land already subdivided for homes, but it doesn’t seem to have changed much since our visit 3 years ago. There are a few homes, then empty blocks.
SURF SCHOOL
Each day the local surf school takes place. The surf shop seems to be able to get 20 young people each day, for a lesson. They all arrive carrying their blue boards, dump them on the sand and have some theory on the grass. Then it’s on the boards on the sand and instructions followed by a conga line carrying the blue boards and wearing blue rash shirts, into the surf at the southern end, along the rocky headland. The waves here come in in a nice long pattern and it is not deep. They take turns lining up and having the instructor call out when to go on the wave and surprisingly many are able to stand, for varying lengths of time. Naturally there is the resident photographer to capture their progress and of course sell to them later. We noticed one day a fellow come to shore on his standup paddle board and his fox terrier dog go racing into the water to greet him. Next he was on the board as well and his owner was paddling out with him sitting at the rear of the board. They went right out. We watched them catch 2 waves and both fall off before he caught a couple of good rides. Once on the wave, the dog moved to the front of the board. He loved it and it was so nice to see how happy and excited he was.
FESTIVAL OF 1770
We were lucky to arrive a day before the celebration of Captain Cook coming ashore at 1770 on 24 May 1770 – his landfall after coming ashore at Botany Bay. It was not lost on us that 6 days earlier, we had driven out along Captain Cook Drive to Kurnell for a family picnic – in the park with the monument commemorating this event. Here at Agnes Water, we were driving out along Captain Cook Drive to 1770. It made me think that the distance from Cronulla (Wanda Beach) to Kurnell, is very similar to the distance from Agnes Water to 1770. So too is the lack of development between the 2 places (although that is changing at Cronulla with the Greenhills development, and others).
Back to the celebrations. They were doing a re-enactment of the landing, but before then, one of the locals was going to try and break the Guinness World record by getting 26 dogs on a standup paddle board. We decided to go and watch, along with the locals and people staying at the caravan park further along the beach. A motley collection of dogs – big and small, were already being placed on the board. At a certain point, the fellow asked how many were on the board. Just as someone called out 22, one of the dogs jumped off and swam to shore. He was followed by another. Owners brought more dogs to the board and eventually he decided he had the 26 and started paddling. He had not gone far when one dog jumped off and swam to shore, followed by a few more. Two on the board started snarling and snapping at each other ….. It was a hoot. He brought the board back to shore and then played around with the dogs. One dog was swimming in all directions, following a drone. Everyone was laughing and taking photos – it was a good vibe.
This was followed by the re-enactment. The locals had all volunteered for roles and were dressed in period dress. Channel 7 and Queensland Weekend were there filming it. This too was fun. When Captain Cook and his crew came ashore, they shot a bustard and then some cockatoos. They really enjoyed their meal from the bustard and named the bay – Bustard Bay. One of the locals was dressed as the bustard and she looked so funny. We were also told that 1770 was called Round Hill by Captain Cook – because he came round the hill to enter the bay. It was only changed to 1770 in 1970, although someone told us it had happened some years earlier.
There were further celebrations on the Saturday and Sunday – mostly bands and amusement rides, which for a small community, was quite something. The weather forecast had been for heavy rain over the weekend, but they were very lucky and it was lovely blue skies both days.
Re-enactment with bustard being shot!
HAVING FUN AT 1770
One day we went a hired standup paddle boards at 1770. The fellow who we hired them from was actually the same man who put the dogs on the board. There were no other people around so we had the bay to ourselves. He was having a tiring day, sitting under a tree playing chess with one of the locals. We had the boards for an hour and paddled around in lovely still water. It was low tide and the sandbars were appearing, making it very picturesque.
Another day we booked a 2 hour kayak tour up the river and through the mangroves. We were the only 2 and so had the guide to ourselves. We started at 8am to fit in with the tide, but it was so tranquil, particularly when we drifted through a narrow channel in amongst the mangroves. Janina was so very informative and explained and showed us more than 12 different species of mangrove.
Jottings & Blottings 