by John New
Cronulla Esplanade Walk
About 11 humans and 8 beagles met at the Wanda Beach Surf Life Saving Club for a walk along the Cronulla Esplanade. It was touch and go whether the walk would go ahead, with some heavy intermittent rain before the walk. However, it was lovely weather when we started and we weren't really affected by the downpour half-way through - it didn't last very long and we took shelter under some overhanging rocks.
We started our walk along a footpath running parallel to the beach (dogs are not allowed on the beach itself). There were lots of other people and dogs, also enjoying the fresh breeze and watery views. Many commented on the group of beagles, with the usual remarks such as where are horses and horns, are they all related, have they found any drugs, and is it a club walk? Beagles are usually a pretty good advertisement for dogs in general because they are very friendly and like to be patted.
We walked past the main shopping area and climbed some steps to where the path started along the Cronulla cliffs. It was interesting to note how often the beagles found something to put in their mouths as we walked along, an old bone, a bottle top, some empty chip packs, paper food wrappings - they're very inquisitive dogs. We followed the path to Shelly Park, our halfway point. After a short rest and a group photos, we returned along the path to Wanda Beach.
A very enjoyable walk for a relaxing Sunday afternoon. Hope to see you at the next one.
by June and John Johansson and Brodie, the beagle
Cronulla Esplanade Walk
Sunday morning dawned bright and clear after a very cold, cloudy and windy Saturday. We arrived early at Wanda Surf Club where there was quite a strong wind blowing from the sea. First we met Bella, a 7 month old pup, and her master who were just out for a walk as they were locals. He thought that the idea of a Beagle Walk was great but as he will shortly be moving to Perth will not join our club but hopes to join the W.A club and also that they might have a walking group. Eventually we began our walk with approximately 15 people and 9 beagles. Many of the people (and beagles) were experiencing their first "Sniffing Around Sydney" walk.
We progressed along the shore, passing North Cronulla where there was a surfing competition. The beagles were not fazed by all the loud music, audio-visual equipment, tents and crowds of spectators and crew for the event. The waves were really pounding on the shore and the tide was high. The swimming baths were swamped by the waves. We were lucky to stay dry before we rounded the corner to Cronulla Beach. However, here it was quite sheltered from the off-shore wind and there quieter family activities with lots of little ones ready to pat the beagles. We met some members (without their beagle) outside Cronulla Surf Club who were very disappointed to have missed "Sniffing Around Sydney". "Are you the Beagle Club?" was asked many times by passers-by. I don’t know how they guessed. Just because everyone had a beagle I suppose.
We then climbed the headland and progressed to Shelly Park. There was a magnificent view of the ocean and the coast as we walked around the headland. We rested and chatted and admired the view from Shelly Park before retracing our steps back to Cronulla where we stopped at the café for refreshments. Finally the tired band of walkers both two and four-legged arrived back at Wanda after a most enjoyable afternoon’s exercise. A certain little beagle was curled up asleep on the back seat before we left the car park!
Cronulla Cliffs Walk
Sorry, no report was written for this walk.
by John New
Cronulla Esplanade Walk
Our first Sniffing Around Sydney walk was north at Manly. This time the Sydney Sniffers ventured south to Cronulla.
We met at the Wanda Beach Surf Life Saving Club on a beautiful autumn afternoon. Once again there was blue sky, a few wispy clouds, and a light breeze - with the added bonus of glorious views of Cronulla surf beach.
We started our walk along a footpath running parallel to the beach (dogs are not allowed on the beach itself). It was fairly warm because of the heat radiating from the sand and concrete. Fortunately, there was plenty of grass for the dogs to walk on and lots of water along the way for cooling down.
We walked past the main shopping area and climbed some steps to where the path started along the Cronulla cliffs. Here it was much cooler. We followed the path to Shelly Park, which we decided to make the halfway point of the walk. After a short rest (and a chat with a lady who was thinking of getting a beagle puppy - what a good idea!), we returned along the path to Wanda Beach.
Continuing the theme of walking near water, our next walk starts at Kyeemagh Boat Ramp, Kyeemagh, and follows the path along Cook Park, Botany Bay, to Monterey. Hope to see you there.