by John New
Narrabeen Lake Walk, Northside
About 16 people and 12 beagles gathered for this walk on a lovely Autumn day.
There was a little confusion before the walk started regarding the meeting place. The advertised meeting was a Large Rock along the Wakehurst Parkway on the north side of Narrabeen Lake. However, the pathway from the Large Rock to the lake is now apparently a wildlife sanctuary with "No Dogs Allowed". In addition to this, it seemed most people had decided to drive to a nearby carpark, which avoided the restricted area. Thank goodness for mobile phones as we sorted things out and got our group together!
Once the walk started, everything was fine. We set off along a grassy area next to the lake. The only problem here was the occasional bindi. After meeting up with a few late arrivals, we crossed over the bridge (where one scared beagle had to be carried over!) to the southside of the lake and continued along a bicycle track. This was really nice - shady, a light breeze, not too crowded, lots of interesting sniffing, a few rabbits and ducks to get the beagles excited. We continued to a playground, and then it was time to turn back.
On the way back, a few people bought ice creams and we took a detour to a park where the beagles were able to splash around in the lake. This was really fun to watch. Some beagles stayed well away from the water, others paddled around, some rolled in smelly stuff, and a pelican stopped by to see what was going on. There was one scary moment when some beagles started sniffing around some fish hooks and bait, but fortunately one quick Sydney Sniffer realized what the beagles were doing and called out a warning.
We finished the walk back at the parking area. Overall, this was a pretty good walk. A very pleasant way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon.
by John New
Narrabeen Lake Walk, Southside
A group of about 25 people and 15 beagles met at Jamison Park, next to Narrabeen Lake, for our first walk in 2003. There were many regular Sydney Sniffers, plus we welcomed some new ones who we hope will join us again on future walks. The weather was overcast, hot, and humid, with a hint of rain in the air, and there was a very slight breeze off the lake. All in all, a typical muggy Sydney February morning.
We started walking along a footpath next to the lake, which soon became a busy walking and bicycle track. The beagles (and no doubt the humans too) felt the high humidity very quickly. Fortunately for the dogs, there were plenty of taps, and bowls full of water, along the path. The lake is very popular, and we met many other humans and dogs as well as numerous cyclists along the route.
When we reached busy Pittwater Road, we crossed a short bridge over the lake, and then continued along a quiet road to a small lakeside park, which was our half-way point. While we humans rested and chatted, many beagles took the opportunity to have a short paddle and swim in the lake. It was great fun seeing them so obviously enjoying themselves, getting wet, sandy, and smelly.
We returned along the same route to Jamison Park where our walk finished around noon. Being around lunchtime, some of us stayed for a well-deserved picnic lunch and cool drink.
Our next walk is a leisurly stroll along the south foreshore of Chipping Norton Lake, Chipping Norton, which is close to Warwick Farm Racecourse. Hope to see you there at 1pm on Sunday 30 March.
