Palm Beach and Barrenjoey Head

Palm Beach, the jewel of the Northern Beaches, is the northernmost of Sydney's Northern Beaches and the most northerly suburb of the city's metropolitan area. It is located in about 28 kilometres north from Manly and about 40 kilometres (a good 45 mins - 1 hour drive) from the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney CBD. Palm Beach is home to many of Sydney's rich and famous and the ideal place to buy a weekender if you have a few million to spare. Palm Beach is one of the largest of Sydney's beaches, being approximately 2-3 km long along the Pacific Ocean shore. The beachside suburb of Palm Beach backs on to Pittwater, a large southern inlet of Broken Bay, making the locality about as surrounded by water as is possible, without actually being an island.

Barrenjoey is a locality in the suburb of Palm Beach, at the farthest southern tip of Pittwater. Around 10,000 years ago the headland was cutoff from the mainland due to the rising sea level; subsequent buildup of a sand spit or tombolo (a deposition landform in which an island is attached to the mainland by a narrow piece of land such as a mound, spit or bar) reconnected the island to the mainland. It is the location of Barrenjoey Head Lighthouse, a lighthouse which was first lit in 1881. On 2 March 1788, Governor Arthur Phillip named the headland 'Barrenjuee' or 'Barrenjoey' (meaning little kangaroo or wallaby, hence 'joey'). The area's name has been spelled differently over time, Barrenjoey now being the accepted name since 1966. The stretch of water was named Pittwater after William Pitt who was Prime Minister in England from 1783-1801.

The southern end of the Palm Beach is marked as Cabbage Tree Boat Harbour on a map of 1832. Palm Beach was later named after the Cabbage Tree palms livistona australis that were near Cabbage Tree Boat Harbour. The plant's species name gave origin to Livistona Lane, off Palm Beach Road. However if you look at the Palm Beach and Barrenjoey Headland from above or on a map it will look like a palm tree as well. So many people beleive that the Palm Beach was named because of the shape of the Barrenjoey Headland and the very long spit.

Palm Beach is used for exterior filming of popular Australian soap opera Home and Away, as the fictional town of Summer Bay. Fans of the show will easily recognise some of the local views. Its iconic status amongst the Sydney beach culture is reflected in artworks, poetry and prose. Palm Beach has a limited selection of accommodation, excellent world-class restaurants and a good selection of cafes. Pittwater is very popular with yachtsman, while golfers enjoy the Palm Beach golf course. Palm Beaches long stretch of golden beach is excellent for beach-goers and for uncrowded surfing when compared to other popular beaches closer to Sydney.

At the end of the spit near the beginning of the Barrenjoey Head a not-too-difficult uphill walk ends at the historic Barrenjoey lighthouse with spectacular 360 degree views including Lion Island, an uninhabited rocky island resembling a resting lion which guards the entrance to Broken Bay, its northern arm Brisbane Water, and Pittwater. The trip to the Barrenjoey lighthouse takes 20 minutes or 35 minutes according to the steepness of the two alternatives. The Barrenjoey Head lighthouse was the third light constructed on the headland, and was built of the rich-coloured local sandstone in 1881. At an elevation of 113 m, it is visible to a distance of 19 nautical miles (35 km; 22 mi) out to sea. Tours run every Sunday (weather permitting). Cost is $3 for adults and $2 for children and no bookings required.