A beautiful spot on the beachfront of my city.

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The shining jewel of my city is what we call The Strand, a two kilometre landscaped boulevard that runs along the oceanfront.

On an average weekend during the school holidays, over 10,000 people visit The Strand. The area has picnic facilities, basketball courts, children’s playgrounds, and a waterpark, and is lined with cafes and restaurants. There’s a rock pool down at one end, and during the summer months, the City Council installs stinger resistant swimming enclosures along the beach.

While my husband and I live about 20 kilometres away from the city in a semi-rural outlying suburb, we often drive in on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon or evening just to enjoy this spot. I thought I would post some photos for you to enjoy (photos are not all taken on the same day).

Let’s start at the rockpool end. This is taken from the headland next to the rockpool area looking down over the rockpool and in the distance you can see the port area at the other end of the Strand:

On the other side of the rockpool:

Walking along the strand walkway:

This photo is taken on the Strand looking towards Magnetic Island which has around 23 beaches itself! (It is only 30 minutes from the heart of the city across Cleveland Bay. When Captain Cook was sailing by the east coast of Australia his compass had a great magnetic pull towards this island. Thus, the name Magnetic Island came into existence).

The jetty:

The jetty from the other side:

One of the stinger nets that allows people to swim safely without being bitten by jellyfish:

The walkway going round one of the beachfront restaurants:

Walking further down towards the other end:

At the waterpark at the other end of the Strand. The first photo was taken in the late afternoon when it was a bit cooler, while the next one was taken around midday. In the second photo you can also see our landmark Castle Hill in the background – a huge pink granite monolith that rises 286 metres above sea level:

Now we’re at the other end of the Strand near the casino (which you can see through the tree) and the port – there’s a great big park at this end:

This is a photo I borrowed from the internet (copyright free/free to share) that gives an aerial view of about half of the Strand. You can see the Palleranda Bay at one end of the photo and then some of the long straight section of beachfront that forms most of the Strand. You will see the rockpool section, then you will see the jetty, then a large green park section and at the bottom end the restaurant section. (This photo does not show all of the Strand):

It’s a beautiful spot and after months of rain the Strand is now once again brimming with activity on these lovely bright blue-sky days.

• 9 Mar, 2009
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