- Tampilkan perjalanan
- Tambahkan ke daftar bucketHapus dari daftar bucket
- Bagikan
- 15 Des 2023 11.02
- ⛅ 77 °F
- Ketinggian: 52 ft
- AustraliaState of New South WalesNorth SydneyLavender BayQuiberie Park33°50’37” S 151°12’29” E
Sydney: A Secret Garden & Lunch
15 Desember 2023, Australia ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F
At the end of our stroll along Lavender Bay, we hung a right and went under the train rails to find ourselves in what our friend had described as a “gem” … Wendy’s Secret Garden.
This is no manicured garden. Rather, it has an almost jungle-like vibe … very rustic … with paths meandering this way and that through various levels. Garden statues and rusty artifacts tucked into nooks and crannies. Very peaceful … a perfect place to get away from the hubbub of big city living for a few hours … especially on a three-ship-day in Sydney.
The Wendy mentioned here is Wendy Whiteley, wife of renowned painter, Brett Whitely. Following Brett’s death in 1992, grief-stricken, she threw herself into clearing piles of overgrowth on the land at the foot of their house. From this effort today’s garden was born … still maintained by gardeners whom she employs.
Contrary to its name, the garden is not a secret. In fact, the website describes it as “ … one of the worst kept secrets in Sydney … .” That might well be the case. Today, however, we pretty much had it to ourselves, encountering only a few people … and those at a distance.
Eventually we made our way to the top of the garden and walked across the road to the Kirribilli Club. Since we are not members, Mui had to register, but as our friend had told us, we did not have to pay for a membership.
Our destination at the club was the restaurant … Lavender by the Bay. We arrived at 11:30a and snagged one of the few remaining tables on the terrace. The kitchen, we were told, would open at noon. No worries. With the spectacular view as eye candy, we ordered a couple glasses of Pinot Noir from the Adelaide Hills and whiled away the time easily enough.
For lunch, we ordered a cheesy mushroom arancini starter that was perfectly fried to a golden hue … and followed that with the seafood platter … which consisted of cold and hot selections. To wrap up … a delicious carrot cake.
After lunch, we followed a different path that took us through Clark Park and down from there to the waterfront. A delightful stroll — it wasn’t as hot today as it was yesterday — took us back to the wharf for the ferry to Circular Quay.
We had noted that there was a concert in a park in The Rocks tonight. So, we headed home for a couple of hours to rest up. Unfortunately, the concert turned out not to cater to our taste in music, so when we did venture out again, we did not stay long. Oh well … we still had a lovely day.Baca selengkapnya
Oh, I love this, Erin! What a beautiful spot. Gorgeous photos, as always, and such a romantic name, Lavender Bay. And I may have to add that wonderful quote to my quote book.😊 [Mary O. Greenberg]
Pelancong How lovely! Will definitely have to visit in the future.
Pelancong What a gorgeous spot!