Most of us have heard of the Australian television show ‘Home and Away’ and whether you want to or not, we can all admit to spending many hours of our lives watching the show. While visiting Sydney it is definitely worth your time to go the very place where all of the magic and drama happens – the Home and Away Beach – Summer Bay! Forget Neighbours, in Sydney it’s all about Home and Away!
In the television show the place is known as Summer Bay, however it’s real name is Palm Beach. Once you get to Sydney’s most northerly suburb, you will see why it has been chosen to be the setting of one of Australia’s longest running television shows. In calm surroundings you will experience views that will stay with you for a lifetime and you will see luxurious houses that most of us would not be able to afford in many life times.
But this doesn’t mean you can’t afford to get to the place. For between $3 and $7 you can get the L90 bus or a train from Central Station and it will take you to Palm Beach so you can spend the day on the beach amongst the footprints of some of Home and Aways finest.
The bus takes about an hour and a half to get to Palm Beach, but don’t let this deter you. Consider it a sightseeing tour over the infamous Sydney Harbour Bridge with views of the Opera House and over to the Northern Peninsula, passing some of Sydney’s finest Northern Beaches. You will head past the bustling town of Manly and through some laid back seaside towns full of character and charm. Admire the constant stream of beaches and keep an eye out for wild cockatoos flying over the bus.
Palm Beach is the last stop on the bus so you can’t miss it and you will know you have arrived, as the beach is huge. It’s a great surfing beach as well as a place to lie down and see the day out. I would certainly recommend hiking up to the lighthouse for endless views of the peninsula, Pacific Ocean and Central Coast of NSW.
“… visit the Summer Bay surf shack…”
If you’re a fan of Home and Away you won’t want to miss your opportunity to visit the Summer Bay surf shack, that old stoney building with blue trim. If they are not filming it’s a great place to grab some snacks or coffee from the kiosk and at the very least pretend that you are in Home and Away. You can even buy some legendary memorabilia.
Palm Beach is more than just a beautiful beach with beautiful views where the television show is set. It also has beaches and a wharf on the harbour side where you can catch ferries down the waterways out to the Hawkesberry River past the National Park, which is a great way to spend a few hours. You can also treat yourself to a nice glass of wine overlooking the water.
Whatever your budget, go and channel your inner teenager and visit Palm Beach or ‘Summer Bay’, the beach set of Home and Away. It’s closer each day.