About Briar
Briar Jensen is a Sydney-based freelance travel writer. Her blog covers travel tips, reviews, insights and inspiration, travel accessories and gadgets.
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There’s something visually reassuring about lighthouses. While a warning of danger from the sea, they are like a white sentinel of safety when viewed from onshore. This is Norah Head Lighthouse on the NSW Central Coast. You can stay in the lighthouse keepers’ cottages here, and what a view! #lighthouse #lovensw #centralcoastnsw @norahheadlighthouseHow gorgeous is this little Italian restaurant @achefsecrets on the waterfront at Berowra? It occupies a tiny boat she’d built in 1898. Sitting on the deck today with a gentle breeze watching the vehicular ferry come and go was a pleasant way to enjoy Friday lunch with Gaye Jensen. The food was super fresh, beautifully presented and utterly delicious. #restaurantaustralia #visitnsw #modernitalianOne for the #bookcommunity It was recommended I visit @harryhartogbookseller by a valued friend this week while I was at Macquarie Shopping Centre in Sydney. Wow, what a fabulous #bookshop with lots of space, interesting displays and stunning window dressing. Not to mention helpful and personable service. They also have a #secondhandbooks section out the front, where their sign is held up by these repurposed books. There are other stores in around NSW, Queensland and ACT so check out their website for details. Do you have a favourite bookshop?Stunning images at Wildlife Photographer of the Year, currently on display at the National Maritime Museum in Darling Harbour, Sydney. I was blown away by the work of young photographers, but all images are amazing, which is to be expected as they are the best of 48,000 entries. On loan from London, the exhibition closes on 28th January, so visit soon. @nhm_wpy @sea.museum #wildlifephotography #australiannationalmaritimemuseum #photographyexhibition- My Tweets
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Tag Archives: Hawkesbury
Drive-through gourmet feasts supporting local producers in the Hawkesbury
Drive through gourmet feasts – didn’t think I’d hear that, but these strange (Covid) times have brought about some wonderful initiatives as businesses strive to stay afloat. Here in Sydney food venues are offering takeaway meals while farmers and producers … Continue reading
Wonderful Western Sydney
Lately I’ve been touring Western Sydney, gathering stories for articles, and I’ve been blown away by the diversity of experiences and attractions available for every age group and type of visitor, from thrill seekers, to nature lovers and history buffs. … Continue reading
Postcard of the week – Hawkesbury
I was eagerly anticipating the television mini-series of Kate Grenville’s bestselling novel The Secret River, a story of conflict between the First Australians and early European settlers, which recently aired on the ABC, both to see how the story played out … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Hawkesbury, National Parks, Postcards, Sydney, Travel
Tagged Australia, Cowan Water, Hawkesbury, Hawkesbury River, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, sydney
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Connect with nature during Parks Week 9-15 March
The piercing call of whip birds penetrating the bush, the scuttle of an echidna fossicking in the undergrowth, the damp smell of leaf litter and the subtle fragrance of wildflowers. Fossils exposed in the desert, Aboriginal rock art by the sea, crabs scampering among … Continue reading
Gift an experience: 10 Sydney experiences to inspire, excite and thrill
Can’t think of a gift for that special someone? Then give them an experience they will remember long after the Christmas tree has dropped its needles. Here are ten Sydney experiences for the grandkids to the grandparents, the adventure-lovers to … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure, Animals, Australia, Hawkesbury, New South Wales, Segway, Sydney, Travel, Travel Accessories & Gadgets
Tagged animal parks, family fun, Hawkesbury, jet boating, sailing, Segway, sydney, travel
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Sandstorm of Fairytales & Fables in Windsor
The Pied Piper of Hamelin, Narcissus, Gollum, Icarus and other fabled creatures have come to life under the shady jacarandas, oaks and pepper trees on the banks of the Hawkesbury River at Windsor, in Sydney’s northwest, for the 2nd Hawkesbury … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Hawkesbury, Sydney, Travel
Tagged family fun, Hawkesbury, sand sculpting
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Ballooning in the mist
It might be the middle of winter, but getting up early and rugging up for a hot air balloon flight has its rewards as my son and I found out this morning on a flight over the Hawkesbury Valley with … Continue reading
Posted in Adventure, Hawkesbury, Sydney, Travel
Tagged family fun, Hawkesbury, sydney, travel
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Pick me! Bite me! (Hawkesbury Farm Gate Trail)
‘Bite Me!’ screams the shiny red gala as I pluck it from the tree. I oblige, crunching into the crisp white flesh, juice dribbling down my chin. The flavour is far sweater and fresher than any store-bought apple I’ve tasted recently, … Continue reading
Posted in Food & Wine, Hawkesbury, Travel
Tagged Farmgate, Food and Wine, Hawkesbury, travel
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Sleeping with pioneers
I love it when people are passionate about what they do, and there are plenty of passionate people in the tourism industry. But there are some people whose personal commitment outshines others and Joyce Stepto is one of them. For a start, she … Continue reading
Posted in Accommodation, Hawkesbury, Travel
Tagged accommodation, Bed and Breakfast, cancer, Hawkesbury, travel
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