Homepage Latest News Archives - Page 3 of 4

Lilypad Floating Villa in Palm Beach To Reopen with New Sauna and Cellar

The Lilypad floating villa in Palm Beach, one of Sydney’s most popular getaways, is reopening to the public with a new sauna and wine cellar to make those “escapes” truly relaxing and soothing.

Following a number of upgrades to the isolated floating accommodation, designer and owner Chuck Anderson said that the refurbished Lilypad will offer returning guests a different feeling whilst new visitors will appreciate the efficient use of space.

The luxe home now boasts of a seamless connection between the king-sized bedroom, the kitchen, the refurbished sauna, as well as the sleek new wine cellar stocked with Las Vino, Veuve Clicquot or Glenmorangie. Lilypad is also now running on solar power with some improved engineering as it drifts in the water.

First opened in a secluded part of the Northern Beaches in 2019, Lilypad gave guests a taste of a romantic luxury resort meant for two. The floating accommodation’s biggest appeal back then was its own living room deck where guests could marvel at the ocean’s beauty with a drink on hand.

For a maximum of a five-night stay, the villa also provided meals on request from a private chef, as well as onboard massages, use of a private boat for guests to go back and forth on the mainland, fishing tools, and paddled boards if they want to explore the water. However, the guests could also prepare the food themselves from the well-equipped modern kitchen.

Lilypad also offered a Wi-Fi connection and Netflix so that the guests may still feel connected to the digital space whilst isolated in paradise.

However, in September 2020, the houseboat was destroyed by a large blaze from its fireplace. Fire investigators determined it was accidental but this gave Mr Anderson a chance to rebuild the houseboat from a Scandinavian-style vacation venue into a Mediterranean villa.

The upgraded venue will be ready to welcome guests in February 2022. However, Mr Anderson said priority will be given to residents of Sydney, who are starving for a getaway but are concerned about the risks of travel.

Book at Lilypad

Sydney’s First Urban Night Sky Park Could Open in Palm Beach

Plans to open Sydney’s first internationally accredited Urban Night Sky Park for stargazing and picnics under the stars are in the works in Palm Beach if environmental advocates and residents arrive at an agreement.

Palm Beach is apparently a fantastic site for the Urban Night Sky Park because sections between Governor Phillip Park and Barrenjoey Headland have ideal dark spaces despite its proximity to the city. With water surrounding three sides of these areas, visitors here could see the beauty of the Milky Way without obstructions, as well as thousands of stars and planets like Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn with the naked eye on a clear night.

Twinkling stars were easy to spot before electricity and the progression of city life. Advocates said that low-lighted areas are also attractive to certain wildlife, making a well-maintained Urban Night Sky Park a habitable environment.

To gain international approval, the Urban Night Sky Park should be able to provide education and public outreach activities relating to astronomy and the environment at least four times every year. It should also maintain the night sky-friendly lights with the support of the local government. Northern Beaches Council has backed the proposal but has yet to see a formal submission.

However, residents have yet to warm up to the idea amidst concerns that an Urban Night Sky Park would raise safety and security risks. Mayor Michael Regan filed a motion to look for alternative sites but the councillors voted on the Palm Beach location winning 10 votes over five.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and businesses like the Palm Beach Golf Club and The Boathouse will be consulted on the plans before a formal application.

It comes as the Warrumbungle National Park in regional western NSW gained accreditation as a Dark Sky Park from the International Dark Sky Association in 2016.

Plans Pitched for a Midget Farrelly Statue in Palm Beach

Did you know that some of the world’s top surfers like Kelly Slater, Layne Beachley, and Barton Lynch are pooling $150,000 to build a statue of the first world champion in surfing, Midget Farrelly, in Palm Beach?

With the backing of Mr Farrelly’s wife, Beverlie, the surfers are working together with the Midget Farrelly Recognition Committee formed by Surfection retailer, Gordon Lang, and former Quicksilver boss, Bruce Raymond.

Mr Lang, a close friend of the Farrelly family, said that they hope to raise the funds to be added to the Public Art Working Group program of the Northern Beaches Council, which will approve the statue’s construction.

They plan to put the statue at the bus terminal along Ocean Rd and Ocean Pl to be in full view of the community if Council approves. According to Beverlie, her husband has always called Palm Beach his home although he earned his surfing titles in Manly.

Highlights

Friends and family of Midget Farrelly pitched as statue for the surfer in Palm Beach.
The group has been trying to raise $150,000 for the statue, which will be turned over to the Northern Beaches Council’s Public Art Working Group.
Mr Farrelly was hailed as the first surfing world champion in 1964, who died in 2016.

One of the statue’s design ideas features Mr Farrelly’s most popular photo taken by Jack Eden of his world championship win in 1964. However, Mr Lang has pitched a proposal to Council to launch a competition for a local artist to conceptualise the design.

Mr Farrelly died in 2016 at 71 years old due to a lingering illness. Aside from becoming the first world champion in surfing, he was also the inaugural president of the Dee Why Surfing Fraternity, one of the country’s oldest and still active surfboard riders clubs.

The legendary surfer also had a TV series in the 1960s and was inducted to the Hall of Fame of Sport Australia (1985) and World Surf League in Huntington Beach, California (2007).

He received a posthumous honour from Queen Elizabeth in 2017 as a Member of the Order of Australia.

Proposed Dog Off-Leash Area in Palm Beach Sparks Controversy

The Palm Beach community has been divided over whether the creation of an all-new off-leash zone for dogs would be an improvement or a detriment to the suburb.

Public Discourse

According to Northern Beaches Council Chief Executive Ray Brownlee, the bid for the creation of an off-leash zone for dogs in Palm Beach came about after numerous dog owners requested that they wanted more off-leash areas at parks and beaches.

Councillor Rory Amon also remarked that more than half the households with dogs in them in the Northern Beaches do not have access to the beaches. This is particularly important as dogs need regular exercise, and the proposed off-leash zone provides local dog owners with avenues to do so in a safe and controlled environment.

Despite their demand from dog owners, the creation of off-leash areas does not come without its own set of complications. Dogs can bring themselves to close proximity to sensitive ecology such as seagrass beds or the habitats of fish, or wander into shared public spaces.

The community has been divided as many people voiced their concerns, expressing disapproval at the creation of the off-leash area in Palm Beach. The council has already created 28 off-leash dog areas across Sydney in locations such as Sandy Bay, Clontarf, and Rowland Reserve, and the Palm Beach Protection Group has expressed that the council has not satisfactorily explained how the new proposed beach site was determined.

Problems have also been raised by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, who mentioned that the off-leash areas were far from patrolled swimming areas and houses, and that people relaxing on the beach do not want to risk having a wet dog running towards them and possibly stealing their food.

Woollahra Councillor Harriet Price remarked that while many dog owners took good care of their pups, there were many others who would rather leave their dogs unattended, giving these canines free rein to defecate while their owners did nothing to clean up.

Photo credit: CC BY/Lachlan Hardy/Flickr

The Proposal

The proposed dog off-leash areas in Palm Beach entailed the implementation of a 400-metre zone where dogs could walk freely without leashes for a trial period of 12 months, with the area’s northern boundary being located 280 metres south of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park and the southern boundary positioned 300 metres north of the North Palm Beach Surf Lifesaving Club.

The proposed zone in Palm Beach.
Photo credit: Northern Beaches Council

On the other hand, the western boundary could be found at the eastern edge of the dunes in Governor Phillip Park while the eastern boundary is to be placed 130 metres east of the eastern edge of the dunes. The proposed off-leash area would be open from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. daily.

Public consultation for the plan is now closed after a month of accepting feedback, with Palm Beach receiving a total of 3,362 responses from the local community.

Palm Beach Says Goodbye to Beloved Legend Johnny ‘Jack’ Carter

Photo Credit: Pittwater Online News

For generations of families in Palm Beach, Johnny “Jack” Carter was the legendary swimming coach who trained more than 10,000 children in his seven-decade career. His death on 10 May 2021, at the age of 90 years old, has been a huge loss for the community.

Tributes for Mr Carter poured as the family announced his passing. Prior to his death, his daughter, Robey Carter, confirmed that her father was hospitalised. However, his doctors have turned off his pacemaker and tried to keep him comfortable in his final hours.

“It’s not often a man like Johnny comes along, he’s left all 5 of my kids with a beautiful swimming stroke and an appreciation of the ocean. He even gave me a few tips, the cheeky bugger. You must be very proud Robey,” a local, Jason Robinson said.

“So sorry to hear Robey. He will be greatly missed! I’ll never forget my nickname (Minnie Mouse) and my team winning the overall Ironman of the season and getting to take home the biggest bear imaginable (literally man size!) For a whole year! Mum sure was glad when Johnny’s started back the next summer and the bear moved on to the next owner. Also so amazing that Ryder and Koa also got a lesson or two with Johnny by the pool. Such an amazing and selfless man,” Rebecca Billing shared.

Member for Pittwater Rob Stokes also paid tribute to the Palm Beach legend, saying that he was indeed an icon.

“The Johnny ‘Jack’ Carter Pool at Palm Beach is just one way our community will forever be reminded of Johnny’s unwavering passion and decades of service,” Mr Stokes said.

One of Australia’s most influential families also honoured Mr Carter through their matriarch Ros Packer, who acknowledged that the swimming coach had been integral to life in Palm Beach. Mrs Packer said that Mr Carter coached three generations of their family and he was considered a good friend.

Mr Carter started teaching kids to swim when he was working as a lifesaver in Palm Beach at 17 years old. In 1958, he was nominated for the George Cross for rescuing two men off the rocky Palm Beach pool, which was renamed the Johnny “Jack” Carter Pool in 2018.

In 2005, Mr Carter received the Medal of the Order of Australia for his work as a swim teacher and lifesaver and he was also honored as a Life Member of the Palm Beach Surf Life Saving Club in 2010.

The brass plaque dedicated to his name at the Palm Beach pool will inform the next generations of his dedication to the community.

Johnny Carter from Hugh Hamilton on Vimeo.

Council Bans Shark Nets in Palm Beach, Rest of Northern Beaches

The Northern Beaches Council has voted to ban shark nets after images emerged showing trapped and dead marine animals in popular sites, including Palm Beach. This has prompted Council to ask the State Government to shift to better technologies to help protect marine creatures.

In a statement, Northern Beaches Deputy Mayor Candy Bingham confirmed that they have asked the NSW government to remove the shark nets as the effectiveness of the system raised more questions and increased the negative impact on marine life.

One disturbing photo from the Animal Justice Party Northern Beaches Regional Group showed a baby shark bleeding to death as its body was wrapped around the mesh.

“There are 15 shark nets from Palm Beach to Manly Beach and since 2012, 596 animals were caught, 290 killed with 224 being protected species. 18 whales or dolphins were caught and all of them were killed along with 21 turtles,” the group stated.

The Council cited a five-year study from the Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries (DPI Fisheries) that outlined other mitigation measures to keep the beaches safe whilst also protecting other species.

“The research conducted by DPI Fisheries found that 90% of marine species caught in nets were non-target species and that sharks can in fact swim over, under and around the nets anyhow,” Ms Bingham said.

“If the evidence is that there are other just as, or more, effective ways to mitigate shark risk, such as drone and helicopter surveillance, listening stations, and deterrent devices, then we owe it to those non-target species to remove the nets.

‘We will be providing that feedback through this consultation process and look forward to the government implementing effective shark mitigation measures while protecting other important marine species.”

In response, the NSW government said it will set aside $8 million for a new system that will include drone surveillance, SMART drumlines, and VR4G listening stations. It will also increase its campaign and education program to raise awareness of safely swimming in the Northern Beaches.

However, shark nets are commonly removed after April 30 and reinstalled every September, except in the sites protected by the NSW Government’s Bather Protection Program and there are no plans to change this system for 51 beaches in NSW.

Palm Beach a Prime Lot in New Northern Beaches Monopoly

Board games have become a lifeline in this unusual time of lockdowns and quarantines and if you love playing Monopoly, a new Northern Beaches edition has been released and it features Palm Beach as one of the prime lots, along with Manly.

Available online and in some local stores and RSL clubs this February 2021, this limited edition Northern Beaches Monopoly board game is a celebration of a particularly beloved area in Sydney.

In 2020, Hasbro and Winning Moves Australia took suggestions on what significant Northern Beaches attractions and establishments should be immortalised in such a popular board game. After narrowing down the choices, the licensee ended up with these places:

COLOUR	NORTHERN BEACHES PLACES
Brown	North Head and Manly Dam
Light Blue	Barrenjoey Lighthouse, Pilu and Church Point
Pink	The Collaroy Centre, Manly Oval and Brookvale Oval
Orange	Taste of Manly, Brookvale Show, Beach to Beach Fun Run
Red	The Strand, Manly Corso, Westfields Warringah Mall
Yellow	Curl Curl Beach, Narrabeen Beach, Freshwater Beach
Green	Harbord Diggers, The Steyne and Dee Why RSL
Dark Blue	Manly and Palm Beach

As with the classic Monopoly game, the last two spots in the Dark Blue lots before reaching GO have the highest value.

Priced at $69.95, this fun game offering hours of fun for all ages is on display and on sale at Code 5 (Brookvale), Dee Why RSL, Harbord Diggers (Freshwater), Pilu (Freshwater), The Steyne (Manly), URM (Chatswood) and Westfield Warringah Mall.

Billions of people, young and old, have played Monopoly since 1935. Winning Moves also released a Sydney edition of this classic board game.

Experience Luxury Staycation Like No Other at Lilypad in Palm Beach

Lilypad at Palm Beach is a one-of-a-kind floating villa that offers a luxurious staycation experience for all its guests and members.

Looking for a private villa to celebrate a special occasion with your loved one, family, or friends? If you are, then Lilypad at Palm Beach might be the ideal place for you.

This resort-style escape was launched last December 2018. And its owner Chuck Anderson thoughtfully conceptualised all the features of this floating villa— having the entire villa to be powered by solar energy, having onboard gourmet meals, wine cellar and beer station, having a complete set of gears for water activities such as snorkeling and paddle boarding, and having a special onboard massages and beauty treatments.

According to Anderson, he came up with this idea of having a private villa on the sea due to his hobby and background of spending a lot of time on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and around boats. He envisioned Lilypad to be special place that only a lucky few will be able to enjoy as their own.

View this post on Instagram

Stop moving on to what’s next, relax now. ~ ~ ~ #lilypadpalmbeach #weekend #luxury #escape #villa #relax #recharge #sydney #palmbeach

A post shared by Lilypad Palm Beach (@lilypadpalmbeach) on Aug 30, 2019 at 1:33pm PDT

Membership Package

If you think this private villa isn’t luxurious enough, well you better think again because Lilypad only allots 10 memberships per year. The membership fee per month is set to $3600 for a 12-month contract— a total of $43,200 a year. This exclusive membership offer include the following:

Up to 18 annual uses of the Lilypad
A private concierge
Luxury vehicle transfer and private tender transfers to and from the pad
Personalised venue preparation
Luxury personal vessels for motoring around Pittwater
Seaplane transfers from Rose Bay
A private chef preparing their meals
Luxury transfers to Jonah’s Whale Beach for dinner
Unlimited access to an onboard wine cellar and beer selection
Onboard massages and beauty treatments
Use of paddle boards, snorkel gear and a floating daybed

Experience Lilypad from Lilypad Palm Beach on Vimeo.

If you are not keen on being a member of this resort but still interested in experiencing this luxurious staycation, Lilypad also offers packages that are applicable for one to two night stay. You may visit Lilypad for more information about their latest packages

Station Beach Off-The-Leash Dog Park Trial Run Encounters Delay in Palm Beach

Station Beach in Palm Beach is still not an off-the-leash dog area and dog owners are still waiting for the Northern Beaches Council to announce the start of the 12-month trial run.

A decision into this proposal was supposed to have been deliberated last March and confirmed last April. However, the Council has not yet updated the proposal’s official Your Say page. It is unclear what has been causing the delay.

The Council conducted a three-month survey to determine the pulse of the community with regards turning Station Beach into an off-the-leash dog park. According to reports, the public consultation received over 3,524 responses and, allegedly, about 90 percent of these were in support of the proposal.

Pittwater Unleashed, a dog advocacy group, has been watching social media and community posts to determine the buzz and support for a Station Beach off-the-leash dog park. They believe that there are plenty of families in Palm Beach and nearby suburbs who want more open spaces for their furry family members.

If approved, the proposed trial will cover specific hours for Station Beach to be open to off-the-leash dogs:

4:00 p.m. to 10:30 a.m. daily during standard times
5:30 p.m. to 10:30 a.m. from Monday to Friday in the summer season (Daylight Saving Time)

The dogs will also only be allowed to be off the leash in the areas within the yellow zone.

*Photo Credit:* *Northern Beaches Council News with Councillor Rory Amon/Facebook*

Another advocacy group, however, believes that social media buzz does not reflect the true sentiments of the community. Protect Palm Beach opposes the proposal for a Station Beach off-the-leash dog park regardless if it’s only for specific times of the day.

“The inevitable impacts of off-leash dogs on the environment and coastline will, sadly, last beyond the proposed times of operation. We want the community to think about the bigger picture and the long term preservation of our be

Meanwhile, the Council has already approved Avalon Beach Reserve as a permanent off-the-leash dog park at all times last April. It is located 6.24 kilometres off Station Beach.

Northern Beaches Council to Replace 9,300 Street Lights to LED Lights from Palm Beach to Manly

Photo Credit: Tomasz/Mikolajczyk/Pixabay

The Northern Beaches Council has announced a plan to replace 9,300 street lights from Palm Beach to Manly. Beginning July, several residential streets in these suburbs will be switched and powered to LED lights, which should bring major environmental and economic benefits.

The street light replacement project, confirmed last February in a Council press release, is estimated to be completed within two years. It will be undertaken in partnership with Ausgrid.

Currently, residential street lights from Palm Beach to Manly are powered with mercury-formulated lights. The Council said the switch to LED will reportedly reduce carbon emission by as much as 3,000 tonnes per year.

It will also save the Council $1.7 million in energy consumption costs and maintenance for the next 10 years.

“The new LEDs are more energy efficient, easier to maintain and last up to 20 years. they also use far less energy. It can take up to 95 watts to power older streetlights whereas the new LEDs use just 17 watts,” Ausgrid said in a statement.

According to Ausgrid, the street light replacement project will bring minimal power disruption, traffic congestion, or noise to the residents. At best, replacement per post will take less than 30 minutes during regular work hours.