The Pioneers Visit New Home Sites

SpringFishingSeason

I N S I D E THIS I S S U E

Spice up Spring with Fish Curry

No Such Thing as an Off-Season for Catho Surf Club

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W H E R E YO U R E A L LY WA N T TO B E

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SPRING 2016 SPRING 2016PAGE 2 PAGE 3

2. Landscaping Advice

3. Beach Fishing in Spring

4. The Pioneers Visit New Home Sites

6. Spice up Spring with Fish Curry

7. Beaches Neighbours: Michael Hruby

8. Spring heralds a New Season for

Catho Surf Club

In this issue:The Founder’s ColumnWelcome to the spring 2016 edition of Beaches Life. Spring is a time of warmth and a renewal of life, which is in full abundance at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay.

During September I was delighted to host 200 of our Surfside release owners for a delicious bbq lunch and guided tour of their new neighbourhood, and now we are preparing to welcome the Moonee release owners to join our growing Beaches community.

Spring has certainly bloomed in all its glory at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay (see story on the abundance of wild flowers on page--) and with the new owners in the Surfside release taking possession of their much dreamt of beachside home sites we will soon see our new coastal village of Beaches Catherine Hill Bay springing to life itself. Naturally we are looking forward to summer and seeing the first new houses sprouting to become home to the first residents of Beaches Catherine Hill Bay.

As I write this column the much anticipated opening of Montefiore Parkway and the brand new intersection on the Pacific Highway is only days away. By the time you read this you may already have already enjoyed the significantly improved and safer access to Catherine Hill Bay for her residents and visitors alike. Hand in

hand with the warmer weather comes increased activity on Middle Camp Beach and Moonee Beach. As the roads in the Surfside release are now open to the public walking down to Moonee Beach is now easier than ever, affording Beaches residents the most sought after front yard imaginable!

Over the coming months much progress will be achieved at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay. Our founders, the people who have shared our vision for life on this beautiful stretch of coastline, will start building their dream beach houses. In turn, we will soon launch the Rockpool release, a pocket of only 44 home sites, and the last to be released on the Moonee Beach side of Montefiore Parkway. We are also turning our thoughts to the proposed Beaches Village Market Place retail, what it might look like and how it will serve the people who live in and visit Catherine Hill Bay.

Over the next 12 months Beaches Catherine Hill Bay will transform from a dream and a vision into a growing, sustainable beachside neighbourhood. We would be thrilled for you to visit us at the Beaches Beach House and realise your own coastal living dream.

Bryan Rose

To many it’s an addictive pastime, offering refuge from the technology and the hectic pace of our modern world.

With its tens of thousands of kilometres of coastline, Australia was always going to be a stronghold of land-based saltwater fishing.

The old hands say the knack of successful fishing is the ability to understand the action of the currents, taking a high vantage point to survey the waters, sandbars and waves before venturing onto the sand.

Darker water – usually where the waves don’t break - reveals the location of holes or gutters where larger fish are likely to be chasing smaller prey seeking the calmer waters.

Beach fishermen are often out early or late in the day, as feeding times for fish are dusk or dawn, regardless of tide. If this coincides with a high tide, all the better.

As spring is well and truly in full swing the hardy anglers among us are enjoying a boost in the numbers of fish like tailor, Australian Salmon, flathead and whiting along Middle Camp Beach and Moonee Beach.

If the peaceful solitude and rewards of beach fishing appeal to you, there’s plenty of guidance and advice on rods, rigs and bait at nearby tackle shops. Or start a conversation with one of those hardy beach fishers during your morning or afternoon walks.

BEACH FISHING

WE’VE ALL SEEN THE KEEN ANGLERS ON THE BEACH, OFTEN WAIST-DEEP IN THE SURF, USING THEIR TIME-WORN FAVOURITE GEAR

CHASING THEIR OFTEN ELUSIVE CATCH.

I N S P R I N G

THE COLOURS OF SPRING AT BEACHES

consist of species endemic to the area around Catherine Hill Bay, as well as species that currently thrive in the established areas of the existing heritage village. You will notice the bright crimson blooms of Pig Face in the verges, the name might not be familiar but you will have come across this species in the dunes and embankments along Middle Camp Beach and Moonee Beach.

David suggests that when planning your garden take the time to wander through the established areas of the village and also through the surrounding coastal bushland areas to see which plant species are performing well. Most of the flowering species such as The Treasure Flower, abundant in the landscape around the surf club, are easy to find in the nurseries throughout Lake Macquarie and the Central Coast.

One of the positives of using flowering species in your garden is that they provide the ideal habitat for attracting native birdlife, this in turn helps keep garden pests under control and gives you the joy of waking to birdsong in the morning.

You can also introduce some exotics to add some feature trees, colour and a touch of the dramatic. Species common in coastal areas such as Hibiscus, Poinciana, Frangipani and Bougainvillea. Or consider the Crepe Myrtle or Silk

Tree for a touch of formality. Those looking for a hint of the tropics should look for Bangalow Palms, Golden Cane Palms or even the Soft Tree Fern, ideal for creating ambience around your alfresco living areas.

A great idea to help you plan your own Beaches landscape is to create a scrap book of photos you have taken and images from magazines and websites. Once you have created your very own coastal planting palette visit the local nurseries for their expert advice to help bring your dream beachside garden to life.

At Rose we refer to landscaping as the “cover on the book” for it is the landscaping that welcomes you and your guests to your neighbourhood and your home. As the many new owners at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay are busy making plans for building their new homes (and homes-away-from-home) it is important not to forget about landscaping, the environment which surrounds your new “pride and joy”.

Landscape architect David Moir has been involved with the planning and design of the landscaping in the public spaces of the Beaches project and has recently been overseeing the plantings in the Surfside Release. He says that the coastal climate plus the ideal soil conditions created at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay provide an engaging environment for establishing your new garden.

The public domain landscapes and plantings have all been selected to thrive in the coastal climate and primarily

LANDSCAPING ADVICE

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R ose Group Managing Director Bryan Rose greeted over 200 excited soon-to-be owners to the event on Saturday 20 August as they admired the views

over Moonee Beach and the adjacent Wallarah State Recreation Area.

Termed by Bryan the “Pioneers” of Beaches Catherine Hill Bay, the future residents joined him on a 40 minute guided tour of the Surfside Stage of this unequalled coastal village. Whilst enjoying the sun-drenched walk to find and inspect their new land the Pioneers were introduced to their future neighbours and swapped design ideas for their dream beachside homes.

“I’ve spent a lot of time here over the past 15 years and there’s nothing else in New South Wales that can match the superb outlook and location” he said. “I welcome you all with the confidence that you love this place as much as we do, and I look forward to seeing you build your homes to create the coastal village we have all dreamt of.

“I‘ve enjoyed chatting with you and sharing your excitement at the prospect of creating your own unique coastal lifestyle, putting a lot of yourselves into the design and layout of your new homes.”

The majority of buyers at Beaches Catherine Hill Bay are families with children at school, followed by retirees and those looking for a place to build a holiday home just an hour and a half from the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Following registration of the Surfside Release the new access to Beaches via Montefiore Parkway is now open, safely connecting Catherine Hill Bay to the Pacific Highway at a new traffic light controlled intersection. So with spring in the air now is a beautiful time to visit and experience Beaches Catherine Hill Bay.

THE PIONEERS V I S I T N E W H O M E S I T E S

The first group of future residents of Beaches Catherine Hill Bay have been welcomed to their new coastal neighbourhood.

“I’ve spent a lot of time here over the past 15 years and there’s nothing else in New South Wales that can match the superb outlook and location.”

—BRYAN ROSE

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ell-known as a talented photographer, Michael has a special affinity for the ocean, and his images of scenic beach locations, surfers in

action, landscapes and wildlife certainly show it.

He’s spent a lot of time around Catho and Moonee over the years, hang gliding, surfing and camping, and believes it’s a truly special place, one of the best on the coast.

While he currently works in Sydney, commuting from Green Point on the Central Coast, Michael says he is looking forward to building a home at Beaches, either as a holiday house or a residence.

He would love to live at Catho, saying it would only add 15 minutes to his Sydney commute.

Waking up to the waves and all of the bushland to explore is Michael’s idea of paradise, and he jumped at the chance to buy a block of land in the Moonee Release of the Beaches project.

Using drones to provide new photographic perspectives is his latest challenge and he says the natural beauty of Catherine Hill Bay and surrounds will offer inspiration for years to come.

MICHAEL HRUBY HAS A CLEAR PICTURE OF THE FUTURE FOR HIM-SELF AND HIS FAMILY AT BEACHES CATHERINE HILL BAY. HE KNOWS THE AREA AROUND CATHERINE HILL BAY WELL.

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If you are visiting Catho and are in need

of some spice this spring, Caves Beach

Hotel Executive Chef Glen Herivel has a

suggestion. Glen loves a good curry, and his

creations for Tuesday nights at the hotel

have become legendary with locals. Glen

uses spices and chillies – many grown in

his home garden – to add a special touch

to his culinary creations, which are then

served up to appreciative patrons by the

10 chefs and apprentices at Caves Beach

Hotel. You can create your own warming

dish for the family with Glen’s recipe for

Thai Red Fish Curry….

Spice up Spring with Fish Curry

THAI RED FISH CURRY(Serves 4)

DIRECTIONSINGREDIENTSIn mortar and pestle or heavy duty food processor make a paste with the galangal, ginger, turmeric, lemongrass, chillies and palm sugar In a thick based pot add 2 Tbls of vegetable oil, bring to moderate heat. Add paste and fry quickly Add kaffir lime leaves, coconut cream and Tamarind Bring to a slow simmer, add fish sauce to taste Add fish and Asian Veges Simmer until fish is cooked through Add chopped Coriander Serve with Steamed Rice

30g of each fresh Ginger,

Galangal and Turmeric

1 x stick of Lemongrass

8 x Kaffir Lime leaves

5 x Long red chillies “deseeded”

100g palm sugar “grated”

50mls Tamarind puree

1 x Bunch Coriander

1 x litre coconut cream

1kg Firm white fresh fish

Fish sauce to taste

Optional Veges – Bok Choy, Choy sum

5

6

4

3

2

1

GLEN HERIVEL Executive Chef

Caves Beachside Hotel

BEACHES NEIGHBOURS M I C H A E L H R U B Y

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BEACHCOMBING B E A U T I F U L A N D I N T E R E S T I N G T H I N G S F R O M T H E S E A

he 2015/16 season was a big competitive success for the Catherine Hill Bay Surf Life Saving Club, with Kyle Lehmann taking third place in the

Australian titles in Mooloolaba. (Kyle’s older brother Jye, a seasoned surf competitor and 2014 Australian champion, just missed out on placing in the top three.) In the State Championships Brad Woodward took 4th place in the under 19 surf race, 4th in the iron man and 3rd in the surf belt – a great performance. The Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) team were 4th in the 2016 premiership rounds.

The dedication, fitness and training that leads to these competition results is actually all about the serious business of safety on the beach that takes time and considerable effort for club members. During the 2015/16 summer season our members volunteered 4,520 hours to surf patrols, helping to make Catherine Hill Bay a safe and beautiful place to spend time on the beach with friends and family.

Once again, with spring upon us, it is time for the dedicated volunteers and members of the club to step up and prepare for the 2016/17 season.

After the success of the renovations undertaken at the club last year plans are being finalised for construction of a new patrol and viewing terrace in front of the clubhouse, and upgrading of the kiosk…. thanks to additional grants under the Community Building Partnership Program.

Club spokesman Dave Brockwell says the new terrace will be the ideal place to enjoy a cup of coffee from the kiosk – along with the world’s best bacon and egg roll!

Brockwell says the offerings from the kiosk will match the unparalleled view, and offer members and visitors a new way to enjoy the iconic Catho coastline and beaches.

SPRING HERALDS A NEW SEASON FOR CATHO SURF CLUB

KYLE LEHMANN AT THE AUSTRALIAN TITLES

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