CoastGirl

The most impressive part of Tantallon Road is the oval that bears its name. The homes, though well cared for, are unremarkable, their saving grace being the outlook of the park. Access to this road when coming from the city was always a problem, but in recent years traffic lights have been installed on its busy Epping Road intersection, to make things easier for residents.

The Centennial Avenue side of Mars Road has been renamed Banksia Close to distance it from the other end whose it’s main usage these days is for light industrial purposes and warehousing. Over the years Mars Road has seen other ‘planen’ streets around it develop in the same way, with companies like Mars Confectionery, Doubleday Books, Skansen Giftware, The Partition Company, all calling Mars Road home. There are some very big warehousing operations here, and the only way into Mars Road Industrial Area is via Sam Johnson Way, off Epping Road.

River Road is four lanes for most of its length, and is a main access route to the city for local residents and those travelling from the Hunters Hill and Gladesville regions. It is busy all day, and carries buses and trucks as well as cars. Undulating hills here, a golf course there, homes and apartments as well – all form part of the makeup of this important road.

College Road South is the eastern border of St Ignatius’ Colleges Junior School, and residents along here enjoy the wide open spaces created by the school’s playing fields along this road. The road is joined at each of its ends by Riverview Street which loops around the peninsula. Not a lot of non-local traffic here, except on home game Saturdays!

Like its surrounding streets, Carranya Road is home to a mixture of home sizes, but all are well maintained and the more traditional ones have been faithfully restored to their former glory. The blocks here are quite flat, but careful garden design has made them appear more interesting than they really are. No water or bush views, just the neighbours, but proximity to Riverview College rates highly.

Riverview Street runs from Tambourine Bay Road and wraps around the western tip of the Riverview peninsula. It forms the northern boundary of St Ignatius’ College senior camputs, and in fact divides it from the junior campus. The college grounds are a lovely outlook for the homes that are in the residential section on the street, though on big event days, the traffic and parking is horrendous.

Running off the very busy Burns Bay Road, Tambourine Bay Road travels several blocks until it reaches the main gates of St Ignatius’ College. The homes along its sides are large, expensive, on big blocks, with big price tags. The gardens are mature and aid the privacy of the residents. Buses do run down here, more frequently of course in school term time. There is a small general store, frequented by locals and the boarders from the college.

Despite the fact that it runs off the busy Mowbray Road, this street retains a relaxed and comfortable feel. Its homes are large, and several have been knocked down and redeveloped. Dalrymple Avenue sits on the border of Chatswood and Lane Cove North, and it is home to the Chatswood West Pre School and a lovely, gum-tree studded park.

After turning off the Tasman Highway into Sinclair Street, the first building you see is the Beachfront Hotel – motel accommodation, with a fairly large hotel down one end. Once past there, the street’s focus becomes residential, with homes modest but on large, well kept blocks. Not a lot happening here, but a good family feel.

At the eastern end of Salamanca Place you will find Runnymede Street, quite an uphill one often with cars parked on either side, making passing oncoming traffic very difficult. From Salamanca it runs uphill quite steeply, and passes an elegant hotel, The Lenna, which is popular for weddings, exacerbating the already difficult traffic problems. There are some homes in this street as well, well cared for and reflecting inner city living at its best.

Running off the Tasman Highway as it turns towards Freycinet NP, Foster Avenue is used by locals and visitors alike to access the small shopping strip of Bicheno. Just the basics here, before the road continues down through the bush to The Gulch, where visitors will find a safe anchorage for boats, and also a blowhole.

The wharf area of Hobart is a mecca for seafood lovers, with a great number of restaurants and take-away pontoons from which to choose. On Franklin Wharf, the Elizabeth Street Pier complex has some of the best, and often the biggest problem is finding one with available seating. A lot of pedestrian traffic in this area, so drivers beware of tourists carrying paper cones filled with fish and chips.

A main route from one end of the city to the other, Davey Street sees a constant stream of traffic in daylight hours. As well as commercial and government offices, it also has two hospitals on its length, St Helens Private, and St Anns Geriatric. At its southern end, the large buildings give way to a fairly ordinary residential area. Buses run along Davey Street transporting commuters to the southern suburbs.

Murray Street is one of the busiest in Hobart, with traffic running one way, downhill to the waterfront. As well as retail shops and offices, the street also plays host to the Anglican Cathedral, and one of the oldest hotels in town, Hadleys – famous for its High Tea. Traffic in the afternoons is especially busy, despite the fact that the road is 4 lanes wide most of the way.

Salamanca Place is the place to be ‘seen’ for the yuppies of Hobart. In the evenings, especially Fridays, they can been seen overflowing from whichever of the bars that happens to be flavour of the month. In the mornings they mingle with the tourists sipping cappuccinos in the sidewalk cafes. Of course, come Saturday morning the street transforms into one of the most famous markets in Australia, Salamanca Markets, which stretch the whole length of the street, making it off limits to cars until the evening.

The Avenue is a short street that has its beginnings at the Bundeena RSL Club carpark, and then flows into The Lambeth Walk. The homes on the low (north-west) side of the street have water frontage, though their proximity to the Ferry Wharf sees visitors using the waterfront areas, especially on weekends. The RSL Club is the main ‘event’ venue in town and many of the communities fundraising functions are held there.

Bundeena is a small community sitting in the middle of the Royal National Park, with Port Hacking as its northern boundary. To get there by road you must take the Bundeena Drive off Stevens Drive, and drive through scrubby, often burnt out, sections of the park before you get to the township. Once there your travels along Bundeena Drive will take you past a service station, pre-school kindergarten and community centre, the oval, residences and the old Bundeena House. The road ends at Brighton Street, the main village shopping area.

Running from Liverpool Street in the West to the National Park in the East, Scarborough Street is mainly residential, with pleasant, well kept homes. Bundeena Public School is located here, between Brighton and Bournemouth Street. The street is sealed and well maintained, with ample parking for residents and visitors, though it can be busy before and after school.

Brighton Street runs from the Ferry Wharf to the border of the Royal National Park, and on its way sees a variety of uses. Right near the Wharf there is a park area, popular for picnics. This shopping area is on one side of the street – gift shop, newsagency, art and craft shop, takeaway foods etc, and the beach on the other side. As it moves uphill to the residential areas, Brighton Street becomes noticeably quieter, until it reaches the bushland of the National Park.

A narrow street leading from Liverpool Street, Horderns Lane would have to be one of the most expensive streets in Bundeena. The homes that have been built here in the last 15-20 years are magnificent, designed to take advantage of the water views. Many are beachfront homes, their own piece of paradise.