The first half of this month's photos were focused on the city of Maitland and now for the rest of the month I am posting photos taken at the village of Tea Gardens.
Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest are to be found on the estuary of the Myall River on the northern side of Port Stephens, a one hour drive from Newcastle and two and half hours north of Sydney. Nearby is the Myall Lakes National Park. Tea Gardens and Hawks Nest are connected by the Singing Bridge that spans the Myall River. About 3500 people reside here, who along with the many visitors to the area enjoy a wealth of interests, including fishing, both river and sea. Sporting activities such as windsurfing, golf, tennis, swimming, bowls and croquet are popular. Arts and craft abound. The pristine beaches are very popular. Swimmers and surfers love Bennetts Beach. Whilst the calmer water of Jimmys Beach is great for swimming and digging in the sand, providing a great opportunity for relaxation for families.
Today's photo is a view of Tea Gardens taken from the Singing Bridge.
@angelar Thanks Angela. There are two theories how Tea Gardens got its name. The Australian Agricultural Company arrived in the area in 1826 and it was reputedly their failed attempts to grow tea here which resulted in the name Tea Gardens, although another account suggests it was the tea-tree in the area. I suspect it is the second account which is true because all the bushland around Tea Gardens has tea tree plants. All the local tourist shops in the area sell tea tree oil too.
I can't see that the Australian Agricultural Company would be dumb enough to try and grow tea here even in 1826 as the climate doesn't really suit tea growing.
@beryl Thanks Beryl. We did have a couple of dismal days here on Monday to Thursday and not our usual spring weather at all. Back to warmer weather now though. I used to dread Autumn in the UK, because I knew it wouldn't get warm again until about May.
I can't see that the Australian Agricultural Company would be dumb enough to try and grow tea here even in 1826 as the climate doesn't really suit tea growing.