from the land down under ....

July 2008 

The Closest Thing To A Beach I can Find …

By Skye Condon

Above: The Long Beach Shore Photo: Skye Condon

I must admit when I first saw the flashing lights on the corner of Times Square advertising Quicksilver surf wear I laughed.  From what I knew New York wasn’t known for its beaches, let alone surf beaches.  The thought of a beach in the middle of a concrete jungle seemed bizarre.

I had been to beaches in California where the shore-line is speckled with Aussie surf brands like Quicksilver and Billabong; however I was totally surprised to see they had such a big presence in Times Square.  My first New York seaside experience was July 2003, when a friend’s brother invited me to watch him surf.  Knowing only of surfers hailing from California.  I was intrigued  and somewhat sceptical that he actually did surf, until I saw his surf board. It was summer and New York does what it does best in summer. It rained! 

Needless to say, there was no beach that day.
All was not lost though, a few days later I was introduced to Jones Beach, Long Island.  It certainly looked like a beach, the usual elements were there: sun in the sky, yellow sand, vast expanses of ocean and seagulls (although they were scarily large…).  My inner Aussie beach bum kicked into full gear, clothes were flung and I made a mad dash for the shore.  I stopped dead after about three steps! 

There was one element this somewhat out of practice beach goer was not prepared for – the water was freezing cold in the middle of summer!  Memories of Australian beaches, of running into the surf and being engulfed in warm water came flooding back to me.  When I saw the modest waves my friend’s brother was boasting about conquering, I found myself having one of those “I miss Australian beaches” moments.

I didn’t grow up on the coast and my childhood memories of the beach are very far and few between, but after being confined to New York for months at a time a strange thing begins to happen to me…I miss the beach!  Since my experience with the Jones Beach in New York I actually haven’t been back (well I have been to Coney Island, but I wouldn’t call that a beach - nor would I step foot off the boardwalk!).  Not because it was terrible it’s just that roaming this self contained city surrounded by brown murky water one can forget there are beaches that don’t require a plane or car to get to.

A few weeks ago my friends and I decided to do just this.  It was the beginning of summer, we needed an escape from the city for a day so we decided to try out one of New York’s beaches.  We had been given a hot tip that Long Beach was pretty nice and easy to get to, so (somewhat weighed down by snacks and beverages for the journey and day ahead) we hopped on the Long Island Railroad from Penn Station.  I had learned that Long Beach was on the South Shore of Long Island and had the nickname of the City by the Sea.  Nice!

About 45 minutes and a large bag of gold fish crackers later we jumped off the train, eskies, towels and (remaining) food supplies in hand.  Now, as there wasn’t a big sign saying “This way to the beach”…we became sheep and it seemed there were plenty of other people with the same idea.  We headed over a main road (that looked like a New York side street) and passed a stream of shops.  It looked like a little beach town and it felt nice to be ‘away’ but still in New York.

We walked down the road that led straight to the beach. To the left there was an amazing old house that looked like something out of an old movie and had a widow’s peak pointing straight out to the ocean.  I heard seagulls crowing (or scowling, what do seagulls do?) and there we were!  The Atlantic Ocean panned out in front of us.  We climbed to the boardwalk and peered out over the sand and (surprisingly blue) water that lay before us.  We were there in good time and able to stake our claim on a prime piece of real estate midway between the shoreline and group of not at all unattractive Brazilian volleyball players!!

When heading to the downward ramp onto the beach we noticed a sign.  Pass holders only.  What did this mean?  Well it would appear that in summer you actually have to pay to go onto the beach.  Does this happen in Australia ?  We lay out our matt, stripped down to bathers (with a few grumbles) and got to the tasks at hand: relax and doing nothing!  I stared out to the sea and sighed it was so nice to be somewhere as familiar as the beach.  The view to the North was Amazing, the view behind us not so much.  Apartment buildings and the stark boardwalk weren’t a pleasant view, compared to say palm trees, but we were at the beach so I couldn’t complain about too much.

The day was spent snacking, gossiping and marvelling at the hot Bazillion boys!  We did venture into the water, which again was a little chilly and seaweed clad but it was still an ocean with waves and me in it!  As you can see a few years in New York and I have the attitude oh well I get what I get!  We stayed out well until 5 pm on the beach and enjoyed every minute of it.  As the beach grew more deserted we thought it best to make the trek back to the city.

Dusting off sand and commenting on sunburnt shoulders (although we did have sunscreen!) we headed back to the train station.  Once at the Station we learnt that the train was another hour away.  Making the best of the situation we headed over the main road and found a nice bar to haul up in until our train had arrived.  The staff were friendly and a cocktail the best thing to top off the end of a hot summers day by the beach.

The train ride back went quickly and 45 minutes later we were back in the throws of Manhattan, however relaxed and ready for a New York City Weekend.    There are heaps of beaches accessible by the MTA and the LIRR.  If you need a fix or just a getaway within New York a trip out to one of the not so bad beaches of New York may just the thing for you.  Head here to see the many options that await you with the MTA / LIRR Beach Packages!!  Or here to learn more about Long beach!  And relax … life is a beach as they say – whoever said that probably never lived in the craziness that is New York though!

Australian Airline news from :

Premium Economy to Australia and New Zealand

 Air New Zealand and Qantas "Premium Economy" is a product that appeals to a wide range of travelers who want a step up from Economy class  in terms of space and enhanced products and services. Premium Economy provides a new travel experience that offers priority check-in, a dedicated cabin crew, an additional hand baggage allowance, and priority boarding and disembarkation.

www.qantas.com

V Australia

Australia's newest international airline, V Australia, is set to take off in Dec 2008. The Australian and United States Governments recently signed an Open Skies agreement giving US and Australian owned airlines unlimited access to the trans-Pacific route. Following the signing of this agreement, V Australia Airlines has forged ahead with its flight plans beginning Dec 2008. 

http://www.vaustralia.com.au/

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