Christies Beach

I wrote the original post on August 18th 2016 and Christies has only improved since then and is a vibrant, happy area. It has encouraged an active, positive enjoyment of the great outdoors. People walk and exercise their dogs, they bring themselves and their children her for some fresh air and exercise. Sailing seems to have picked up again after all the coronavirus restrictions and Rotary Park has some outdoor events which are well attended. It is not a crowded Beach. There are times when you can see dolphins and whales and not that long ago we had a ship offloading oyster shells from the oyster farms onto the reef. It disrupted the beach quite a bit but was really interesting to watch. You can now walk around the cliff face to Port Noarlunga and that has really encouraged people to get fit. Deja vu has gone and has been replaced by the very popular Flavas and Espy's bakery has gone from strength to strength. There are good places to eat close by. For many locals it is just a good place to get away from the worries of the world and take in some fresh air and listen to the rhythm of the waves. 

 Original post:

Christies Beach is changing in a good way. Some people will miss the empty, natural beach front with just the green railing fence but the improvements are welcome and have been well thought out. The big  wooden walkway onto the beach means you can get down there more easily and people keep jogging down it or take their dog and it is easy. The trail along the cliff face is well used and popular and seems to have been improved. When the wind dies down and the rain holds off I intend to go and explore that to see what they have done. It is better with more people and more life at the beach front. It makes it safer. It has become a beach where people enjoy the outdoors and exercise. It is not a good swimming beach unless you stay in the shallows. There are rip tides which are very difficult to deal with.  Deja vu is a newish cafe right on the Esplanade at Christies and overlooks the ocean. Very friendly and very civilised. A lovely spot. The park on the corner has been upgraded with play equipment for children and seated areas so people can have a picnic. The apartments have food and shops and I guess that will expand and the views from those apartments will be spectacular. Without Port Stanvac Oil Refinery it has returned to being a a really great place to be on a nice day where you can just relax and enjoy the laid back, ocean life style 

Adelaide in the 80s

If you missed Adelaide in the 80s, this is pretty much it. We were all very fit, mad on aerobics and it heralded the era of good fresh food and more exercise which has become a permanent feature of our South Australian lifestyle. We had the outfits, the music, the venues, the TV programmes and videos. We were alive. Speaking of Adelaide Alive - our Grand Prix also featured aerobics groups too. That is how into it we were. This love of fitness branched out into cycling, kindergym, walking, gym circuits and since then we have become adept in finding the right level of fitness activity for who we are so now you find people skateboarding, walking the dog, surfing, body boarding, swimming, canoeing , kayaking...all because aerobics got us all moving in such a fun way. 

Walking the dog

I confess I don't take my new dog walking rain or hail but I do do shine very well. This is one dog who really likes to walk. The last 2 were not at all keen but would play. The one before that was a beach dog and my first dog used to take herself for a walk . Such an escape artist! This new dog comes from the RSPCA like my last 2 and it is important for her to go walking. She needs to reacquaint herself with the nice life and the sights and sounds of the suburbs. I am grateful the RSPCA volunteers do such a good job of training the dogs to leash and walk. We have had a few issues to deal with so the daily walks, now it is sunny, are important for steadying her. She loves walking. As you can see , she waited patiently as I took the photos so we are coming along nicely. The good thing about here is so many people are now out with their dogs on a leash. Everyday you see quite a few dogs and their owners going for a nice walk to the shop or the park or like me, just a walk. It has been one of the really good changes in our neighbourhood. it means the dogs are happy and you can see that  and the owners are getting some fresh air and exercise. Our unspoken  practice, should we see another owner and dog, has been for one of us to go on the other side of the road or down a side street out of the way so there is no chance of the dogs having a tangle. If people know their dogs know another dog then they often stop and chat. Walking the dog has become a really positive activity and has made for a happier neighbourhood.