Belrose

Atop the plateau protecting the western flank of the Manly-Warringah peninsula, Belrose looks down on two of the most tranquil and beautiful corners in this magical northern fringe of Sydney - the Narrabeen Lakes and Oxford Falls.

Sunrise over North Narrabeen, in fact, can present breathtaking colours, and the lakes, which border the NSW Academy of Sport, are a favourite haunt of pelicans which gaze disdainfully at energetic kayakers.

A 3.5km belt of natural bush separates the Sports Academy complex from Oxford Falls. A series of spectacular cascades sets Oxford Falls apart and make it an idyllic picnic spot.

Well-defined walking tracks add to the magnetism of the area, especially the trail that descends from neighbouring Frenchs Forest down to Bantry Bay before climbing back up the bluff. The suburb was named James Henry French, a Special Constable and Crown Lands Ranger who single-handedly cleared most of the district"s timber and who wed the daughter of Billy Blue, the famed Negro convict who rowed the first recorded ferry across Sydney Harbour from Millers Point to Blues Point.