At last weeks SWF seminar, the first speaker, Emily Maguire, talked about the importance of getting out of your head every so often.
As writers, it’s an understatement to say that most of us live inside our heads, or the heads of our characters. Sure we write what we know and we write what we imagine, but we also have to experience the world in order to do both.
This, in my book, means getting out of the house- even if it’s just for a few hours- at least once a week.
I’ll go to a coffee shop, a library, catch a bus, look at paintings, listen to people.
Today I hopped a bus to the city, flipped a coin at Circular Quay to select a wharf, and then caught the next ferry from that wharf. I ended up in Neutral Bay, where I stopped and had a cuppa and a late brekky at Thelma and Louise’s.
It reminded me of other great spots to stop and sit by the water here in Sydney.
Here’s just a few of them…
Thelma and Louise, Neutral Bay
Located right on Neutral Bay ferry wharf, this place is mega packed on the weekend.
The menu is fairly limited, but all good, and, if you have a sweet tooth, there’s a great range of sweet bits and pieces in the counter. As for the view, well, you tell me!
Only issue? The few balcony tables go really quickly.
Opera Bar and Opera Kitchen
Two separate venues, one great location.
Opera Bar offers great pre theatre meals, a good range of wines and cocktails and live music on weekend afternoons.
Opera Kitchen is more casual and offers a limited menu from Miss Chu, Japanese, hamburgers and seafood options.
It’s also licensed.
As for the view? There’s not a lot better…
Watsons Bay Hotel
This pub has recently been given a facelift by its (relatively) new owners. The fish and chips is still amazingly good.
Arrive by ferry.
I’ve posted on Watsons Bay before- here and here.
Nielsen Park Kiosk
I’ve written about this place here and here.
And the view? Well worth the trip.
Fort Denison
In the middle of the harbour, there is blue as far as the eye can see. If you get the chance, you have to.
I posted about it here…
Others on my list are Miss Chu’s at Bondi, and Burnt Orange at Mosman.
Do you have any favourite water view spots?
And Anyways... 
I like the notion of getting out of your head. Even though I’m not overly productive I tend to spend most of the day at my desk – in my bedroom (thereby spending 20/24 hrs a day in my room!). I haven’t quite got the knack of taking my laptop and working elsewhere, but I do take breaks away from writing / blogging / sitting at my desk. Often for me though – it’s just having the night off to sit in front of the TV and let my creativity and imagination be tantalised by something else. Well, that and going for a walk!
Different things work, I guess, for each of us. I had a brain wave on the ferry yesterday about how to change my astro website- something I’ve been struggling with for months…so guess what I’m doing today!