A tale of two rivers

VIDYADHAR DABHOLKAR shares experiences of a waterway exploration trip that covers many historic and natural wonders

During World War II this peninsula was the site of active combat against the Japanese, as evidenced by the remnants of an army bunker.

The city of Sydney that everybody knows bustles with commerce, has renowned hospitals and reputed research institutions, amongst many other organisations. But this very city is also strewn with many waterways and a few National Parks, resplendent with many varieties of flora and fauna. It then merges into the extended city of Gosford and its suburbs.

Parramatta is called ‘The river city’ for good reason, as it ferries thousands of commuters day in and day out to their place of work or for leisure. Apart from the Parramatta river, the Lane Cove and St. George rivers are popular too, as are their smaller counterparts. But the HawkesburyNepean river complex blending into the Tasman Sea is unique, as it is the longest river within the entire East coast of this vast land, stretching for about 360 kilometres from Broken Bay.

One can approach this river through Palm Beach, at the Northern-most suburb of Sydney. Scenic Cruises charter the Merinda II, a ferry which plies from this “countrysuburb” through Cottage Point to Bobbin Head. As the ferry leaves the Palm Beach wharf, Pittwater Lighthouse can be seen on the right. Built in 1788, this monument is named after Sir William Pittwater, the then prevailing Prime Minister of Great Britain. Pittwater Lighthouse is located up the hill at a height of about 200 metres and shines its light to help navigate the myriad ferries, yachts and boats which traverse the waters of Broken Bay. Proceeding upstream is a township called Patonga, only 8 kilometres from the city of Sydney by water. However, driving to Patonga from Sydney will take over an hour, with a distance of around 130 kilometres. It was a fishing village in the century before last.

The waters traverse through Ku-Ring-Gai National Park, the third oldest of its kind in Australia since 1894. The forest is named after Ku-Ring-Gai, an aboriginal tribe which existed in this bushland for nearly 40,000 years. It spans 15,000 hectares of land with protuberances of earth making tiny hills which shelter wild life and wild plants. One can see koalas, wallabies and lyre birds in their natural habitat, but try not to wake them up from their repose.

A few kilometres further, Magpie Beach appears to the left. On the right is Broken Bay and even further ahead is the Tasman Sea, by which one can cruise ahead to New Zealand, ploughing 1200 miles through its salty waters.

Further ahead is Lion Island, so named for its shape like a crouching lion, and which is a refuge for over 600 penguins. The view from the top of the hill is spectacular. Moving on, one can see the Nepean and Hawkesbury rivers with nearby Patonga with its lofts of oysters to offer. Across the delta is Mullet Island, renamed as Denga Island. Its small uninhabited beaches extend for about 50-100 metres, with creamy white sand like talcum powder and clean, clear waters. Proceeding upstream is a view of the Hawkesbury river railway bridge, and then the ferry enters Cowan Waters.

The Ku-Ring-Gai National Park is embellished with lush green hills covered by trees of eucalyptus, Angofora, Banksia, Grass Tree and Kangaroo Tail. The entire volume of water is lined by a saw-tooth shaped row of hills a couple of hundred meters tall, leaping into the sky. The soil of these hills is sandstone, which was in existence from 220 million years ago.

An hour away from Palm Beach is Cottage Point, which boasts of a good inn and restaurant. A lot of houses, 30 to 40 years old, can be seen in all their dignified grandeur.

Next is Waratah Bay where houseboats were moored from 1938 to 1952. On approaching Bobbin Head a view of Cotton Tree Bay can be spotted, where wild cotton from the Hibiscus family is grown even today. In the good old days, this cotton was used to make fishing lines. Just short of Bobbin Head is Lords Bay, where Grass Trees grow apart from other plants and trees. The Grass Tree can grow to a height of one foot when it is nearly 100 years old, and 3 metres when it turns three hundred. Some of the Grass Trees are 1800 years old!

Bobbin Head at last, with its two famous restaurants, the Empire Marina and Bobbin Head Inn. The food at the Inn is homecooked, delicious and reasonably priced, while the Empire Marina at least looks expensive.

Four hours and a good meal later, one is back at Palm Beach after a satisfying cruise that covers so much of nature’s beauty and natural resources. The entire journey from Palm Beach to Bobbin Head is thirty kilometres, which can take just over two hours on the dark green waters of the river, with a cool breeze gusting around the top deck of the Merinda II

We automatically reach for our sunscreens before wearing moisturizer, no matter where in Australia we are. Here are some details on sun protection, SPF, UV rays, which will convince you to use sunscreen daily, no matter what the season or weather.

MINAL offers facts on sun protection and reasons why using sunscreen every day is essential

UV rays

The sun emits harsh ultraviolet rays – UV A and UV B – which damage the skin. Both these rays penetrate the skin and can cause irreversible damage to the skin in just a few minutes. So even if it is not sunny, these rays are still affecting your skin. The amount of UV reaching the earth’s surface varies depending on factors such as the time of year, the time of day, the weather, the amount of ozone in the atmosphere and the altitude. But the fact to remember is that there is no safe time of year when it comes to UV radiation

UV-A rays

UV A exists throughout the daylight hours and during the winter months too, so we end up being exposed to it more than UV B.These radiate deeper into the dermis layer than UVB. They penetrate deep into the skin, where they trigger melanin production, leading to immediate tanning of skin

These rays also damage the skin structure, underlying tissue and collagen, leading to premature ageing

The rays cause a chemical reaction to the melanin cells, which then lead to rapid melanin cell multiplication that in turn produces a tanned look very quickly

UV A rays have lower energy than the UV B rays

UV-B rays

Penetrate only up to the epidermal layer

Exposure to UV B rays makes the melanin cells only of the epidermis multiply

Skin tans slower than when it does after exposure to UV A rays

However, the UV B rays have much higher energy than the A rays – hence, they cause sunburn

UV B is a shorter wavelength radiation that mainly affects the outer layers of the skin. It is responsible for causing sunburn which is significantly linked to skin cancer and is mostly present during the summer months

UV B rays are also responsible for causing an increase in the melanin pigment, resulting in delayed tanning u The best way to protect your skin from sun damage is to use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. You can also use a hat and sunglasses while outdoors and wearing loose clothes. That is because even 15 minutes of exposure to the sun with no sun protection can cause extensive skin damage. u Most of us use sunscreen daily and ask for SPF 15 or 30 or a higher grade at times. But how many of us really know what a sunscreen is or what is SPF and how is it calculated. So I have listed facts about sunscreen and SPF so you know why it is so important to use it daily and also how a sunscreen protects our skin.

Sunscreen

A Sunscreen is any substance or material that protects the skin from UV A and B radiation.

u Sunscreens are available in the forms of topical lotions, creams or sprays that can be applied to the skin. Even sunglasses that protect the eyes and the tinted film screen that can be affixed to the windows of a car, room, or office can be construed as a sunscreen.

Sun Protection Factor [SPF]

u SPF is an abbreviation for Sun Protection Factor. The number next to the SPF -- 15, 20, 30 or 40 indicates how long the sunscreen offers effective protection against the harmful UV A and UV B rays of the sun.

u The SPF rating of a sunscreen is essentially a measure of how effective a sunscreen is. SPF is scientifically calculated by comparing how long it takes for sunscreen-protected skin to get sunburnt against the amount of time needed to produce sunburn on unprotected skin.

u It indicates the amount of time a person who has applied sunscreen can be exposed to sunlight before getting sunburnt. If a person normally suffers a burn in 10 minutes without wearing sunscreen, she can be protected for u However, according to the Skin Cancer Council of Australia, the SPF number should be used as a guide only to the level of protection a sunscreen offers, not to determine how long a person will take to become sunburnt.

150 minutes if she applies a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 –the calculation is -- 10 minutes multiplied by the SPF of 15.

Other factors that determine how long a sunscreen will protect a person from UV radiation are:

The amount of sunscreen applied

Whether it is reapplied and how often

Whether the sunscreen has waterresistant qualities

The user’s skin type

The activities performed after wearing sunscreen -- because swimming removes the sunscreen from the skin faster than walking does u The recommended SPF by experts is 15 and it gives upto 93% protection and Factor 30 gives upto 96% protection. Therefore, using a higher SPF of 30 does provide greater protection, but if you don’t apply enough of it or don’t reapply it after a few hours, it can result in lower protection than claimed by the product. If you have to stay out in the sun for long hours, use other sun protection measures like a hat or an umbrella and sunglasses along with the sunscreen. u Other factors to keep in mind are that sunscreen should not be used to extend time in the sun or to achieve a suntan and sunburn and skin damage can occur even when sunscreen is applied, Skin damage occurs even though the skin does not appear to be sun burnt. u Indian skin is a little more resistant to sunburn as compared to Caucasian skin but the damage caused in terms of premature aging can be no less. Experts do say that typical Indian skin does not need more than 30 SPF. Also, even if you are dark skinned or are staying indoors all day, you still need to use sunscreen.

Now, there are sunscreens that offer a higher rating and go upto SPF 50 and SPF 60 too. So does that indicate double the protection or longer hours outdoors without reapplying sunscreen? Actually, no sunscreen offers 100% protection and even with sunscreen applied every 2-3 hours, it is not advisable to stay outdoors endlessly because even the most effective sunscreen does not completely block UV radiation.

So if you haven’t already made a sunscreen a part of your daily skincare routine, I suggest you head out and get a sunscreen right now.