THE NORTHERN BEACHES BRIEF
Your weekly wrap of local news, events and property pulse
Friday, 17 April 2026
Hello and welcome to this week’s Beaches Brief.
ANZAC Day lands next Saturday and it’s shaping up to be one of the biggest commemorative weekends of the year across the peninsula. We’ve got the service times and locations below, plus fresh news on the Long Reef boardwalk reopening, a local bike shop story worth celebrating, and your property market snapshot at the end.
Bookmark this one, grab a coffee, and let’s get into it.
🪖 ANZAC Day 2026: What’s Happening Locally
Saturday 25 April is ANZAC Day. This year marks important commemorations across the Northern Beaches, with dawn and dusk services running from Manly Dam right up to Palm Beach. Here are the key ones in our core patch:
ANZAC Day remembrance. We will remember them.
Narrabeen - RSL ANZAC Village Dawn Service
Saturday 25 April, arrive 5:45am for 6:00am start. At the Cenotaph, RSL LifeCare War Vets, 90 Veterans Parade (enter via Edgecliffe Boulevard). Community breakfast from 6:40am for a donation to RSL LifeCare. At 7:30am, three ex-Army Land Rovers and a taxi cavalcade carrying veterans will depart for the Sydney CBD March.
Collaroy - Beach Dusk Remembrance Service
Saturday 25 April, 5:00pm start on Collaroy Beach, hosted by Collaroy RSL Sub-Branch. From 12:00pm, members’ beachfront game of Two-Up at The Beach Club Collaroy, Arlington Hall, 1058 Pittwater Road.
Dee Why - Dawn Service
Saturday 25 April, 5:30am start at Dee Why Beach, The Strand. Hosted by Dee Why RSL Club. Bacon and egg rolls from 6:30am (proceeds to local veterans), Two-Up from 12:00pm in the Showroom.
Mona Vale - Pittwater RSL Dawn Service
Saturday 25 April, 5:20am start at the Lower Cenotaph, Pittwater RSL car park, 82 Mona Vale Road. Breakfast in the Club from 6:30am. Two-Up outdoors on The Deck from 1:00pm.
Manly - Three Services
Saturday 25 April. Pre-dawn service at Manly Dam at 4:25am (arrive 4:00am). Dawn service in front of Manly Town Hall at 5:30am (arrive 5:15am). Commemorative service at Manly War Memorial at 11:00am (arrive 10:40am).
Full list of Northern Beaches ANZAC Day services →
🥾 Long Reef Boardwalk Reopens
Good news for the walking and whale-watching crowd. The Long Reef boardwalk, hammered by storm surges back in April 2022, has officially reopened after a $2.1 million upgrade announced last week by Wakehurst MP Michael Regan.
The Long Reef walk: sweeping views of 230-million-year-old chocolate shales.
Around 110 metres of boardwalk and bridge has been replaced and realigned further inland for better storm resilience, plus a 20-metre beach access ramp has been upgraded. The project was partly funded by a $500,000 NSW Government grant from the Crown Reserves Improvement Fund.
The walk runs from the Long Reef Headland lookout down to Long Reef Surf Life Saving Club, taking in panoramic views of the 230-million-year-old red claystone cliffs (the ‘chocolate shales’ the locals call them). Perfect autumn morning stroll territory.
🛍️ This Weekend’s Markets
A few great market options running on and around the Beaches this weekend. Worth a stroll even if you’re not buying.
Fresh produce at the weekend markets.
Beaches Farmers Market - Every Friday
Every Friday, 8:00am to 1:00pm, at Rat Park Stadium, 1472 Pittwater Road, North Narrabeen. Parking on Walsh Street. Fresh produce, artisan goods, fashion and ready-to-eat food.
Berry Reserve Market - Narrabeen Lagoon
A boutique market along the picturesque bank of Narrabeen Lakes. Held on the 3rd Sunday of each month, 9:00am to 3:00pm, at Berry Reserve, 1417 Pittwater Road, Narrabeen. Next market: Sunday 19 April 2026. Arts, crafts, plants, fresh food and some quality bric-a-brac.
Manly Markets - Every Weekend
Sydney Road, Manly. Every Saturday and Sunday. A Beaches institution. Fresh food, emerging designers, artisans.
Full market guide from Council →
🚲 Local Business Spotlight: Northern Beaches Cycles
Loved this story in the Northern Beaches Advocate this week. Adrian and Jessica Band, owners of Northern Beaches Cycles at North Narrabeen, are celebrating their 23rd year in business, while corporate bike chains around them are folding under the weight of cheap online imports.
The independents are winning the service war.
Their edge? The thing local businesses have always had. Advice, service, and knowing the customer. My Bike at Narrabeen is closing, 99 Bikes Brookvale is one of the few corporate survivors, and yet the independents like Adrian and Jess are thriving.
Adrian started at age 13 picking up discarded bikes from council clean-ups, repairing them, and selling them through ads in the Trading Post. He left school early, worked at the old Dee Why bike shop on the beachfront at The Strand, then at Belrose, then bought the Belrose shop at 20. The Northern Beaches entrepreneur’s playbook, right there.
👧 School Holidays: Things for the Kids
School holidays are still running for another week on the Beaches and Council has a solid program of kids’ activities on. A few worth flagging:
Rockpool Discovery at Pelican Path, North Narrabeen
Saturday 25 April, 9:30am to 11:30am. Coastal Environment Centre, Lake Park Road, North Narrabeen. Low tide reveals an amazing world. Kids (and parents) can explore the rockpools with the CEC team.
Seed Bomb Workshop at Avalon
Join artist and plant scientist Erika Watson for a creative ‘get grubby’ workshop making your own seed bombs. Avalon Creative Space, 32 Old Barrenjoey Road, Avalon Beach.
Full school holidays programme →
🏡 Property Market Pulse
Click on the Links to View Local Recent Sales
Click here for FREE Market Estimate of Value on your Home or
(Simply send me a text to 0438 261 600 with your details)
The National Picture. ANZ Research’s April 2026 update has forecast Sydney dwelling prices to dip 0.7% across 2026 before recovering to 2.6% in 2027. The RBA cash rate sits at 4.35%, which fully reverses the 75 basis points of cuts made through 2025 and keeps monetary policy in restrictive territory.
But headline forecasts don’t tell the local story. The Northern Beaches remain a supply-constrained outlier, with stock tracking around 18% below the five-year average and vacancy rates close to 1.1% (compared to the 3% equilibrium benchmark).
Core Suburbs at a Glance
Rolling 12-month data to early 2026:
Source: CoreLogic/Cotality via YourInvestmentPropertyMag, updated Feb/Mar 2026. DOM = days on market.
What I’m Seeing On The Ground
1. Quality houses priced well are still moving in the 30-40 day range. Warriewood is a standout at 35 days. Mid-tier houses priced for 2024 peaks are stalling at 60+ days.
2. Unit yields are universally outperforming houses. Warriewood units lead at 3.67%, followed by Narrabeen at 3.40%. If you’re an investor looking for cashflow, that’s where the numbers work.
3. Downsizer demand is real. I’m seeing steady enquiry from 55+ locals looking to move from the family home into a well-located three-bed unit near the beach. Collaroy and Narrabeen lead on that interest.
THINKING OF SELLING OR APPRAISING YOUR HOME?
Give me a call for a no-obligation chat about your property’s value.
M: 0438 261 600 | gmatterson@ljhnarrabeen.com.au
That’s it from me this week. If you enjoyed this edition, forward it to a neighbour or mate. And lest we forget, please pause with me next Saturday morning to honour those who served.
Thanks,
Grant Matterson
Grant Matterson | Licensed Real Estate Agent & Accredited Auctioneer
LJ Hooker Narrabeen | 1/1-7 Lagoon Street, Narrabeen NSW 2101
