' Dragon's Tooth'

[Nungali]

I just found this old silent film .

 

When I was very young my father used to take me   and big brother out to 'Dragon's Tooth'   aka Tabbigai   ( there was a pipe outlet there and concrete pyramids  - the ' teeth '  -  had been dumped in the cove to break up the surf to stop the pipe being smashed ) .  People had built a house on the cliff on a tiny ledge that held the back wall bearer and the rest of the house floated in the air with angled struts holding the front bearer up that were ancored into the rock. Only the remains were left when I saw them . But an old fishing basket still hung down off the cliff face . Brave fishermen would climb down the rock face ladder and fish from the basket ( the box at the end of the film . 

 

Some people wanted to live far away as they could from Sydney, but still have access .  This place is just at the back of Kurnell, Capt. Cook's landing place . When seas were big and the tide high  waves would smash into the cliff with great force and break well over the basket . 

 

I cant imagine what it was like living in that hanging house during such wild seas !  

 

Then and now ;

 

 

 

'The 'footpath' in ;