Clontarf blocks drop away into bushland on sheltered Middle Harbour. The exposure is mild compared with the ocean side, but the slope and the bush boundary make these some of the harder sites to build on.
Clontarf sits about 13 kilometres north-east of the city at around 20 metres, on Middle Harbour, with Clontarf Beach, Sandy Bay, Castle Rock and Grotto Point around it. Being on the harbour rather than the ocean side changes the exposure, but the blocks here fall steeply and many of them end in bushland.
On Middle Harbour the wind and salt load is far lighter than on the ocean beaches a few kilometres away. That genuinely widens what can be planted here, and it is worth taking advantage of rather than defaulting to hardy coastal species.
Where a block ends in reserve, the lower garden is a transition rather than an edge. Planting there wants to suit the bush, weeds pushing in need staying on top of, and what can be cleared is controlled.
The streets here are tight and often dead-end, and most blocks fall away hard from the road. Getting material down to the work area is the first thing we solve and a real part of the cost.
Almost every Clontarf project starts with holding the slope and getting safe access down it.
Walls to hold a steep fall and create level terraces, built with drainage behind them. On a bushland-edge block we also allow for the runoff coming down from above.
How we build retaining wallsStepped paths, landings and terraces paved to a level, free-draining finish. On a steep block the setting out of the steps matters as much as the surface they are made from.
How we approach pavingThinning and lifting canopies to recover light and outlook without taking trees out. Northern Beaches Council controls significant pruning near bushland and we check what is allowed first.
See our pruning and trimmingMulch at a grade that stays on a slope and suits a bush-edge setting, rather than a decorative grade that washes down in the first storm.
More on mulchingLawn on the flatter terraces over prepared and graded soil. Under canopy or on a steep fall we will tell you honestly whether it is worth laying.
How we lay new turfScreens and boundary planting kept to a clean line, including the softer, less wind-shaped species that this sheltered position allows.
How we trim hedgesBeds, terraces, paths and the bushland edge cleared back, roots included. Against reserve there is constant pressure from regrowth and weed species, so regular passes beat one big clear.
More on weedingCleared growth, old paving and green waste taken away, barrowed up to the street where there is no vehicle access. We size the real volume in the quote.
See our rubbish removalRemoving a tree that threatens the house or has failed on a slope. Northern Beaches Council controls removal and significant pruning of many trees, particularly near bushland, and we check before quoting.
About our tree lopping workSlope, access and the bush boundary. Those three carry most of the price.
Three steps, a fixed written price, and the site left clean.
Call or send photos showing the fall, the street frontage and the rear boundary. If you adjoin reserve, say so, because it changes what we look at.
We measure the grade, work out how material gets down, check the runoff and the boundary, then put a fixed written price and a staged plan in front of you.
One crew from start to finish, the barrow runs planned, and all cleared growth and old material taken away.
Terry and his team are fantastic to work with.
The team have been very professional with their work, communication and they were also fast paced.
They use very high quality materials and workmanship is flawless.
Clontarf sits on Middle Harbour with Balgowlah, Seaforth, Fairlight and Manly close by.
For everything we do along the coast, see our Northern Beaches landscaping, or browse every Sydney suburb we service.
Much less than on the ocean side. Middle Harbour is sheltered, and that widens what will grow here considerably. It is one of the few coastal positions in Sydney where you do not have to default to the toughest species, and it is worth taking advantage of.
Yes, with terracing, and it is the normal situation here. Retaining walls and stepped access turn the fall into usable levels. The grade decides how many levels and how high the walls go, which we measure at the quote.
Yes. There is runoff coming down from above, steady weed pressure pushing in, and tighter rules on what can be cleared. We look at that boundary specifically rather than treating it like a fence line.
Material goes by barrow, usually down stairs, and back up the same way on removal. We plan the runs before quoting. It is a genuine part of the labour and it sits in the written price.
Sometimes, within what is permitted. Selective thinning and canopy lifting recovers a lot without removing trees. Northern Beaches Council controls significant pruning, especially near bushland, so we check what is allowed before promising anything.
Yes. We work across Clontarf 2093 and the surrounding Northern Beaches suburbs including Balgowlah, Balgowlah Heights, Seaforth, Fairlight and Manly.
Send us the basics and we will come out, measure the fall, work out the access and check the boundary, then give you a fixed written price. The visit costs nothing.
Prefer to talk it through? Call 0451 267 287.
Whether it is a fall you have never been able to use or a bush boundary taking the garden back, we will come out and price it properly.