Mona Vale Surf Life Saving Club has been patrolling the same stretch of beach for 100 years, with over 1400 members in tow. Its clubhouse has been through four rebuilds over the last century, but this current iteration is its most spectacular.

The design, by architects Warren and Mahoney, features three dramatic glass pavilions and a terrace looking out over the quintessentially northern beaches view: golden sand and wild-looking surf beyond; blue ocean as far as the horizon.

The Cook Terrace Room is a lovely space to spend sunny afternoons. The vast indoor space has a minimal timber fit-out that doesn’t compete with the view from the enormous windows. On tap are plenty of craft beers as well as a few standards: XXXX Gold and Tooheys New.