A weekend trip to the beach may include a visit to Manly Beach, a place in Sydney which is characterized by a double beach, basically a stretch of land with two sides, one bathed by the ocean and the other one by the water of the bay of Sydney. You can comfortably reach Manly by ferry from Circular Quai or by sailing in the bay on a fast catamaran or (the cheapest way) by bus from downtown.
The place –
Situated less than 15 kms north of Sydney Harbour, Manly Beach is a place worth visiting for the ferry ride alone. The 30-minute trip offers spectacular city skyline and ocean views. The atmosphere here is way different from the popular Bondi coastline. There are more locals than tourists and Manly Beach is a true paradise for surfing lovers. The first ever world surfing championship was held here in the ‘60s.
My experience –
Those times I visited the area, I chose to take the ferry, in fact, as I had imagined, I was able to take beautiful photographs of the city skyline and the Opera House with the sharp and low light of the morning from the ferry’s top deck. Furthermore, the slower navigation makes this transfer enjoyable since it offers excellent landscapes.
Last time I went there it was a beautiful day, without clouds and with no wind, ideal for a trip to the beach. I reached Manly in the early morning and I headed to the tip of the long beach where I saw many young people surfing, and others simply taking a bath.
My friend and I also walked in the central street, a pedestrian area closed to the traffic that divides the two beaches. There you can buy your breakfast as well as all kinds of beachwear and surfboards, given the huge number of shops present. There are many beautiful restaurants and also some bars open at night.
Considering the beautiful day we decided to hike the famous ‘Manly Scenic Walkway’ path that starts right from the centre of Manly and reaches the deepest point of Middle Harbour offering incredible views of the bay and the city. The path is relatively long, about 10 kms, but it must be walked slowly, breathing the fresh air and enjoying the scenery. The most beautiful spots are the beaches of North Harbour, with the green meadows that seem to end in the water, the views of Dobroyd Head and the lighthouse at Grotto Point.
The trail ends at Spit Bridge, from here you can return directly to Manly by bus.
The project -
Just last year, the City Council talked about a new project to extend the Manly Beach walkaway to Bondi beach and create a super-long hiking trail which will cover an incredible eighty kilometres joining Bondi and Manly, two of the most famous and iconic beaches in Australia.
Some parts of the path have already been completed, but the new project plans to combine them all together in a single path accompanied by adequate signs, with directional signs for hikers and in-depth information on the history of the various points of interest located along the way.
The 80-kilometre path could become the best urban walk in the world not only for the places it embraces, which are beautiful and very important from a historical point of view, but also because it is close to the city and, furthermore, the walk is located on what is considered by many to be the largest (and most beautiful) natural harbour in the world.
PHOTO GALLERY:
