Manly

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Manly Beach

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globe trotter
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4 out of 5
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Editor Pick

Marvellous Manly - For Swimmers and Families

  • August 24, 2009
  • Rated 4 of 5 by koshkha from Northampton, United Kingdom
Marvellous Manly - For Swimmers and Families

Our guidebook told us that a trip to Manly was one of the favourite days out of people living in Sydney so we decided to combine a tour of the Opera House with a trip to Manly and bought tickets to include both our train and boat needs in preparation. Unfortunately nothing ran quite to plan and as a result of a problem on the train lines, we had to walk all the way from Town Hall station to the Opera House and missed our pre-booked tour slot at noon. With our tour rebooked for 1.30, it was almost 3.00 before we were able to get the Manly ferry. Knowing that sunset is around 5.30 in August, it was clear that our trip to Manly was going to be a very quick one but we'd already paid for the ferry and didn't want to waste the tickets so we decided to go ahead and visit regardless. Even if it was to be a whistle-stop tour, we still wanted to see if Manly lived up to its reputation.

The ferry crossing takes half an hour and the ferry sails every 30 minutes. I don't know the regular cost of the trip but it added about Aus $13 to the cost of our train tickets in from the suburbs. The route uses one of the larger green and yellow ferries that ply their trade from the Circular Quay and is worth taking whether you are really interested in Manly or not because you get great views of the Harbour Bridge, the Sydney Opera House and the skyline of the city centre. We had grabbed seats on the open deck at the back of the ferry and took lots of photos on the way out.

We landed at 3.30 pm without too much of a clue about where we were. Leaving the Manly Wharf we headed into the tourist office, mildly intrigued by a big building we'd seen up on the hill that looked like it might be worth a quick visit but the tourist office didn't seem to have anything on the open shelves that looked appealing and the staff were booking hotels for other people so we gave up, left, and followed our noses. I've a notoriously bad sense of direction but luckily my husband had clocked the map and worked out that we only had to follow the main pedestrian street known as the Corso and we'd end up at the beach. If we'd had longer, we'd probably have dithered a bit and looked in the shops but we knew we were running out of daylight.

After a short walk we arrived at the sea-front. Bars and restaurants lined the street along the front and we decided to grab some coffees and cakes and sit on the promenade. We found a café with some fantastic vanilla slices and ate them sitting on a bench with one hand on our cakes and the others waving away the attentions of the seagulls who were anxious to share them with us. The Promenade was broad and spotlessly clean, scattered with little covered shelters for visitors to sit and watch the sea. These were also the favourite bolt-holes of the area's tramps, many of whom had left their worldly belongings tucked beneath the benches. The beach was almost empty due to the colder water temperatures of the mid-winter seas. Compared with Bondi, Manly is a more gentle beach with less rough water and was likely appeal more to swimmers and less to surfers.

From the end of The Corso, we headed right towards a small path that wraps round the end of the bay and passes the Lifesaving Club. The pathway must get busy because it had been divided down the middle by a line with arrows indicating which way to walk / run / cycle / roller-skate along the path. Luckily it was a quiet afternoon and there weren't too many people to fight with for walking space.

The path runs for about ten minutes and eventually ends at a second smaller beach which on the day we visited seemed to have been taken over by young mums and pregnant ladies. Part way along the path there's a small sea-water swimming pool for those who prefer to avoid the waves and keep things nice and safe. At the time of our visit the pool had been drained and was undergoing repairs. The small beach was littered with family groups playing games and a few hardy souls were venturing into the water for a swim. The far side of the small beach was a spit of wooded land where lots of walkers we climbing around over the rocks.

We returned to the main beach as the sun started to go down. We would have liked to stay longer but the path wasn't lit and we knew it would get dark very quickly and we thought there was a good chance to catch the ferry which would give us the best sunset shots on the way home. A short walk down The Corso and we were back at the wharf. We watched some small children playing on the third of Manly's beaches, the one directly beside the wharf, and then jumped on the 5.30pm ferry which was clearly the tourist favourite because the outer decks were filled with people taking photos of the city skyline lit up at night and the floodlit Opera House.

Our visit was very brief – just a couple of hours – but we really enjoyed this quiet and calm seaside town and would have happily spent a lot longer watching the waves, drinking lots of coffee and soaking up the atmosphere. My husband's already decided to live on the beach with the tramps when he retires – I think he's even picked which bench to live on.

From journal The City on the Sea

Editor Pick

Manly Beach

  • August 11, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by Howdymike from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Manly Beach

Sydney's second most popular beach, behind Bondi Beach, is Manly Beach. It is located just north of the opening of Sydney Harbour to the Pacific Ocean. It is popular because of the beautiful water, soft sand, and its beautiful setting. Surfing is also a popular activity, as the waves break nicely and it is susceptible to southwest swells, which are the most common. There is also a nice pedestrian walkway with shops and restaurants between the beach and Manly Wharf.

If you're going to Manly from the city, the best way by far is to take the ferry from Circular Quay. Not only does it provide a great boat ride through the harbour with outstanding views, but it is the quickest and cheapest way to get there. The trip lasts about half an hour each way. They also naturally depart roughly every half hour, so the wait is never too long for a ferry.

There are lifeguards and shark watches during the summer months, and occasionally man-o-wars drift with the current towards the beach. During winter the weather and water is a bit too cold to swim, but it is still a very pleasant beach just to go and take a walk. It gives you a chance to ride the ferry across the harbour as well.

If it's summer, grab your suit and head to Manly, maybe even take a surf lesson! And if its winter, go anyway! Its a beautiful beach, and there are things to do in the area as well! It's my favorite beach in the world--highly recommended.

From journal Nine Days in Australia

Editor Pick

Manly Beach

  • August 7, 2006
  • Rated 5 of 5 by c_rau from Denver
Manly Beach

After my 15-hour sleepless flight across the Pacific Ocean, I wisely made Manly Beach my first stop in Sydney. It was so easy to get to. I just walked to Circular Quay, purchased a ticket for the 11:30 ferry and hopped on. The ride was only 30 minutes. There was a Jet Cat ferry that makes the trip in 15 minutes, but it didn't make another run until 4pm That was OK because the leisurely pace of the regular ferry was good for my jet lag hangover.

At the ferry terminal in Manly, it was a walk across the street to the Curso, the boardwalk of shops and fish & chip places that separate the beach from the town. The fish & chips smelled good and the shops looked inviting with lots of knick knacks to spend my money on, but I was tired, had a headache, and much to driven by a desire to sleep on sand to stop. Another walk across a street lead me to the steps of the beach. It wasn't very big, easily walked from end to end and being a workday, very few people were milling about. The water, however, was packed with surfers. To my left were the eight volleyball nets that lined the beach, but they were empty. The noon sun was warm on this brisk fall day so I walked to the middle of the beach and set my stuff down for an afternoon nap.

Three hours later I awoke to the sound of children. A group of school girls had arrived for afternoon volleyball practice at Manly (What a classroom!). Finally having gotten some sleep, I strolled the beach which has soft, fine brown sugar sand in a perfect crescent shape. The beach was lined by fur trees towering above the beach walkway and casting late afternoon shadows over the volleyball nets. Ocean-front homes and apartments clung to the cliffs on each end of the beach. Several joggers ran back and forth. There was more activity now, perhaps people were getting an early start to their weekend. After walking the full length of the beach I returned to the volleyball nets to find the schoolgirls gone and some adults playing. Finally my chance to play in the Southern Hemisphere! I asked if a landlocked Coloradoan could join them and they let me. Ian and Jess allowed me to pepper with them before playing a game with two other guys. It was not a pretty game; I was still jet lagged and hadn't played in sand (especially this deep) in years and struggled getting around. Jess didn't seem to mind. One game was enough for me (and probably enough for Jess too) so I sat out the next two games opting to take photos of my gracious hosts. Yawning I knew it was time to go and said goodbye to the locals and headed back to the ferry terminal just making the 5:30 return trip.

From journal Far Side of the World, Part I

Shelly Beach

  • November 17, 2000
  • Rated 4 of 5 by globe trotter from Manchester, United Kingdom
As a non-surfer this is my favourite beach close to Manly. It is very picturesque and it's sheltered waters attract young families rather than the 'Bondi' babes.
The swimming is safe and there is a lovely walk around the cliff at the back of the bay.
'Le Kiosk' restaurant is exquisite and there is also a cheap and cheerful 'kiosk' next door that serves sandwiches, fish & chips and good old-fashioned Aussie pies etc.
The walk from Manly to Shelly Beach takes about 20 mins- along the stunning coastline.

From journal From Sydney to Manly: 12 minutes on a JetCat

Manly Beach

  • November 17, 2000
  • Rated 3 of 5 by globe trotter from Manchester, United Kingdom
Manly beach is a huge expanse of white powdery sand framed by towering waves - it is known as a surf beach and is not really suitable for swimming.
Surfboard are available for rent and lessons are even available.
If a quiet swim is what you're after, try walking south along to Shelly Beach.

From journal From Sydney to Manly: 12 minutes on a JetCat

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