In Manly, Sydney

In Manly, Sydney

On my second day in Australia, I decided to see the famed Sydney beaches. A very helpful man at the tourist information booth recommended that I ride the ferry to Manly, then make a trip to Watson's Bay and finally take the bus to Bondi Beach to hit up all the Sydney beach highlights.

However, my traveling style involves visiting everything thoroughly. I find it much more rewarding to really experience the place by traveling at a slower pace—taking the time to converse with locals and observe the environs. So instead of visiting 3 beaches, I ended up only visiting one.

I explored the ENTIRE Manly peninsula from the Manly North Shore peninsula to the Manly Scenic Walkway. I underestimated the distance of the various hikes, yet I also refused to go back without seeing everything—so ended up I walking around 20km… probably not the smartest thing to do. Still, I'm proud to say that I saw everything at Manly! Including an old forsaken lighthouse and a public access restricted government memorial that I inadvertently wandered into…

Manly North Shore reminded me of Torrey Pines in San Diego. The imposing cliffs, dry chaparral and dark blue ocean waters were exactly like those of home. The city of Manly, a quaint yet posh beach town was also reminiscent of La Jolla/Del Mar.

Following my day of adventure, I met up with two Sydney friends, Leo and Michael. We had a ton of fun grabbing dinner and catching up at a famed pancake restaurant (Pancake on the Rocks). Wished I had more time in Sydney--I plan to reserve my days off in the itinerary to go back.