Sydney/Manly

Manly is a harbour and ocean-side suburb and locality of Sydney and the southernmost of Sydney's Northern Beaches. It is known for its beaches and for its surfing culture.

Understand
"Manly - Seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care..."

- slogan used in 1940 by the Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company to describe "Australia’s Premier Seaside Resort"

Situated across the Harbour 11 km (7 mi) northeast of Sydney City on the lower Northern Beaches, Manly was named by Captain Arthur Phillip after his encounter with the confident and manly Aboriginal people who lived on the peninsula.

The main Manly shopping strip, the Corso, links the Harbour Beaches and the ferry wharf with the ocean surf beach. Manly is therefore the perfect destination to enjoy Sydney Harbour and the eighteen ocean beaches, coves and inlets used for swimming, sailing and surfing. Manly also has a huge range of shopping, dining and entertainment attractions to keep all ages and interests occupied.

By ferry


Ferries dock on the harbour side of Manly a short walk across to the beach. The F1 line departs from Wharf 3 at Circular Quay (adjacent to the train station). The Manly Ferry crosses the Harbour to Manly every 30 min. It is by far the most picturesque and relaxing way of getting to and from Manly. The ferry takes around 30 min and total travel time from the city centre is about 45 min. Single fares are $7.20/$3.60. You can tap your Opal Card, credit card, or buy a single trip ticket from the machines.

Sundays are a veritable bargain at $2.70 for a travel around Sydney when using an Opal Card or contact-less credit card at the Opal gates. The cheap price and popular destination leads to large crowds on sunny Sundays.

Manly fast ferries cost $10.20 for the same trip, and complete it about 10 minutes quicker. They leave from Wharf 6 at Circular Quay. You can tap your Opal Card or your credit card for the trip. They run a few services during the day direct to Watsons Bay from Manly - which is useful if you want to see Manly Beach and Bondi Beach in a single day, as this can save considerable time on the trip back to the city. This company also sells hop-on hop-off ferries passes for its ferries.

By bike
Bikes are permitted on the Manly ferry from the city at no charge, just wheel them on. There are a few different places to hire bikes from in Manly and plenty of tracks to use once you get there.


 * Manly Bike Tours
 * Manly Cycles Bike hire.

It is possible to take a cycle from the city to Manly on fairly quiet streets, on a reasonably well signposted route. While the main road follows the ridge as much as possible, the cycle route goes over the headlands, so you want to have your hill legs ready.

By car
From the City, Manly is signposted from the north side of the Harbour Bridge. Take the Bridge and then the Manly exit from the Warringah Expressway.

From points further north, get on Pittwater Road and stay on it all the way to Manly. At Warringah Mall, Pittwater Road turns to the left which is clearly signposted.

Expect considerable congestion along Military Road leading to Spit Bridge during peak times, including weekends. Spit Bridge opening times can see even more extended delays. There are a number of parking stations in Manly. Street parking is hard to come by, and impossible to find on a sunny summer weekend.

By bus
Bus from the city to Manly is usually a two step affair. First get a 100 to Spit Junction. Change there for a 144 towards Manly. Outside of 100 hours, you can get any BN1, 245, 247 and a few other buses to Spit Junction. The bus is a good option if you'd like to do some shopping in Mosman on the way, or maybe to stop off at one of the cafes or restaurants Military Rd in Neutral Bay on your return.

Hiking
From Spit Junction there is a well marked path that runs along the harbour all the way to Manly. It will take a good 2-3 hours, and refreshments are not readily available. If you make the effort then there are some excellent views on the way in.

Get around
Manly has two sides, the harbour side and the ocean side. The harbour side has the ferry wharf, and some attractive bay beaches with constructed swimming rockpools and calm netted beaches. The ocean side has the surf beaches of North and South Steyne, connected by a beachside walkway and cycleway. Connecting the ocean side and the harbour side is The Corso. A wide pedestrian mall, buzzing at all times of the day and night. It is an eclectic mix of shopping and eating, with a few upmarket restaurants and bars, interspersed with dives, kebab shops, and suburban supermarkets. You'll also find the overpriced bland fare aimed at tourists, and more varieties of ice-cream that you can sample in a week.

Also on the harbour side is Shelly Beach, the start of The Spit walk, parks and gardens.

If you want to get out to North Head or to see the attractions in the surrounding area, car, bus, bike or walking are options. There are some great coastal walks available. There are lots of bike tracks in the area. See the bike hire places listed above.

Do

 * Sea kayaking. Kayaks are available for hire from several places near the ferry wharf.
 * Cruise through the air parasailing behind a speed boat.
 * Walks Manly to the Spit walk. Manly to North Head (also suitable for cycling).
 * Walks Manly to the Spit walk. Manly to North Head (also suitable for cycling).
 * Walks Manly to the Spit walk. Manly to North Head (also suitable for cycling).
 * Walks Manly to the Spit walk. Manly to North Head (also suitable for cycling).



Events

 * Manly Food and Wine Festival ("A Taste of Manly") - Held each year in the first week of June, attracts some 30,000 patrons who come to see and taste the exhibits in a great beachside setting.
 * Manly Food and Wine Festival ("A Taste of Manly") - Held each year in the first week of June, attracts some 30,000 patrons who come to see and taste the exhibits in a great beachside setting.

Buy
Manly Corso is the street in centre of Manly that connects the ferry wharf and the Manly beach on the other side. It features restaurants, coffee shops, pubs, bars and shopping outlets.

Eat
There are several restaurant and take-away strips in Manly. The Corso runs between the wharf and the ocean, and there are restaurants along the Coroo, or just either side of it. There is a selection at the ferry wharf area, and again along the ocean side.



Drink
There are numerous pubs and clubs in Manly, including some of the Northern Beaches more notorious establishments:


 * The Steyne Hotel is popular with locals on Wednesdays (for Karaoke) and weekends
 * The Ivanhoe is another favourite with locals
 * The New Brighton Hotel (Shark Bar) is frequented by late teens and 20s every weekend. Serves $5 cocktails all day, every day.
 * Henry Afrikas is a pub with a night club down stairs and a function room upstairs which is very popular with the younger crowd
 * The Old Manly Boatshed is an underground drinking hole with frequent live bands
 * The Wharf Bar is a popular bar next to the wharf frequented by a mixed crowd
 * Charlie Bar is an annex off the Manly Pacific Hotel and popular on weekends
 * Shore Club, yet another weekend location right across from the beach. Three levels of music and an open-air rooftop bar
 * Hugos Pizza Manly serves pizza and cocktails with a view of the bay from Manly wharf
 * Manly Wine Room by Gazebo is a funky place for a drink and some mussels and is situated at the south end directly across the road from Manly beach
 * Manly Wine Room by Gazebo is a funky place for a drink and some mussels and is situated at the south end directly across the road from Manly beach

Stay safe
Life guards supervise the beach every day of the year, and you can always check with them for the latest beach safety information. Only swim between the flags. No flags = no swim.

During the day Manly is often very busy with people but completely safe, although late at night during weekends some of the bars are likely to get rowdy and fights occur.

There isn't a great deal of shade on either Manly Beach or North Head. Ensure you have sufficient sunscreen and a hat during summer.

The cliffs around North Head can offer great views, but have been the scene of many accidents - take care and supervise children. Rock-fishing is this area can be dangerous.