It only takes twenty minutes to get to Manly on the slow ferry from Circular Quay. From the deck you can get fabulous views of Sydney harbour, the Opera House and the Bay Bridge.
Manly itself is a lovely little town with a fantastic main beach and another smaller beach at the south end.
Before the main hike I did a warm up circuit of the North Head Sanctuary, part of the Sydney Harbour National Park located on promintory just south of the town. The coastline is very wild and rugged along here.
Back in town I had a cold beer and loaded up on water before starting the 10k walk to Spit Bridge. Temperatures on this January day were in the low 20s when I started around 10.30 but had risen to 25C by the time I finished at 2. You definitely need a hat and sunscreen as long sections of the walk have no cover.
There were lots of stunning waterfront properties along the way. Building forms influenced by Art Deco and International Style seem very popular, as well as more recent modernist architectural styles.
If I were to do the walk again, I’d bring my swimmers and stop off at one of the many pools and tiny coves along the way.
The history of this area is quite sad. I had to dab my eyes after reading this notice.
I finished the walk at Sandy Bay where there is a small cafe. No doubt you can get back to town via a few buses, or if you have the energy, retrace your steps and take the ferry. I was knackered by this time so I got an Uber back to the CBD for around $40.