The Sydney commuter ferries run an extensive network of ferry options from Circular Quay throughout the various bays, inlets and stretches of open water that make up the Harbour area. It is very easy to catch a ferry that stops off at a number of the small suburb docking points on a regular basis. Perhaps appreciation of just how big Sydney Harbour is, is provided by taking the Manly ferry from Circular Quay to Manly and back. This journey crosses the entrance from the ocean and lands at Manly, a bayside suburb that has frontage to the Harbour as well as to the ocean. Manly is known for its beach culture, from surfing, surf life saving and swimming to the marine zoos showing the sealife of both the Harbour and the nearby ocean.
Catch the Manly Ferry from Circular Quay. As a tip, if making a day trip of it, take the slower conventional ferry for a relaxed look on the way over to Manly and then the fast catamaran back to the city.
When you get off the ferry at Manly, it is a short walk through the Corso, a mall connecting the ferry terminal on the harbourside with the Pacific Ocean and Manly surf beach. There are loads of specialty shops, restaurants, pubs and interesting characters all along the esplanade north and south of the Corso.
A particularly good walk is one up and over North Head. The trail is easy to pick up from the north end of the Esplanade at Manly Beach
If you like exploring cities on your own and to get a feel for the way the locals live, this is a good day’s introduction to Sydney Harbour and its beach culture. For more information go to our website, Australian.com
