Photographs above left to right: A refreshing drink at the beach, Sydney (Robert Billington); Manly Beach; Swimmers at Bondi Baths (Sally Mayman); Bondi to Bronte coastal walk (Sally Mayman)
THINGS TO DO – Take the coastal walk that arcs around the headland to Shelley Beach, a sheltered sandy cove with a lovely ocean pool. – Brunch in one of Manly’s many oceanside cafés and restaurants or enjoy sunset drinks and dinner harbourside. There are more than 40 places to eat and drink. – Watch all the action and admire the skills of surf lifesavers competing at weekend surf carnivals.
Pro Dive Dive the depths of Manly. Learn-to-dive courses, boat dives and walk-in beach dives. Whale-watching tours also available. www.prodive.com.au ■
Shark Dive Extreme Extreme shark diving. Dive with grey nurse sharks, giant stingrays, sea turtles, wobbegong sharks, moray eels and a vast array of marine life on Oceanworld Manly’s Shark Dive Extreme. www.sharkdive.oceanworld.com.au ■
– Do the Manly to Spit Bridge walk, a classic half-day stroll along beaches, through parks and tangled forest, past cliffs and coastal heathlands.
Beaches further afield
– Browse in Manly Arts and Craft Market, a weekend treat selling candles, woodwork, leather, jewellery, ceramics, paintings and glassware.
Balmoral Beach, on the north side of the harbour, has a netted enclosure and a long, shady park, with alfresco cafés, a fish and chip shop and a couple of top-notch restaurants.
DON’T MISS
Palm Beach, the northernmost of Sydney’s beaches, has great surf, a pool, good cafés and restaurants, and a stunning headland walk to the lighthouse. It’s also where the popular Australian TV soap Home and Away is filmed.
Manly Surf School Surf school at Manly for first-timers and advanced surfers who want to maximise their skills. Lessons held at Manly, Palm and Long Reef beaches. All surf gear supplied. www.manlysurfschool.com ■
Oceanworld Manly A fish-eye view of the underwater world. Watch the huge sharks, giant stingrays, turtles and shoals of fish being hand fed at Oceanworld Manly. www.oceanworld.com.au ■
Take a ferry or water taxi to Watsons Bay and dine on fish and chips at Doyles, a Sydney institution since 1885.
Cronulla, in the Sutherland Shire in Sydney’s south, is the only city beach you can reach by train. Explore the tidal pools at South Cronulla, or hit the surf at North Cronulla.
SURF SCHOOLS IN SYDNEY No other city in the world combines urban life and coastal resort with the ease of Sydney. From Palm Beach in the north to Cronulla in the south, Sydney has around 70 surf locations. Manly, Narrabeen, Dee Why and Bondi have some of the legendary surf breaks, but there are also plenty of minor classics that hold their head high in the surfing world. For surfing novices, there’s no better place to learn than at a Sydney beach. Local surf schools such as Lets Go Surfing (www.letsgosurfing.com.au) at Bondi and Manly Surf School (www.manlysurfschool. com) have classes for beginners all year round. Find out about the best surf conditions at www.coastalwatch.com. Get all the news about the swell, winds, weather links and surfcams from 14 Sydney beaches.
SUN AND SURF SAFETY Safety is paramount on a board. Stay out of flagged swimming areas – swimmers and board riders don’t mix. If other riders are too close for comfort, head for somewhere else, and remember – never surf alone. At the beach, look for the red and yellow flags, which indicate lifesavers are on duty. The area between the flags is the safest place on the beach to swim. When outdoors, particularly when the sun is at its hottest between 11 am and 3 pm, visitors should cover up to avoid sunburn. Wearing a broad-brimmed hat and a longsleeved shirt and applying a high-SPF, waterresistant sunscreen are advisable. Wearing a sunsafe swim shirt is also recommended.
sydney.com
BEACH CULTURE
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