Sydney Harbour must be the most beautiful in the world; the sandstone cliffs bordered by bushland, magnificent mansions descending down to the shore, white yachts sailing effortlessly through the water, or lying silently at anchor in pretty bays, and therefore it’s no wonder that the First Fleeter’s described it as the ‘finest harbour in the world’. You also don’t have to be a millionaire to enjoy these sensational views; simply take a walk along one of the walking tracks. They are absolutely free, and one of the best is the Spit Bridge to Manly Walk, which I walked today.
At 10am under beautiful clear blue spring sky, I strode off along the leafy green streets of our home in Mosman towards the Spit Bridge. The Spit Road section is the noisiest part of the trip, but thankfully, it was not too long I turned right onto Parriwi road to escape the din, and enjoy the views over Middle Harbour (pictured above).
From here simply walk down to the shops and the bridge.
After crossing the Spit Bridge, take the first driveway on the right, and follow the trail along Fisher Bay reserve. The roar of the traffic on Spit Bridge gradually fades away as the path curves around the harbor, along these boardwalks (pictured above) to Clontarf Park, where I recommend a stop at the small kiosk for a cold drink, and perhaps, like me, an ice cream.
I scrunched along the golden sands of Clontarf Beach, into the bush land of Grotto Point Reserve, following the side of the cliffs (pictured below),
marveling at the sensational views (pictured above).
At this point you can either continue straight along the track towards Manly, or detour, like I did 700 metres to the white Grotto Lighthouse (pictured above), which from my balcony looks like it should be sitting on a Greek Isle somewhere, but up close it’s rather less impressive. From here I looked directly opposite to Balmoral Beach, and our sandy coloured brick apartment on the ridge above (pictured below). I texted Louise, who was sun baking on the balcony to wave, but I guess I might well as asked her to look at an ant, I was so far away.
Back at the main track, a short distance away is some of the best views of the whole trip; on the left Manly Cove, straight ahead Sydney Harbour Heads (pictured below), and on the right views to the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.
The path curves around west to the tranquil North Harbour, and past this lovely beach (pictured below), before turning back east towards Manly.
At 1pm, after an easy three hours of walking, I had made it to my destination, Manly (pictured below), which is also a great place to have lunch. I ate at the Fusion Pont Manly restaurant on Wentworth Street, enjoying their tasty salt and pepper squid salad, at their outdoor tables, and appreciating at how relatively cheap and good Australian food really is. After travelling overseas and seeing the cost and poor quality of both their cuisine, and chefs, I will consequently never take our food for granted again.
From Manly you can take a ferry, like I did back to the city, where you will experience the harbour firsthand, and have one of the cheapest and best cruises imaginable. From the city, I took a ferry back home to Mosman, eternally grateful for all the conservationists who fought so hard to protect the Sydney Harbour foreshore from development, to ensure it remains like when it was first settled two hundred years ago, as ‘the finest harbour in the universe.’
At this point you can either continue straight along the track towards Manly, or detour, like I did 700 metres to the white Grotto Lighthouse (pictured above), which from my balcony looks like it should be sitting on a Greek Isle somewhere, but up close it’s rather less impressive. From here I looked directly opposite to Balmoral Beach, and our sandy coloured brick apartment on the ridge above (pictured below). I texted Louise, who was sun baking on the balcony to wave, but I guess I might well as asked her to look at an ant, I was so far away.
Back at the main track, a short distance away is some of the best views of the whole trip; on the left Manly Cove, straight ahead Sydney Harbour Heads (pictured below), and on the right views to the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney.
The path curves around west to the tranquil North Harbour, and past this lovely beach (pictured below), before turning back east towards Manly.
At 1pm, after an easy three hours of walking, I had made it to my destination, Manly (pictured below), which is also a great place to have lunch. I ate at the Fusion Pont Manly restaurant on Wentworth Street, enjoying their tasty salt and pepper squid salad, at their outdoor tables, and appreciating at how relatively cheap and good Australian food really is. After travelling overseas and seeing the cost and poor quality of both their cuisine, and chefs, I will consequently never take our food for granted again.
From Manly you can take a ferry, like I did back to the city, where you will experience the harbour firsthand, and have one of the cheapest and best cruises imaginable. From the city, I took a ferry back home to Mosman, eternally grateful for all the conservationists who fought so hard to protect the Sydney Harbour foreshore from development, to ensure it remains like when it was first settled two hundred years ago, as ‘the finest harbour in the universe.’
