The ferry to Manly took only 30 minutes. It was delightful looking at Sydney Harbour, from different perspectives, as you sailed along.

We arrived to another spectacular beach and area. Similar to Bondi, it has a vibrant hustle and bustle with a chilled atmosphere. The panoramic views are magical and again, we were lucky with the weather. It was a beautiful sunny day and great to be able to explore this area.

Manly is placed in northern Sydney about 17 km north east of the city centre. Henry Gilbert Smith thought about making Manly into a resort in the 1850s and acquired nearby land. By 1873, Smith sold property leases with steamers to the operators of ferries and eventually ownership passed to Port Jackson & Manly Steamship Company. This company built many attractions including the swimming pool, pavilion and pier. In 1972, the company was sold to Brambles Limited and in 1974 the Government of New South Wales and is now part of Sydney Ferries.

It is one of the most popular local resorts. In fact, I’ve been told by locals, tourists frequent Bondi Beach and the locals prefer Manly.

We loved it and I can see why the locals prefer it. You arrive off the ferry and walk 10 minutes through the town to the beach. The beach itself is long and wide and isn’t so busy and obviously attracts a wider spectrum  of people. Youngsters were enjoying volleyball while we were there but the emphasis is on just chilling with family or friends as opposed to serious surfing, etc.

Overall, think I preferred Manly as it is good to walk along the tree lined avenue and grass area in front of the beach. There are also a better variety of shops with buskers, painters, speakers, etc. Also, loved the ferry ride over to Manly. You hop on the boat by using the Opal card which is handy and very simple.