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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.
– Do the Manly to Spit Bridge walk, a classic
half-day stroll along beaches, through parks
and tangled forest, past cliffs and coastal
heathlands.
– Browse in Manly Arts and Craft Market,
a weekend treat selling candles, woodwork,
leather, jewellery, ceramics, paintings and
glassware.
DON’T MISS
■ 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
■ 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
Beaches further afield
Take a ferry or water taxi to Watsons Bay and
dine on fish and chips at Doyles, a Sydney
institution since 1885.
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.
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.
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 17