You can choose between catching a 135 bus, driving, cycling or walking, and there are three walking routes.
The 135 bus leaves once an hour from Stand D, across the road from the ferry wharf (see pic on right).
If you are driving, follow the walking instructions for the Darley Road route. Most healthy people can walk, one way or another, and as mentioned, there are three main walking routes, but Darley Road is the only one suited to cars or bicycles.
Via Shelly Beach | Going up Darley Road | via Little Manly and Collins Flat
This is written mainly for people travelling by public transport and wanting to stretch their legs
and see some pleasant views.
You walk out of the ferry wharf (or alight from a bus) and head directly away from the ferry wharf, down the main street, known as the Corso, until you reach the ocean beach, called either Manly Beach, or more correctly, "South Steyne", a name it was given in the 1850s, when a wannabe rich man saw Manly as "the new Brighton".
You can still see a hotel of that name on the Corso, but the sand on our New Brighton is much better, and also deeper than the "sand" at the old Brighton in England, which is made of cobbles.
As is explained in the geology background, in historic times, waves have run
the full length of the Corso, and the bed of sand beneath the Corso goes a long way below sea level, so
North Head is a sand- tied island that may one, day, be cut off again. No matter: when you reach the surf
beach, turn right, and follow the coast: your reference marker is the yellowish timber railing near the water.
Along the way, there is a pleasant rock pool to swim in (but not during storms!), and you can also swim at Shelly Beach, if you wish. The area is a aquatic reserve (NO fishing, collecting, anything that harms marine life), and the path and its surrounds are home to a number of Eastern Water Dragons (Intellagama lesueurii lesueurii) which can be 60 cm long. These are harmless fruit eaters
The reasonably wheelchair-friendly walkway follows the coast all the way to Shelly Beach,
where you can find food, drink, water and toilets. Get ready: things are about to get rougher,
and past Shelly Beach, wheelchairs can't go!
On the far side of the beach (the eastern or ocean side), you will find stairs leading up to a car park, and you need to head up there. To your left, there are paths around the small headland that offer pleasant views along the coast, with board riders close at hand. Having just walked it while checking this, you really should go out there for a look.
Then turn back and walk up through the car park, and find the track that leads up the slope. You will need sensible footwear for this clamber—and it is a gentle clamber in places. At the very worst, it will only take you half an hour to get to Bluefish Road.
Take it quietly: there are flowers to enjoy (including orchids, if you look), there are water dragons (a long way from water),
and in the end, you will come to a hole in the wall.
At this point, you go from Council land where dogs appear to be allowed, to National Parks land, where taking a dog might cost you $5500. The same fine applies on all of the lands you will be on after this, and National Parks also ban cats and bikes.
You are now on fairly level land: at the moment (2019) there is a sad burnt patch on your left, and you will come to an old quarry that was probably used for the sandstone walls in the area (nobody seems to be sure!), and this is now a wetland, often with a heron or two.
Keep going, and after passing a couple of old gun pits, you reach Bluefish Road.
Going back to Manly, this is where you head, if you want to get to Shelly Beach. For now, though, to move on
towards North Head, and you now have a choice. You can either cross Bluefish Road and follow the steel
track into the bush to node H near the Parade Ground, or cross the road and turn left to follow a
new track on the side of Bluefish Road to node I. This has bush on both sides, and it is easy walking.
There is quite a lot of vehicle traffic on Bluefish Road, so one or the other of these choices is a
Good Idea. Don't walk on the road!
You have now reached North Head, and is time to think about the walk you will do. Most of them are fairly level, but if you are worn out, cross the road, turn right, and follow the safe path down to where Bluefish Road ends and Darley Road begins. It is an easy and quiet walk back to Manly, or you can catch a 135 bus down the hill.
To follow this route, begin by heading down the Corso toward the ocean beach. Of course, if you look
at the map, you will see that there are less commercial streets that you can navigate.
If you are still with us, Darley Road is the end of road traffic on the Corso. Swing right and head along the flat, then up the hill. As the road levels out at the top of the hill, after you have seen stone walls on both sides, you will see a fork in the road. Take the right fork and go through, under the stone arch. Follow this road, known as Scenic Drive: you will see a road to and from Collins Flat on the right, then a road slanting off on the left. Ignore the first slanting one, and take the second similar turn-off, just down the road. Congratulations, you are now on North Fort Road.
Important safety note: beyond this point, the Scenic Drive can potentially be hazardous to pedestrians. You are far wiser to get off the main road. If you stay on the main road, walk on the right hand side, so you can see the oncoming traffic. In places, this is hard to do, which is why you should go another way.
Even on the North Fort Road, traffic often exceeds the speed limit of 20 km/hr, so stay on the footpath, or if you aren't able to use that, stay right,facing the oncoming traffic, and stay alert!
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The page was first created on 11 January 2019, and updated 2 August 2020.