Manly-Warringah Map and information
This map shows the 30 km strip of coast, north of Sydney, known as Manly-Warringah.
1: Palm Beach
Well-described as a millionaire's playground, Palm Beach lies at the end of Sydney's longest bus ride. There are pleasant walks along the beach or up to Barrenjoey lighthouse for spectacular views, and soapie fans will be able to catch glimpses of either the filming of "Home and Away", or some of the backdrops used to film it.
2: Pittwater
A yachting paradise. Sheltered waters, room to manoeuvre, bush-lined shores on the western side, fish to catch, plenty of places to drop the pick and just cogitate. On the headland to the west (left), we have Ku-Ring-Gai Chase National Park, a paradise of heathland and dry sclerophyll, my favourite place for finding aboriginal engravings. From time to time, I lead walking workshops over these sites, for the Australian Museum Society.
3: Narrabeen Lake
For some unknown reason, always referred to locally as "Narrabeen lakes", the lake draws on a large coastal catchment, and has something of a silting problem. This in turn generates a dredging problem as rich idiots demand the right to make squillions of dollars dredging and selling the sand.
4: Long Reef
A geologist's paradise -- this is described more fully in notes attached to the Sydney map.
Long Reef is also returning to being a biologist's paradise, as the area is now a marine reserve, and the rock platform is slowly gathering a population again.
The area is also popular with paragliders, who step off the sloping cliffs to catch the updrafts on whichever side of the headland is windy -- the prevailing wind is from the north-east, while storms often bring up a stiff sou'easter.
5: Curl Curl
Just another beach, unless you happen to like swimming there. There are two clubs, North Curl Curl and South Curl Curl, and excellent waves.
6: Freshwater
And another beach, but a very special one, for this is where the first surf board was ridden in Australia by Duke Kahanamoku.
7: Manly beach
And yet another. Even on the last Sunday in May, when I first drafted this page, there were several hundred people at the beach. Most will wear wet suits, and stay in the water for hours, riding their boards into shore, others will still be swimming. And why not? After all, the water is 21 C, about 70 F, so when the sun is out and the breeze is gentle, out they go!
You get to Manly by ferry or car (parking is often a problem), walk down the Corso to the surf, and dive in.
8: Manly Cove
For people who are frightened of waves, the harbourside beaches of Manly beckon. The area is also home to several hundred yachts on weekends, from brave little 8'6" Manly Juniors, through Flying 11s, and their bigger siblings, the 14s, 16s, and occasionally, the screaming 18s, surely the fastest monohulls in the world, grossly over-sailed and underweight cockle shells, crewed by madmen, lunatics and gods.
Theory has it that the crews on 18s do not know the meaning of fear, because they aren't very bright -- they are only there for muscle and weight, but at least the skippers have stopped dropping the spare crew overboard at the last mark, before the downwind run to the finish. Ferries follow the 18s each week, and bets are placed (illegally)
But for the most part, Manly Cove is a quiet sort of place, criss-crossed by ferries, Jetcats, jetskis, small and large powerboats, rowing boats, kayaks, surf skis, sail boards, and even the occasional surf boat crew, getting into training in the calmer waters of the harbour.
Click here to see a jetcat approaching Manly Wharf
Click here to see a panorama, from North Head to Manly
Click here to see Manly Wharf and Manly Cove
Last update: March 18, 1997
