Spit Bridge to Manly

The Indian summer continues unabated in New South Wales, so we venture down to the Spit Bridge to trek along the 9km route Manly.

The route follows the water's edge most of the way and gives access to some glorious little beaches and great views of the city.


It takes about 2 hours or so but we're meandering so it takes nearer 3. Luckily enough there is plenty of shade on the route, and the water is nice and warm, sheltered as it is from the wind and the cooler currents of the Tasman Sea.

The more and more I try to get a grip on the layout of Sydney and its suburbs the more it eludes me. There are just so many inlets, harbours, coves and lagoons that it's hard to put it all together, so that it now seems more like an archipelago than a city.

Along the trail there are signs of the previous and more ancient inhabitants of the area, with carvings depicting the local fauna.
This little bay looks out to North Head and the entrance to the Tasman. There are lots of little shingled shacks down by the waterside, but no apparent way to access them other than by boat. Which just adds to their mystery.
Reef Beach is one of the nicest and most secluded along the way. We stop to freshen up our feet in the azure waters, and Mandy picks up some obligatory seashells. Hopefully she's not thinking of making a vase with them out of plaster.


Eventually we reach 40 baskets beach and the wealthier parts of Manly.
Of course with all this walking and all the heat we just have to reward ourselves at the Bavarian Bier Cafe down on Manly Wharf. There really was no other way to end the day.



As you can see the day is further enhanced when my intial attempts at 'grafting' begin to take shape.