Manly

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So I decided that it’s about time that I get to one of Sydney’s favorite beaches for the first time. Manly beach is on the north side of the Sydney harbour across kind of across from Watson’s Bay. I was a little disconcerned because I have not been the one usually to plan our outings. I usually play the role of “sure let’s go, where are we going?” But I was left to planning this excursion. And it turned out to work out for me. Ash and Michelle decided they needed a break too and they would like to join me on this adventure.

We took the 2:14 train from Redfern to Circular Quay. And just made it for the 2:30 ferry to Manly. I was excited because it was my first time going to Manly and my first time on such a big ferry. We chatted about a wide variety of things on our 30 minute ride. I did take the chance to look out the windows to see Rose bay to Watson’s bay the hike I took with Brittany and her mom a couple weeks ago.

When we got to Manly, Ash wouldn’t let us out of the ferry terminal before we stopped at Max Brenner’s. I was unaware of this place but Michelle and Ash swore it was amazing chocolate. Ash got a Thick Italian hot Chocolate to go and we walked along into Manly. I didn’t know exactly where we were going but I had a general idea. So we wondered along the streets and we found the Manly markets that we were looking for. They were mainly small stalls of local venders with jewelry and handmade crafts. I did especially enjoy one booth that had matted photo prints. I enjoyed looking through the prints because I saw lots of pictures of places I had been and enjoyed in Australia (Balmain, Balmoral, Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Uluru etc…).

Then we realized how much our stomachs were growling for attention. So we decided to choose from the plethora of kabob places within 20 metres of where we were standing. We all got chicken kabobs and took them to a sunny spot on the beach to watch the surf…and the surfers. It was nice, relaxing and it turned into a beautiful evening. We then decided to have some fun taking photos on the beach and enjoying the surf. We took a leisurely stroll down the beach back towards the town where we could get back to the ferry. I took a lot of cool and contemplative pictures that were fun.

The ferry ride back to Circular Quay was gorgeous if a little cold. We sat at the front of the boat so that we could see the city CBD as we approached. I got some gorgeous shots of the city, the opera house, and the harbour bridge. It was troublesome getting good photos because I was one a boat in the water with a lot of movement. And photos in low light need to be still because the exposure time has to be increased if a flash isn’t used. I don’t like flashes because they wash out the photo so I do not use if possible.

So moral of the story I took a lot of pictures...I had to delete a lot but I was able to save some precious few. I was snap happy but I think it paid out because I got several good pictures of the skyline and some more pictures of the opera house at night. From angles that I have previously not seen either.

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Photos

On the Ferry
Ash and I on the ferry to Manly.

Surfer's Paradise
This guy looked very content sitting on Manly beach.

City Skyline
Here you can see the city CBD all the way to the harbour vridge