Spit to Manly Walk

If you don’t know Sydney, the post title might be a little bit cryptic. “Spit” refers to “The Spit“, a locality in Sydney named after a spit of land in Sydney’s Middle Harbour, while “Manly” is not an adjective, but the name of a beachside suburb (although etymologically it was named by Captain Arthur Phillip for the “manly” demeanour of the native Aboriginal people who inhabited the area). The Spit to Manly Walk is a 10 km walk along the coastline of Sydney Harbour, through a mix of undeveloped bushland, parkland, a short section on urban streets, and ending with a coastal promenade.

Today I did this walk with a couple of friends. We started by crossing The Spit Bridge:

Spit Bridge

And heading east on the north side:

Ellerys Punt Reserve

The first small cove we passed was Fisher Bay:

Fisher Bay looking out

Past the Sandy Bear Cafe:

The Sandy Bear

Then along Clontarf Beach, where we had to squeeze between the high tide waterline and the back fence of some houses:

Clontarf Beach ahead

Past some small beaches of the Duke of Edinburgh Reserve:

Duke of Edinburgh Reserve

Up onto Dobroyd Head, where there are historical Aboriginal rock carvings:

Fish 1

And where there was a view of the city:

The city

Over the hill to a view of Crater Cove and North Head:

Crater Cove and North Head

Where we saw a water dragon:

Water dragon

Then down to Reef Beach (a former nude beach):

Reef Beach view

Out of the bush into more urban surrounds:

Fairlight house

Past the Fairlight Tidal Pool:

Fairlight tidal pool

Along the promenade, where there are warning signs to beware of the fairy penguins who nest around this area:

Penguin warning

Past Manly Cove Beach:

Manly Cove Beach

And into Manly, where we went to the 4 Pines Brewery for lunch!

4 Pines Brewing Company

I got home late in the afternoon and basically relaxed for the rest of the day, exhausted!

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