The Manly Scenic Walkway

Nothing beats living just round the corner from one of the best coastal walks in Sydney. Each trip out to Australia I make sure I walk this 10km path from the Spit Bridge round to Manly.

It’s warm work as you drop down into little harbour bays, climb up steps, skirt headlands, plod through coastal forest, and then eventually after a few more rises and falls, head downhill into the beachside suburb of Manly.

I can remember that in my fittest years I could actually jog this route in one hour and fifty minutes.  Yesterday it took two and a half hours. But I walked.  And I slowed so many times to take photographs.

It’s that sort of walk.  To do it properly you have to leave our house which is a few bays around from the start.  And that means a stiff uphill pull to Seaforth and along a few streets until you can drop down to the start.

And the best thing about walking carefully down these incredibly steep and long set of Gallipoli Steps? You are just so thrilled you aren’t climbing up.

An early start also means you may be the one person who cops all the spider webs that will have been spun overnight on the path.

Luckily a man came jogging out of the path just under the bridge, so could put down my ridiculous palm frond I was holding in front of my face (never a winning look) and just enjoy the scenery. Spider free.

The first section takes you round the bay into Clontarf, along the beach (mercifully it was low tide, so the trudge along the sand was on the firmer stuff) and then up and up around to one of our favourite little beaches Castle Rock.

The trees here – mostly angophora and therefore you would probably say ‘eucalypts’ are stunning.  The wooden walkway makes sure you skirt round some extraordinary specimens. Angophoras are a large family of plants and eucalypts are only part of them, but easily the most recognisable.

I didn’t take a guide to trees or native plants of Australia with me (I was travelling light) so I can’t name them all.  But what amazed me was how many wildflowers were still blooming even at the end of summer. They call it officially autumn here right now: that would be 28C and hot and humid, so no, I wouldn’t call it that.

The understory of plants through this woodland forest are full of low growing banksias, flannel flowers, small eucalpyts, what we call Christmas bells, ferns, and a dozen other plants I ought to know and name. Shame on me.

Since the last time I walked this path they have improved a lot of the track with sandstone edges.  It has been widened to accommodate the keen walkers, and joggers, and also to protect the bush.

You don’t want people like me lurching into the undergrowth scaring the wildlife and nicking a flannel flower.

I did scare a few water dragons. They were too quick for me; I didn’t get my camera out in time. So you will have to wait for a more obedient creature next time I’m out walking.

Halfway along the path you suddenly come across the sweeping views of Sydney heads with the city on the other side of the harbour.  And no longer is this a mostly solitary walk. The thrum of the tourist buses disgorging their passengers to take the ubquitious shots will accompany on your next part of the path.

And around the next headland you get a glimpse of the destination. Yippee. Mostly downhill from here.

Just a few beaches to plod along (love Forty Baskets beach), two more steep hills and a long sweep along past Fairlight Beach and around to the ferry terminal at the wharf.

Steer clear of the hordes of disgorging tourists and you are almost at your destination.

We have taken to meeting up at a little cafe called The Roast Office up on Darley Road each morning. I walk, and David returns from his long early morning cycle ride up to West Head.

And proof for those of you who know me well. Yes I am drinkng coffee.  I have never done so before. Pause for you to splutter and cough as you sip your daily dose.  I used to try and drink a cup every New Year’s for the past few years, just to see if my fluttering heart would take the caffeine hit.

And so far, so good. It tastes delicious (but I am guided carefully by someone who takes his coffee Very Seriously) and gives one quite the kick.  Not swimming laps on the ceiling and have to lie down in a darkened room kick, but a kick.  I might even get used to it.