August 26, 2025
I’m in Sydney for a week, in between my MTC classes. I’ve been doing the classic tourist sightseeing in Sydney. This journey I decided to go to Manly.
I started at Circular Quay (pronounced “Key’) in the Central Business District, took a ferry to Manly Wharf on the harbour side of Manly, then walked to Manly beach.
Tuesday was a brilliant day: clear sky, a little cold in the morning (16 degrees Centigrade) but warming up to the low 20’s. It felt like spring, even though we were in the last week of winter. (A few days later, it was back to winter again, with big falls of snow in the Snowy Mountains.)
Circular Quay, the walking-only promenade next to the harbour. In the above photo the Quay actually juts out into the harbour – beneath those people is deep water. To the left, a restaurant with sky-high prices (but it’s on Circular Quay!)
A close-up of some ferries.
Another view of some ferries. Incidently, why is it called “Circular Quay”? Wikipedia says “The harbour was originally known as ‘Semi-Circular Quay’, this being the actual shape of the quay. The name was shortened for convenience.”
The Sydney Harbour Bridge. I did a post covering this.
The Sydney Fast Ferry was leaving in a few minutes. I just had time to snap a picture above.
We’re off! Well, no – this photo was taken coming back to Circular Quay after visiting Manly, but I didn’t have a photo capturing this period going out.
It’s a beautiful day, the air is fresh and clear, Sydney sparkles.
The Sydney Opera House. I did a post on this. Actually when I took this photo I was on my way back to Circular Quay.
Here is a photo when I was going out to Manly.
A fine view of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in bright sunlight.
Admiralty House ” is the Sydney residence of the Governor-General and one of the most historic and important residences on Sydney Harbour. The iconic property is used by the Governor-General as both a residence (when they are not at Government House, Canberra) and to host thousands of people every year … It was renamed Admiralty House in 1885 when the colonial government purchased it as a residence for the Admiral of the Royal Navy’s Australian Squadron. … Admiralty House was handed to the Commonwealth Government in October 1913 and became the official residence of the Governor-General.”
There were other people snapping photos as well.
Fort Denison. I wrote about it on this page.
A fine view of the foreshore.
Shark Island, “an attractive and picturesque island of shady trees, sandstone grottoes, grassy slopes and small sandy beaches. It gets its name from the fact that its outline is vaguely similar to that of a shark. ‘Boambilly’ was its Aboriginal name. … With views stretching towards the Harbour Bridge and the white sails of the Opera House in one direction, and over to Manly and the Heads in the other, Shark Island is quite possibly the most precious jewel in the crown of the harbour.”
The ferry turned to head north, and the headland cut off my view of Sydney.
South Head. Beyond is the Pacific Ocean, until South America.
On the other shore it’s all wild bush. Google says “Residential development has impacted a significant amount of the harbour foreshores over many years. Much of what remained was preserved partly due to the presence of military bases, and partly because of the work of conservationists … The Sydney Harbour National Park was finally gazetted in 1975 … the historically important quarantine station at Manly was added in 1984.”
The Quarantine Station. “Between the 1830s and 1984 every migrant ship entering Sydney Harbour was required to be cleared of infectious diseases before the passengers were able to land. If disease was suspected on board both the sick and the healthy were sent to the quarantine station. Some … spent only a few days there, some spent many months and others, more than 500 in all, died. They died of terrible diseases, the mere names of which conjure up images of suffering and desolation – diseases such as smallpox, bubonic plague, typhus and Spanish flu. The healthy were segregated from the sick which meant that those who died often did so alone without the comfort of family or friends. … Q Station has a reputation as the most haunted place in Sydney.”
Coming into Manly.
Almost at Manly Wharf.
Manly Wharf.
People walking off the ferry, including a cyclist
Manly Wharf is built out over the harbour (as is Circular Quay). The photo above looks down into the green murky waters.
I rushed to get on the Manly Fast Ferry so I didn’t have a photograph. Here’s one as I was leaving.
The entrance to Manly Wharf.
There are many, many clips on YouTube about the Circular Quay – Manly route, but there are not many clips that don’t show the influencers. Here is one.
Outside Manly Wharf there was quite a pretty view.
Not far away is Manly Beach (600 meters according to Google Maps) along the Corso.
This section of the Corso is partly pedestrianized. There is a huge fig (above) which spreads out above filling the road.
ManlyAustralia.com says “The Manly Corso was laid out in 1854-55 by Henry Gilbert Smith, originally built as a boardwalk for early tourists across Manly’s sand spit between the harbour pier and the beach. The Corso remains the focal point of Manly as a part-pedestrian mall lined with popular surf shops, pubs, cafes, galleries, and street entertainment. Most of this street has no vehicular traffic making it a broad pedestrian precinct for shoppers and visitors and the quickest route from the Manly Ferry to Manly Beach.”
The Vietnamese bánh mì, Sydney’s unofficial favourite meal.
The easternmost end of the Corso.
Manly Beach.
Looking to the right on Manly Beach. Those signs say “Beach Closed”, due to the heavy waves, but two female surfers are heading out regardless. In the upper left of the photo is Cabbage Tree Bay and Shelly Beach.
Looking to the left. It’s all beach to the headland, then beaches and beaches for thousands of kilometers.
I ate at a nearby hotel, full English breakfast for $AUS 35 (NTD 700). Sydney may be gorgeous, but it’s also expensive. Then I took the ferry back to Circular Quay.
For Yíyún (宜芸) from a tourist shop in Circular Quay I bought a plushy platypus, “a small amphibious Australian mammal noted for its odd combination of primitive features and special adaptations, especially the flat, almost comical bill that early observers thought was that of a duck sewn onto the body of a mammal.” I’m told that in London a preserved platypus has incisions around its bill – a scientist was trying to find the stitches.
While waiting for my bus back to Northbridge I had a quick snack at a cafe in Clarence St in the CBD. While waiting for my meal I watched as an ibis fished out a paper bag using its beak (above). An alternative name for the ibis is “bin chicken”, quite appropriate.
My meal, a chicken sandwich and a long black coffee. Total cost $AUD 20 (NTD 400), cheap for Sydney.
Wandering Richard 