This past Saturday, we took the ferry out from Circular Quay to Manly. Manly is technically “a suburb of Northern Sydney”, but that description just doesn’t do it justice. Manly is a beautiful beach town sitting atop a piece of land that juts out into the sparkling Pacific Ocean. 18 pristine beaches surround the town and the Sydney Harbour National Park as well as several historic aboriginal sites are easy neighbours. Best of all, Manly is a mere 9 miles northeast of Sydney’s CBD or 7 nautical miles by ferry.
The journey is an enjoyable one – full of idyllic ocean views and the occasional sailboat. One view in particular, as a ship staring out at the open seas, just glimpsing two peninsulas reaching out to one another, stands out as spectacular. (More pics to come.)
Our hosts in Manly for the afternoon have a breathtaking view of the ocean. As a nod to New York, they’d made an impressive looking watermelon ring – a favorite of theirs from trips to Norma’s on 57th and 6th.
We had dinner at Hugo’s on our way back, a modern Italian restaurant on the wharf that had managed to transform itself from beachy casual to uber trendy between the afternoon and the evening. The place was packed and the food delicious. Sydney rock oysters are a staple (and favorite) on seafood menus here and Hugo’s did an amazing job with them. We can’t wait to go back!
A Wandering Feast 