Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Majorly Manly

After ditching our plan to work on a farm for three months, Ben and I made our way south to earn some money while spending the summer by the beach. We decided to set up camp in Manly, which is just a short ferry ride from downtown Sydney and the gateway to an area known as the 'northern beaches' (basically a group of beach towns north of Sydney). Although it's not far from the city, it feels like another world. No shirts, no shoes, no problem - you'll get service in Manly! From toddlers to seniors, nearly everyone here bikes around barefoot and has a surfboard under their arm. 

Although Melbourne had beaches as well, Manly could not be more different. The northern beaches (and arguably Sydney) cannot begin to compete with Melbourne's eclectic cultural scene; however the amount of natural beauty and nearby outdoorsy activities here are far superior!

The Corso, the main strip in Manly

Beautiful Manly Beach

Looking out to Shelley Beach, my favourite spot in Manly

Love this place, reminds me of Greece...

Bustling Shelley Beach, a popular spot for diving and snorkeling

Water Dragon at Shelley Beach

Love locks

Oh, you might be wondering where Manly got its name. They named it after this elderly gentleman:



Okay, I may have made that up. The real story is this: Captain Arthur Phillip, a British Admiral who founded the settlement that became Sydney, was impressed with the behaviour of the local Aboriginals he encountered when he sailed here, which he described as 'manly.' I imagine the area has changed quite a bit since 1788 but judging by the above photo, the legacy of manly behaviour seems to have carried on!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

such a good story for a beach :)
la frimueuuse :D reminds me of Greece .. haha
Sarah Abj.

Wondering and Wandering said...

Ha! Thanks for reading Sarah :)