A ferry ride from the city, Sydney's Northern Beaches feel like another world: surf clubs, rock pools, bush-covered headlands and a chain of golden beaches running north to Palm Beach. On calm days the water turns clear and blue, and the coast becomes one of the best places in Sydney to swim, snorkel and surf.
Manly, the gateway town
Almost every Northern Beaches trip starts in Manly, reached by ferry across the harbour from Circular Quay. Governor Arthur Phillip named the cove in 1788 after the "manly behaviour" of the Aboriginal men he met there. The Corso, a pedestrian street of cafes, surf shops and pubs, links the harbour wharf to the ocean beach on the other side.
Manly Beach, lined with Norfolk Island pines, is long, lively and patrolled by lifesavers, while the harbour side has calm netted swimming at Manly Cove. Come early on summer weekends: by late morning the ferries are packed and the beachfront is busy.
The World Surfing Reserve
From Shelly Beach to Freshwater the coast runs for about four kilometres past one surf break after another, and in 2012 it was declared the Manly-Freshwater World Surfing Reserve. Australian surfing has deep roots here. Swells arrive from the south and east, and the beaches face them along a coast with few obstacles offshore.
Freshwater is where it began. On 24 December 1914 the Olympic swimming champion Duke Kahanamoku gave a surfboard-riding demonstration on a board shaped from local timber, and many Australians saw stand-up surfing for the first time. A statue of the Duke stands on the headland, and the board is still held at the surf club. A second demonstration followed at Dee Why in January 1915.
North of Dee Why, Collaroy and Narrabeen form one long beach, and North Narrabeen, where the lagoon meets the sea, is among the most famous breaks in the country. It has produced generations of champions and still hosts regular contests. On big days, watch from the sand: these waves are for experienced surfers.
Calm days: when the ocean goes quiet
When the swell drops, usually on summer mornings with light winds, the Northern Beaches change completely. The water turns glassy and the same beaches that break hard in a storm become some of the best swimming and snorkelling spots in Sydney.
Shelly Beach, a short walk from Manly along the bay, faces west and is sheltered from most swell, with clear water, sand and rocky reef. It sits inside Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, a no-take zone since 2002 where more than 160 fish species have been recorded. Even on calm days, swim at patrolled beaches and check the conditions with the lifesavers first.
The fish of Cabbage Tree Bay
In the shallow water of Cabbage Tree Bay, large eastern blue gropers cruise right up to snorkellers, along with schools of reef fish and, on the bottom, the odd wobbegong shark resting on the sand.
Everything in the reserve is protected: no fishing, no collecting, and no taking or damaging any plant or animal, even shells. Feeding the fish is not allowed. Respect the swimmers' lane, and keep clear of the boat ramp and the rocks when the swell picks up.
North Head
Across Manly from the beach, North Head guards the entrance to Sydney Harbour and is part of Sydney Harbour National Park. From 1832 to 1984 its sheltered bay was the colony's quarantine station, where arriving ships and passengers were held to stop the spread of disease. The old buildings now house Q Station, with a hotel, restaurant and heritage tours.
Walking tracks lead across the headland's sandstone heath to lookouts over the ocean, the harbour and the city skyline. Bring water, keep to the tracks and look out for wildlife.
Ocean rock pools
Many beaches here have ocean rock pools cut into the rock shelf at one end, from Fairy Bower near Manly to Palm Beach. Waves top them up at high tide. They are free to swim in, but they are closed now and then for cleaning, and big seas can wash over the walls.
Palm Beach and Barrenjoey
At the far north of the peninsula, about 41 kilometres from the city, Palm Beach is a long, wild ocean beach backed by Pittwater on its quiet western side. Its northern surf club is the Summer Bay set in the TV series Home and Away. At the very tip, Barrenjoey Head rises over 100 metres above the sea, crowned by a sandstone lighthouse completed in 1881.
The track up is short but steep, rough and exposed, so wear good shoes and carry water. The headland is part of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, with views north across Broken Bay to the Central Coast.
Avalon and the Pittwater villages
On the way north, the road climbs through Newport, Bilgola and Avalon, small villages of bush-covered hills, cafes and surf shops. Avalon's beach sits in a deep bay below green headlands, and on the Pittwater side, ferries cross the calm water to the Basin and other small bays.
Where to stay
Manly has the most hotels and holiday flats, and it is an easy base with the ferry to the city at the door. Further north the choice is smaller, from guesthouses and holiday homes to beachfront caravan parks. Many visitors stay in Sydney and come for the day; book early for summer weekends and school holidays.
Getting there and around
Manly is about 17 kilometres from the city centre, and the ferry from Circular Quay takes around 20 to 30 minutes, past the Opera House and the harbour heads. It is one of the great ferry rides of the world. From the north side of the harbour, the B-Line express bus runs up the coast to Mona Vale, with local buses on to Palm Beach.
On hot weekends, beachfront traffic and parking can be very difficult. Go early, use public transport where you can, park only where it is legal, and check signs for time limits and fees.
Staying safe in the ocean
The Northern Beaches are beautiful but can be dangerous. Strong rip currents form on most beaches, sometimes right where the water looks calmest, and storms bring big swells, heavy shore breaks and waves that wash over rock platforms. Swim only between the red and yellow flags, read the posted warning signs, keep off wet rocks, and if you are caught in a rip, stay calm, float and raise an arm for help.