Manly March 3

Back to normal today – sunny with heat to warrant sunscreen! We were away earlier and caught the 10:30 ferry arriving in Manly at 11 am. A direct run & everyone’s favourite way to travel to Manly. Our boat ride was a review of sites we recognize; the Opera House, spectacular views of the Harbour Bridge, Luna Park – the giant size happy-face, Cremorne Point (1st walk), Taronga Zoo – the cable car, seal tent & Treetop restaurant, & Watsons Bay with its lighthouse, before crossing the Tasman Sea inlet to the North Head & Manly Harbour. A 2nd opportunity to capture postcard quality photos, bath in the sunshine, & watch sailboats glide across the sparkling sea.
We followed Lewis & Elsa’s suggestions gained from their visit yesterday; stopped at the I-Site for maps, walked along the pedestrian mall, shopped at Coles’ supermarket for a picnic lunch, & then crossed the street to the Esplanade & Manly Beach. We watched the surfers & swimmers in the waves under the watchful eye of the lifeguard; flags strategically warning of the dangers of the undertow & where to play in safe waters. We sauntered along the Esplanade to Shelly Beach (1.5K) along the Cabbage Tree Bay aquatic reserve. We read the plaques & glanced at the marine life sculptures attached to the sandstone rocks along our way: weedy sea dragon, little penguin, snails and octopus. We snapped photos of the Eastern Water Dragons, from 3 inch to 3 foot ones basting in the sun. We ate our picnic in a quiet nook on the a bench in memory of a 55 year-old surfer ‘Big John’ with a wish for us to enjoy the view. We did enjoy the sandstone ridge coastal view (do you); & ate our lunch as 2 surfers navigated the surf far below us.
We enjoyed our visit to Manly and finished it with a beer from the 4 Pines Brewing Company. 4 Pines beer is brewed on the family-own premises; 4 regular brews on tap – Kolsch, Pale Ale, Hefeweizen and ESB. We sat on the patio to enjoy our beer and waited for our return ferry to Sydney. Lewis & Elsa had a memorable day at Watsons Bay and were waiting for us at the Wharf on our return; as Lewis would say “Manly – but I like it too!”
Tonight, Bob came for dinner – a little strange perhaps coming to his own home by invitation, but a great evening enjoyed by all. Yes, Lewis cooked a roast of lamb which was delicious!