Manly

Quite outrageously it's taken me four years to get myself over to Manly, which is just a short ferry ride from Circular Quay. Even mum and Keith managed to get their when they visited a few years ago! But finally I visited last weekend, as my German friend Ariane lives there and she's just got a gorgeous new apartment.

The beach at Manly

Manly is on the northern side of the harbour mouth, where the harbour meets the ocean. It has harbour-facing beaches and ocean-facing beaches and is popular with surfers. It's got a very village-y feel to it, and as we walked along the coast we bumped into several people Ariane knew.

Morning coffee

After breakfast in a gorgeous cafe run by the Italian mafia (!) we set off on Saturday morning for a bracing walk along the coast towards Dee Why, pas Curl Curl and Freshwater. Very silly names, but beautiful and almost deserted beaches. Winter doesn't bring many tourists to Manly so it was pleasantly quiet.

Winter fisherman

Ariane

After lunch in Dee Why we bought some provisions and headed back to Ariane's flat, where we cooked up a gorgeous beef casserole and quaffed copious amounts of red wine, putting the world to rights along with her Colombian friend Claudia. One of my favourite things about Australia is its multicultural nature -- we're from all over the world and yet we all feel at home in Australia. The very nature of Australia is this melting pot of different cultures and backgrounds.

Following a resounding win by the German football team and a bit of sleep I headed home to Bondi on Sunday. Commuting by ferry to the city must be one of the best things about living in Manly. Definitely a place I'll be visiting again.

Catching the ferry home

Approaching the city

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