The Manly-Freshwater-Curl Curl area is one of my favorite places in the whole world.  Manly itself is a small beachside suburb located in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney, Australia.  The coastline is stunning and the community is vibrant and fitness oriented.  Starting at dawn or even pre-dawn, you will see surfers in the water, , runners on the beach, and swimmers out in the ocean, usually doing a route from Manly to Shelly Beach.  

Manly, North Steyne

View of Manly at Dawn

Surfing

Manly-Freshwater is actually the birthplace of surfing in Australia and is designated as a national surfing reserve with over 100 years of surfing history!   Surfing in Manly dates back to the early 1900s when Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku introduced the sport to Australia. Kahanamoku, an Olympic swimmer and famous surfer, gave a surfing demonstration at Freshwater Beach in 1914, which is generally considered the moment when surfing became popular in Australia.

During that time, Manly became a hub for surfing, with surf clubs and competitions popping up along the beach. In 1915, the first surfboard was made in Australia by surf club member, Tommy Walker, in Manly.  The first World Surfing Championship was hosted in Manly in 1964.

As you might imagine, Manly gets fairly consistent, high quality waves and, as a surfer, it’s quite a nice place to live.  Since the waves can get quite crowded, I recommend an early start.

Rock Pools

There is a rock pool on the north side of Manly beach called the Queenscliff Rock Pool.  It is just at the bottom of the cliffs on the north side.   As with all the rock pools, it is filled with ocean water so it’s typically not very warm but it does make for a nice, safe place to swim or relax.  

On the south side of Manly, there is a walkway which leads along Cabbage Tree Bay to Shelly Beach.  Along that walkway, there is a tidal pool referred to as the Fairy Bower pool or the Cabbage Tree Bay Pool.   On the edge of the tidal pool are two famous sculptures created by Helen Leete called the Oceanides.  In Greek mythology the Oceanides were nymphs and the daughters of the titan Oceanus with a Sea Goddess as their mother.  Interestingly, there was once an beached juvenile Great White Shark that Manly bathers brought into the pool to allow it to recover (Check out the video here).  

Queenscliff Rock Pool

Cabbage Tee Bay Aquatic Reserve

The Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve is a protected marine area located between Manly and Shelly Beaches.  It is phenomenal spot for snorkeling but most people in Sydney, even Manly locals, have never snorkeled here.  

The aquatic reserve was established in 2002, covering an area of 20 hectares, with the aim of protecting the unique and diverse marine life and habitats found in the bay. The reserve is home to a wide variety of marine life, including over 160 species of fish, 200 species of mollusks, crustaceans, and other marine invertebrates, and numerous species of seaweed and algae.  Some of the species that can be seen in the reserve include the eastern blue groper, squid, weedy seadragon, wobbegong sharks, port jackson sharks, fiddler rays, common rays, and giant cuttlefish, among others. The reserve is an important breeding and feeding ground for many species of fish and invertebrates.  As the seasons change throughout the year, the type of sea animals in the area change as well so it’s fascinating to snorkel here throughout the year.  Below are some of the photos and videos we took while snorkeling here back in 2020 when we used to live here (This was when I was working on ExPat assignment in Australia for work between 2017-2021).  You can see why I wanted to come back for not only the surfing but also the snorkeling!

Port Jackson Shark

Bi and a Wobbegong Shark

Same Giant Cuttlefish changing shape and colour

Flathead

Summary

In my opinion, Manly is a beautiful and unique place with consistent, quality surf, amazing snorkeling, and interesting rock pools, not to mention the vibrant community, fantastic coffee, and tasty cafes and restaurants.  

I have definitely missed the cappuccinos here!  A bit bitter with a hint of chocolate.  So good!