"Sydney's landmark ocean beach, a scenic ferry ride from Circular Quay"
Manly Beach, Sydney Overview
Manly Beach runs along the ocean side of the Manly peninsula in Sydney's Northern Beaches, about 17 km northeast of the CBD, split into three stretches: Queenscliff, North Steyne and South Steyne. Visitors arrive by ferry from Circular Quay to Manly Wharf, then walk The Corso, a pedestrian strip of shops and cafes, straight to the sand. The section between Freshwater Beach and Shelly Beach was declared a World Surfing Reserve in 2012. Lifeguards patrol South Steyne year-round, and North Steyne and Queenscliff from October to April, covering swimming, surfing and beach volleyball.
Captain Arthur Phillip named the area in 1788 after the bearing of the Aboriginal men he met at Manly Cove. The beach became a fixture of Australian beach culture in 1902, when William Gocher's public daylight swim challenged bathing restrictions of the time; a run of drownings the next season led to the founding of Manly Life Saving Club, among the world's first surf lifesaving clubs. A coastal walk links the promenade to Fairy Bower and Shelly Beach, while The Corso connects the ferry wharf directly to the sand. The beach pairs naturally with a Manly Ferry crossing from Circular Quay, turning a harbour trip into a full day out.
