AdBlock Detected

It looks like you're using an ad-blocker!

Our team work realy hard to produce quality content on this website and we noticed you have ad-blocking enabled.

Manly to North Head Walk

Manly to North Head Walk

The walk from Manly to North Head takes you past some beautiful beaches with views over the coast, through coastal scrub and passes old fortifications. Finally ending at the entrance to Sydney Harbour, it has spectacular views of the city.

Getting There

The easiest way to get to Manly is to take the Manly ferry from Circular Quay. If you’re new to Sydney, this is an attraction in itself, because the Sydney Harbour ferries form an important part of the local public transport. During the ferry ride, you get some brilliant views of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge as well as all the other boat traffic on the water.

Start of the Walk

Catching the Manly Ferry from Circular Quay, we arrived at Manly Wharf at 9:30 am. We planned our walk to take us along the shore to Shelly Beach where we would follow a track to the Barracks Precinct. Not only would this give us views over the coast but take us past some old fortifications and gun emplacements.

From the Manly wharf, we walked down The Corso, which is a pedestrian mall leading to the beach.

Manly Beach

One of the most popular Sydney beaches, Manly Beach is a great place for a swim or relaxing on the sand. We bought a coffee at a kiosk near the south end of the beach before starting the walk.

Manly Beach
Manly Beach

Manly to Shelly Beach

Starting at the south end of Manly Beach, the path follows the coastline, which is rocky until you reach Shelly Beach. There are plenty of places with places to look up and down the coast and back to Manly, giving you some amazing views.

Along the way look out for small metal sculptures of local wildlife. These have been placed on the rocks next to the path.

About halfway to Shelly Beach, Fairy Bower Pool is a protected ocean pool where you can swim. The pool is also decorated with a sculpture of two fairies.

Shelly Beach

Shelly Beach is a secluded and serene crescent-shaped beach surrounded by nice shady trees. As well as a grassed area to relax on it has a kiosk where you can buy refreshments before continuing the walk.

From Shelly Beach, the track goes uphill to head along the cliffs to the south.

Shelly Beach Manly Sydney Australia
Shelly Beach

Shelly Headland Lookout

Perched on a rocky outcrop overlooking the ocean, this Shelly Headland Lookout provides an ideal spot for photographers because of the wonderful views along the coast. During the whale migration season, it’s also an ideal point to watch them swimming past.

Coastal view looking north back to Manly Manly to North Head Walk
Coastal view looking north back to Manly

Shelly Beach to the Barracks Precinct

After the flat walk from Manly the track becomes rougher and steeper. From here the track climbs uphill to reach the cliff tops. Winding through the coastal vegetation, it is not as busy as the first section because it is a more difficult walk. We loved this section, as the walk through the bush was much more peaceful.

At the top of the cliffs, old fortifications dating from the Second World War and earlier can be seen. The track even goes through one of the old walls built to defend the area.

Barracks Precinct

The Barracks Precinct at North Head is a historically significant site that served as a military base from the mid-19th century to the mid-20th century. It played a crucial role in the defence of Sydney Harbor and housed various military units over the years.

The Barracks Precinct has well-preserved sandstone buildings, which showcase the architectural style of the time. It includes several barracks, officers’ quarters, mess halls, and maintenance buildings. These structures provide a glimpse into the daily lives of soldiers stationed at North Head.

Today, the Barracks Precinct has been repurposed as a heritage site and is open to the public for exploration. Visitors can wander through the historic buildings, learn about the site’s military history through information boards which are dotted around the area.

In this area and continuing to North Head, the walking tracks are generally well paved and often consists of boardwalks or paved roads. When we visited, the banksias were in flower adding a touch of colour to the walk.

Fortifications

Many of the original fortifications were dismantled and the guns sold for scrap when they were no longer needed. Fortunately, some are still in place so that visitors can see them. Several large gun emplacements are open to the public, but when we visited others were being repaired.

A great way to get a feel for the area’s past is to take the underground tunnels tour. We did this several years ago and highly recommend it. You walk through the tunnels and underground sections of the fortifications as well as getting into areas the general public cannot access.

Memorial Walk

Winding through the coastal vegetation, the Memorial Walk commemorates Australia’s military heritage. Not only are there great sandstone memorials but the path is inlaid with bricks commemorating individuals or military units.

Fairfax Lookout

The end of our walk took us to Fairfax Lookout with its stunning views of Sydney and Sydney Harbour. The site was named after Sir James Fairfax, a prominent Australian businessman and philanthropist.

View of Sydney and the Harbour from Fairfax Lookout Manly to North Head Walk
View of Sydney and the Harbour from Fairfax Lookout

Other Places to See in North Head

If you have time, Q Station, the old Sydney Quarantine Station is worth a visit. We did a guided tour here some time ago, which took us through the history of the site and most of its buildings. The old quarantine station cemetery is also a great place to see.

Getting Back

After finishing our walk, we decided to catch the bus back to the wharf as it stops right outside. Alternatively, you could walk back via Q Station. We had an excellent tour there a few years ago and highly recommend a visit.

Our photos are available for purchase on

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

Manly Beach Sydney Australia

Manly Beach Manly Sydney Australia

Manly

Visiting Manly in Sydney, is one of the great things to do when visiting this great city.  The easiest way to get there is to catch the Manly Ferry. It departs regularly from Circular Quay and takes about 40 minutes. If you are in a hurry, take the fast ferry, it costs more but takes half the time.

The ferry terminal has a selection of eateries, as does the walk down to the beach. We grabbed a coffee and some snacks and ate them next to the beach. There are plenty of places to sit and eat, either on the grass or numerous seats provided.

Manly Beach Manly Sydney Australia
Manly Beach

 As well as the excellent  beach, there is a nice walk along the foreshore to Shelly Beach. Along the way you will pass the Fairy Bower Pool. A nice little pool to swim in away from the waves. It also has some wonderful fairy statues.

Marine Parade Manly Sydney Australia
Marine Parade
Fairy Bower Sea Pool Marine Parade Manly Sydney Australia
Fairy Bower Sea Pool
Fairy Statues Fairy Bower Sea Pool Shelly Beach Sydney Australia
Fairy Statues

On our return to the ferry wharf, we passed some great street art. Our favorite was the stack of surfboards set up in someone’s front yard.

The Ferry Trip

On the return trip you will get some great views of the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and the mast of HMAS Sydney at Bradley’s Head.

Surf Board Street Art Manly Sydney Australia
Surf Board Street Art
Opera House From the Ferry Sydney Australia
Opera House From the Manly Ferry

Manly Wormhole

For something slightly different, there is a small tunnel to the north of Manly Beach. The Wormhole was originally constructed by fishermen for easy access from Manly to Freshwater, but it now makes an interesting destination.

Access is past the Queenscliff Rock Pool followed by a short walk over the rocks towards the point. Here you will see a couple of orange hearts painted on the wall which mark the wormhole’s location. Although not very long the tunnel provides some interesting views of Manly and the beach as well as some great views out to sea and along the coast. It’s an easy walk and was fun to do.

What Else to See in Manly?

While at Manly, you can also see the North Head Quarantine Station and North Head Tunnels and Gun Emplacements at the North Head Sanctuary.

Our photos are available for purchase on

[ctct form=”41″]

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.