Manly Beach, a ferry from Sydney - a thousand miles from care

Today has been a good day.The watery city of Sydney has utterly won me over and I am another convert to its charms. Alot of that has to do with natural setting. The harbour truly is exceptional. Bays and inlets dip into the habour surrounded by eucalypt forest. Catamarans and sailboats flit too and fro and once in a while you get a glimpse of international icons such as the Opera house or Bridge. Sydney is really about getting out onto the water. This city seems more connected to the sea then most. The sea is your friend and is to be enjoyed..

The sun was out this morning in Sydney but there was still a chill in the air. The news said it will get to 20 degrees today which to me isnt cold, its almost beach weather. The hotel is deserted - you take your key with you as there is no one in reception. Newtown is very alternative and full of interesting shops such as Turkish rug sellars, tatooists, vinyl dealers and a couple of trendy bars. I took the train to Circular Quay. The trains in Sydney are less frequent then London and come every half hour. But as double-deckers they have some amazing views especially when you pull into Circular Quay.

Sydney is really about getting out onto the water. This city seems more connected to the sea then most. The sea is your friend and is to be enjoyed.. The Corso is charming and is a kind of sun-kissed High Street immaculately clean and full of fiftysomethings wearing "thongs", sun hats, shorts and newpapers tucked under their arm

When it is sunny in Sydney, and that seems to be every day, CQ is lovely. Its showpiece Australia. The one they show on all the brochures. I bought a ticket on the green and gold ferries to Manly and casually strolled up the gangplank. The ferries are great almost as if they are designed for tourists rather then commuters with wide spaces at the front for you to gawp at the scenery. From the foredeck the harbour looks magnificent as you glide around the Opera house. The whole vista lit up in the sun is breathtaking.

You glide past the Opera house, past the botanical gardens, past Kiribilli Point then finally past Middle head and onto Manly Pier. Manly looked quite classy with Victorian houses down to the harbour. The pier building is impressive with an unbroken line of shops, cafes, cafes and ice cream parlours. Across the road is the Corso which leads to the beaches. The Corso is charming and is a kind of sun-kissed High Street immaculately clean and full of fiftysomethings wearing "thongs", sun hats, shorts and newpapers tucked under their arm.

My aunts friend has lived in Manly for forty years and says it is a wonderful place to live.On this sunny morning I could agree with her and treated myself to a "Aussie breakfast" which is the same as an English one but served in Australia. At the end of the Corso is the famous beach. The promenade is pounded by joggers and overlooked by Norfolk Pines. The temperature is about 20 degrees here which may explain why the beach is full of foreigners and not Australians. The surfers were out - their little heads bobbing in the glittering water.

Glass condos and apartment blocks line the beach. To the south is a rocky headland which has a footpath. It waked above streaked rocks and tidal pools and emptied out into a little cove surrounded by eucalyt forest. The effect of sapphire sea, green trees and white beach was beautiful. This is Cabbage Tree beach where kids played in the sand and grownups drank lattes in the nearby cafes. I took a coffee and listened in to their conversation.

Evidently "you cant get anything in Sydney under $200,000 these days.."