Manly Beach is a ferry ride away from Sydney and departs from Circular Quay harbour. As I mentioned in my Sydney blog post, you can take the fast ferry (15 min ride) or the slow ferry (30 min ride) to get over to Manly. Even if you don’t have a ton of time to spend, I would still recommend taking the ferry ride because of the beautiful views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House, and Sydney skyline you experience from the water. PLUS, Manly is a really cool spot to spend a day or two!
When you take the ferry, you actually arrive into Manly Wharf. The beach is on the other side (only a 15 min walk). I was shocked by how many people hang out on the wharf side. Locals call this area “Wharfy” and there are a number of restaurants, bars, and other shops here. Jetty Bar (pictured below) is probably the most popular establishment. It is an old pier jutting out into Manly Wharf that they converted into a bar and tons of people flock here to watch the sun go down and enjoy a couple drinks. But, Australians don’t need a bar to enjoy the Manly sunset. The majority of people just bring their blanket or towel, pack a cooler with their food/drink of choice and just hang out by the water. Highly recommended and much cheaper! On a nice day, the wharf side is just as packed as the beach side.
The beach side of Manly is a classic Australian beach. Beautiful white sand and spectacular views of cliffs with homes scattered on top. The gigantic pine trees that line the boardwalk on the beach outskirts are unique and very impressive. The boardwalk also has a running/biking path and as well as a couple pavilions.
Manly Beach is one of Australia’s most famous beaches for surfing. The first World Surfing Championship was hosted at Manly in 1964 and every February it is home to the Australian Open of Surfing. Volleyball is big here too and they just hosted Volleyfest last month, which is a world-class beach volleyball tournament. This 10 day competition showcases the best players in the world and draws 8,000 spectators daily.
Connecting the wharf and the beach is a main strip of stores, restaurants, bar, etc. There are a ton of good places to check out in this area, so pick one that meets your fancy and pop in. A good place to check out for food, drinks, and live music is Donny’s. They have a nice outdoor seating area in addition to the interesting decor inside that adorns their exposed brick walls. If you like a good dive bar, I can recommend the The Old Manly Boatshed. Their tagline is, “7 miles from Sydney and a 1000 miles from care”. We ended our nights here and had a blast in this intimate live music venue. Interesting crowd of all ages/origins, good music, people watching and cold beer. What more could you ask for?
If you have time, the last thing I would suggest is going on one of Manly’s famous walking trails. Most of them are right on the water and have amazing views. If it is the right time of year, they are a great spot for whale watching as well. Try the Fairfax Walk, which is highlighted by the North Head lookout. From this vantage point, you can see a great panorama view of Sydney’s sprawling skyline. Overall, Manly is a really cool beach town to check out. There is plenty to do and it is super easy to get to from Sydney.
Port2Porter Review: 4 Pines Brewing Company
4 Pines was founded in 2008 at Manly Beach by a father and son. It one of the largest independently-owned craft breweries in Australia. The Australian craft brew scene is a little behind the USA as they are more known for their wine. However, 4 Pines is the only Australian beer that I thought was really good!
The original brewery in Manly is now more of a brewpub. This two-story waterfront property overlooking Manly Wharf is where 4 Pines still houses all of their original brewing equipment that they call the Keller Door. Keller Door is where they create experimental and creative small batch brews. Food is also served here and it was surprisingly amazing… try the burger or fish and chips! You can take the tour of this facility at 12.30pm daily Monday thru Friday. It a great place to hang out, especially to watch the sunset over the wharf from their second story outdoor perch.
In 2010, 4 Pines expanded its brewing operation to another Sydney suburb called Brookvale where they currently do most of their large-scale brewing and bottling. I didn’t get to visit that facility, but it also looks like a great spot. 4 Pines is a must-see in Manly whether you are interested breweries or not. Great atmosphere with live music, cool people, good food and a heck of a view. As for the beers…
Hefeweizen – Solid beer and my personal favorite. Cloudy looking beer that has hints of banana flavor and a dry creamy finish. Really well done but probably couldn’t have more than a couple because they are a bit sweet.
American Pale Ale – Smooth going down and would be good for summer day drinking. Not a ton of hop flavor like traditional American pale ales, but very drinkable.
ESB – Fizzes on tip of your tongue and pretty foamy all the way down. Different than bitters I’ve had in the past. Tastes like an older style bitter ale you would have in a dark English tavern somewhere or on a pirate ship, but really good if you like this kind of beer.
Amber – Darker than your typical amber. Good complex flavors, but leaves a weird bitter aftertaste. Not my favorite.
Summer – Light beer and a bit watery. Very easy to drink, but not a ton of flavor.
Guava Gose – This is one of their small batch beers that was out from the ‘Keller Door’. Thought it was pretty good for a sour, just very bitter. Inventive and worth trying.
**The brews from the Keller Door seem to be the most interesting and some of their best quality beers. The core beers are very drinkable and in my opinion, better than any other beers I had in Australia!
The Drinking Tourist 
I am so impressed with all the information you are able to share from your trip. I love the format and it is so descriptive it makes feel like I am there. Anyone planning a trip needs to read your blog. The recommendations are great . Love Ya….
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