Manly is a small coastal town about 45 minutes away from Sydney by ferry. It is a pretty little village that nestles on a small piece of land between the harbor and the ocean. The ocean side of the town sports a beach, similar to Bondi Beach, but not as big or popular. But there is also a very nice shopping plaza to stroll through.

The Municipal Council Building just off the walking strip.

Above: A boy tries to figure out the water system. Right: Dad and son have fun with cool refreshing water spouts.

Nicely painted storefronts on the walking strip—with tents for a place to have a quiet drink out of the sun.

A nice piece of art in front of an old hotel.

This lady drew a lot of friends with her bread crumbs.

Manly beach stretches around the bend; the natives were out enjoying a day in the sun.

Apartments and homes sit along one side of the cove. The surf rolled in nicely this afternoon.

One has to know what he or she is doing when surfing in Australia—some serious undertows and challenging breakers make the surfing and swimming challenging.

For lunch, we found a nice quiet place on the strip—Judy enjoyed a cutlet, great mushrooms and good fries.

Bob opted for Italian—this spaghetti with salad hit the spot.

Above: Bob, of course, sampled the beer offered at the restaurant. Right: A seagull enjoys the sun on a high perch.

Our boat pulls away from the Manly Pier. It was a very enjoyable half day and the ride back home safe and smooth.

On the way back to Sydney, we passed one of the small Navy boats that is part of the Australian arsenal. Being stationed in a harbor like Sydney can’t be all bad—their vessels looked in good shape.

On the way to and from Manly, our boat passed the huge inlet to Sydney Harbor. To the right of the cliff is nothing but ocean for thousands of miles. A buoy in the harbor helps guide boats in and out of the area.

Though almost all passengers rode our boat on the outside deck, there was a nice set of seats down below.