What to pack for a day on the Northern Beaches

Get ready, set, go … to the Northern Beaches

You wouldn’t go to London without a raincoat. Or Mardi Gras without glitter. Or a Sydney real estate auction without an Armaguard truck full of cash.

So when you come to the Northern Beaches, remember to channel your inner Scout and Be Prepared! It’s the only way to fully experience everything the peninsula has to offer.

Many a visitor arrives at Manly Wharf armed with only one thing – a question: “What do I do now?”

While we love to answer that question, at this point your chance to prepare has passed. If you are then drawn to our suggestion of a bush hike to a stunning lookout point, your heeled sandals might scupper that experience.

The Northern Beaches is an outdoor destination par excellence, boasting numerous beaches, bushland reserves, harbour waterways, rock platforms, creeks and lagoons. It is the place for hiking and biking; surfing, swimming and snorkelling; vibrancy, activity and sun sun sun.

That’s not to say you can’t just enjoy a gentle stroll along Manly’s beautiful beachfront followed by a relaxing lunch with a view. But if you don’t want to be disappointed, before you jump on the ferry, consider the weather and what you might enjoy when you get here.

One of the most important items to consider is appropriate footwear. We’re not suggesting you race out and purchase a pair of Himalayan-quality hiking boots, but probably best to keep it flat and comfy. And if, as mentioned earlier, you’re keen to explore our beautiful natural bushland, a pair of supportive walking shoes will make your experience so much better.

With biking a great way to explore the Northern Beaches, you also might want to consider clothing and footwear suited to a two-wheeled adventure.

Now we’ve already mentioned the sun, and it’s this point that should inform much of your preparation. This is Australia after all, so sunscreen is a must and a hat is advisable. A refillable water bottle can also come in handy in the heat – especially if you are interested in doing some bush walking – with water stations located along the Northern Beaches.

The next step is swimwear and a towel. There can be nothing more disappointing than spilling out of Manly Wharf on a toasty warm, blue-sky day, crystal clear water beckoning to you like a siren call, only to discover you left your swimmers at your hotel in the city. Swimwear is also a must if the waves are up and you decide to join one of our surfing lessons.

Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve in Manly offers some of the best snorkelling and scuba diving in Sydney, so if you’re interested in checking out some of the 150 different marine species living in this no-take marine park, you might want to add snorkel and goggles/mask to your packing list.

The Northern Beaches has some of the best vantage points for observing the majestic migrating humpback whales between May and November each year. To get even more up close and personal, pack some binoculars into your day pack.

And last but not least One more thing, never leave home without sorting out your travel pass – either a credit card with tap facility or an Opal Card – and packing your mobile phone, which can serve as a handy travel guide and map all in one.

But don’t stress if you forget any or all of the above, we’ve got you covered.

Drop in and see us at the Visitor Information Centre on Manly Wharf Forecourt and we can point you in the direction of an array of shops and businesses where you can purchase or hire all the things on our list. ­

And last but not least, don’t forget to bring your sense of adventure.

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