Here comes the long weekend

Good things come in threes – think of Harry, Ron and Hermoine; slip, slop, slap; or a good ole BLT. So when your weekend expands to three whole days of freedom, you know you’re in for a good time.

In recognition of the upcoming October long weekend trifecta on 4-6 October, how about we celebrate numero tres with a three-pronged list of things to do on the Northern Beaches. Simply choose something, or a few things, from each category and you’ll have a long weekend to long remember.

Choose water

With beaches galore and endless blue views, the Northern Beaches will demand that your first day is a celebration of all things water.

Surf

There’s nothing more Aussie beach than surfing – it’s part of our way of life with a long history, a colourful culture and an impressive list of champions. To fully experience Manly and the Northern Beaches, do more than simply dip your toe in the water; fully immerse yourself in this distinctive culture.

In honour of Manly’s place in Australian surfing history – we hosted the first World Surfing Championship in 1964 – squeeze into a wetsuit, strap on a leg rope and embrace Aussie surf culture atop a wave at Manly Beach. Manly Surf School is the place to start, even for beginners.

If you prefer to ‘see’ rather than ‘do’, take a scenic walk along Manly beachfront and admire the local surfers shredding the waves. If the swell is particularly large, follow the walkway around to Shelly Beach, walk through the carpark to the lookout on the headland and gaze down on the dramatic reef and rock shelf breaks titled Deadmans and Winkipop. You’ll find only the most fearless and experienced surfers out here, resulting in plenty of excitement and adrenaline.

If you want to fully immerse yourself in our culture and history, take a surf down memory lane at Manly Art Gallery & Museum on West Esplanade near Manly Wharf, which has a collection of old surfboards to view, as well as an under-lock-and-key collection of historic images of surfers and surf lifesavers that you can view by appointment.

Another piece of history is nearby at Freshwater. Take a scenic coastal walk from Manly to experience this beautiful birthplace of surfing in Australia. When Hawaiian surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku lifted a young local girl onto his shoulders while surfing down a wave at Freshwater Beach in the summer of 1915, surfing in Australia took off like a grommet on a wave. You can now find Duke immortalised in bronze, forever surfing at McKillop Park on Freshwater headland as part of the Surfers Walk of Fame, while his surfboard is on display in the Heritage Room at Freshwater Surf Lifesaving Club.

Snorkel or scuba dive

The Northern Beaches is anything but shallow; look below the surface – literally underwater – and you’ll find a depth of colour and character that will amaze and entertain.

Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve, a protected marine park in walking distance of Manly Beach and encompassing beautiful little Shelly Beach, is one of the best snorkelling and scuba diving spots in Sydney. It’s home to more than 150 species of marine life, including blue gropers, wobbegong and Port Jackson sharks, and weedy sea dragons.

Decathlon in Manly Corso hires snorkelling gear, as does Dive Centre Manly, which also offers guided snorkelling tours and scuba diving courses. Prodive also offers a range of scuba diving experiences around Manly.

For more inspo check out our favourite snorkelling spots on the Northern Beaches, including Old Man’s Hat and The Waterfall. Afterall, it’s the perfect time of year to head underwater, with clear visibility and average water temperatures of around 19 degrees Celsius.

Watch the whales

This is the perfect time of year to admire the gentle giants of the ocean as they travel back to Antarctica along our eastern coastline.

Particularly impressive views can be enjoyed from Manly’s North Head, Dobroyd Head in nearby Balgowlah Heights, Long Reef Headland, and Barrenjoey Lighthouse on Barrenjoey Headland at the furthest end of the Northern Beaches.

Alternatively, get up close and personal on the water on a whale watching tour.

Ocean Extreme offers one of the most exciting and personal experiences with their fast, open-design vessels and low position in the water. They depart from Manly.

From Palm Beach Wharf, head out with Fantasea Cruising on their catamaran Fantasea Escapade for an educational and up-close encounter with these majestic animals.

Kayak or stand-up paddleboard

Explore this beautiful region from the water aboard a kayak or a stand-up paddleboard. Meander around Manly Cove’s foreshore, explore Pittwater’s secret beaches or bask in the tranquility of Narrabeen Lagoon. Check out our blogs ‘Kayak to these five secret sports on the Northern Beaches’ and ‘Five of the best places to stand-up paddleboard on the Northern Beaches’ for inspo.

Go boating

For something a little different, take out a self-drive leisure boat – no experience required.

Explore Sydney Harbour aboard one of these stable and robust little aluminium boats and be the captain of your own ship. Check out Manly Kayaks at Manly Wharf or Manly Boat Hire at Little Manly Boat Ramp.

Choose land

While the name ‘Northern Beaches’ paints a picture of beaches, this region is also home to a triumvirate of national parks – Sydney Harbour, Garigal and Ku-ring-gai Chase. Enjoy your time here to commune with our natural bushland and get to know the green goddess in our midst.

Take a hike

Lace up your boots and hit the trail; Manly and the Northern Beaches are home to some of the most well-known walks in Sydney, with two of the most popular ones being Manly Scenic Walkway (Manly to Spit Walk) and North Head Walk.

Manly Scenic Walkway is a 10km, 2.5-3 hour walk from Spit Bridge to Manly Wharf with a mix of beautiful bush trails, incredible views, quiet little tidal beaches and scenic suburban walking.

North Head Walk is a circular trail taking in a number of must-see places in Manly, such as Manly Beach, Shelly Beach and Fairfax Walk sitting atop towering 90m cliffs and standing sentinel over the entrance to Sydney Harbour. Allow three hours to enjoy the highlights of this incredible 9.5km trail, or shorten the time and distance while in no way lessening the “OMG the view” experience by combining a little assistance from the 161 bus from Manly Wharf.

Explore our scary past

The North Head area is not only the place to go for amazing views, it is also full of tales from a dark past that you can still experience today.

For more than 150 years the Quarantine Station, now known as Q Station, protected our shores from infectious diseases like smallpox, bubonic plague and Spanish flu. It is now considered one of the most haunted sites around. If you’re brave enough, join a ghost tour after dark, or if you’re a little on the sensitive side perhaps try a daytime Quarantine Wander History Tour.

North Head also stood firm during a time of world uncertainty and eventually war, serving as defence barrier for Australia. Established in 1936, the now remnant military complex North Fort was part of our East Coast defence system during WWII. On Sundays you have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the men and women who served at North Fort on the expert-guided Defence of Sydney Tour. Highlights include descending into the 200m military tunnel complex and exploring the secret and intriguing Plotting Room.

Explore our Indigenous culture

Experience Australia’s natural pantry on a Bushtucker Walk with the Aboriginal-owned social enterprise Bush to Bowl. Learn to identify, harvest and savour traditional bush foods on the hands-on Bush Tucker Walking Tour at North Head Sanctuary in Manly, or head to Narrabeen for the Bush Tucker Tour, which explores the wonders of local foods and traditional bushtucker while delving into the captivating stories intertwined with Country and Aboriginal culture and spirituality.

The Northern Beaches’ national parks are also home to some of Sydney’s oldest Indigenous engravings and art works, some of which are still visible now thousands of years later.

One of the most well preserved engravings sites within Sydney Harbour National Park can be found at Grotto Point along the Manly Scenic Walkway 3.8km east of the Spit Bridge and 5.7km west of Manly.

Other significant sites are Gumbooya Reserve at Allambie Heights, with numerous engravings including fish and hunting implements; Moon Rock at Belrose, which depicts astronomical knowledge, lunar phases and Baiame the creator-spirit; and Red Hands Cave in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, which features ochre handprints on a rocky overhang.

Choose you

You’ve immersed yourself in our big blue, you’ve explored our leafy green, now look in the mirror and turn your focus back to you. The natural high that comes from the healing hands of an expert therapist will be the perfect way to end your long weekend.

Manly is an easily accessible little hub of pampering, whether you’re after a new hairstyle, a relaxing body wrap or a therapeutic massage. Look to Aqua Vitae for a range of spa experiences like hydrotherapy baths and aromatherapy massages, while Ingboon Massage & Day Spa provides a relaxing sanctuary where you can indulge in relaxing and therapeutic treatments. For something a little different, Bare Beauty House takes a unique approach with its organic and natural treatments such as organic facials and eco-friendly manicures.

Head north to Dee Why and the serene Sen Spa Beauty, known for its personalised approach to beauty and wellness, while in Avalon you’ll enjoy Sauna Amalfi’s indulgent infrared sauna and contrast therapy in an environment inspired by Italy’s beautiful Amalfi Coast.

So there it is, three whole glorious days in Manly and the Northern Beaches. All you have to do now is be prepared for your vocabulary to condense down to one three-letter word – Wow!