Team-building activities on the Northern Beaches
All work and no play can make any business dull. There’s no better way to kick-start a productive and collaborative working environment than with a team-building experience, which will develop culture and inspire people and ideas.
The Northern Beaches has a wealth of team-building activities that will guarantee a successful outcome for any team. Check out our list of the top things to do here on the peninsula.
Easygoing activities
Go on a brewery tour
Group size: maximum 12 people per tour
Cost: $25 per person
Get spooked on a ghost tour
Get the team together for an activity of laughs, scares and entertainment as you join a Ghost Tour at Q Station. Sydney’s former Quarantine Station, located at North Head, is one of Australia’s most haunted sites, with stories of ghosts and paranormal occurrences threaded throughout its history. The Boilerhouse Kitchen and Bar at Q Station is a great meeting place for pre-tour dinner and drinks.
Ghost tour group size: maximum 20. If booking numbers exceed this, they can split the booking into multiple tour groups.
Cost: $40-$65 per person. Minimum requirements will apply. Accommodation and tour packages are available. Enquire at Q Station for corporate rates.
Booking time: more than 2 weeks in advance is recommended.
Solve the murder mystery
‘The Final Inspection’ transforms your corporate event into a gripping game of Cluedo brought to life. It’s collaborative, competitive and perfect for some team fun with a thrilling twist.
Dr Pringle Hughes, the esteemed doctor of the Quarantine Station, has been found dead under suspicious circumstances – and someone in your group is the killer. No one can leave until the truth is uncovered.
Manly local History and Heritage Tour
Join Manly’s History and Heritage Tour run by the Manly Visitor Information Centre for an informative tour around Manly. Learn how Manly got its name, hear about our vibrant surfing history, and journey into the past to discover how Manly became one of Australia’s best beachside destinations.
Group size: flexible
Cost: free
Gather your team for a round of barefoot bowls
Bring your team together with laughter, fun and friendly competition with a game of barefoot bowls at Rock n Bowl at Manly Bowling Club.
All bowls equipment is included, while instructions on how to bowl are given by a Games Officer for first 10 minutes of your session.
Groups of at least 16 people that have booked at least 7 days in advance are offered the fun-filled round robin with a dedicated Games Officer for the entire match.
Food and drinks are available before, during or after your bowls session.
Group size: maximum 160 people
Cost: $29 per person
Booking time: bookings close 24 hours prior to your booking date
Escape the room
Imagine being locked in a room with your colleagues and the only way to get out is to use your combined brain power. Test your intellect at escape this Room Eight, located in the heart of Manly CBD. There are three escape rooms with plenty of puzzles, brainteasers and conundrums that will test your team.
Group size: 2-6 people per room, maximum 18 across all three rooms.
Cost: $49 per person
Booking time: 7-14 days for large groups. Online booking is recommended for all groups.
Relax on Manly Beach
After an active day, take the team to Manly Beach and take a load off in a beach chair under an umbrella. Manly Beach Hire will do all the work for you! Just sit back and enjoy the view.
Cost: $5-$10 per deck chair and $15 per umbrella.
Activities to get your heart pumping
Head underwater and go snorkelling
Grab your colleagues and come face-to-face with some incredible animals in Cabbage Tree Bay. Ecotreasures will educate you and your team about the local area, water safety and local wildlife. Your guide will point out the resident blue groper and some of the other amazing underwater creatures that call Cabbage Tree Bay home.
Group size: maximum 8 people
Cost: from $99 per person
Booking time: 1 day in advance minimum
Go on a kayaking tour of Sydney Harbour
To get your team working together, join one of Manly Kayak Centre’s tours. Explore the best of what Sydney has to offer from the waterside. The Three Beaches Kayak Tour is a 4-hour tour that will allow you to explore the best scenery that Sydney has to offer. Your group will be taken to some of the local hotspots, including Fairlight, North Harbour Reserve and Reef Beach where, if you’re lucky, you may spot our resident sea turtle! For something a bit shorter, book their 90-minute Mini Kayak Tour and explore the highlights of Manly Cove and North Harbour.
Group size: 6-60 people
Cost: $50-$125 per person
Booking time: 3 days in advance
Play a game of SUPBALL
Looking for some healthy team competition? Book your team for a game or two of SUPBALL, also known as stand-up paddleboard ball. This fun and exciting team sport was created in Manly and takes place on the flat water of Manly Cove. It’s a combination of netball, water polo, lacrosse and rugby – played on a stand-up paddleboard. We guarantee it’ll get your team working together, create great memories and get plenty of laughs.
Group size: 6-20 people
Cost: $25-$35 per person
Booking time: 24 hours in advance
Learn to throw an axe
There is no better way to de-stress than flinging an axe as hard as you can while your co-workers cheer you on. At Kiss My Axe you’ll get 2 hours of axe-throwing fun with an expert trainer, who will guide you and run a tournament for the group.
Group size and cost:
- Small groups: 2-7 people, 1 hour, $55
- Large groups: 8-110 people, 105 minutes, $65
- Ultimate Party Package: $99
Booking time: 24 hours in advance
Hit the surf
If you’re looking for a conference event or team-building activity that is a little different, yet loads of fun for everyone, try a group surfing session with one of our local schools.
Manly Surf School lessons are 1.5 hours long and the instructors will have you standing up on a surfboard in no time.
Group size and cost:
- 6-10 people, $90pp
- 11-20 people, $80pp
- 21+ people, $75
Seasonal prices apply December-January
Dee Why Salty Surf School is a new school to the Northern Beaches. Set up by passionate lifelong surfers Dan and Conrad, Salty Surf promises a “unique experience” of learning the art of surfing.
Group size: Up to 20 people – 10 people in the water at one time while the others engage in surf-related activities.
Cost: $50-$70 per person
Booking time: 2 days’ notice for large groups.
Hire a bike and explore Manly
Have your own legal group ride-out on a Manly Bikes tour for the ultimate corporate activity. Jump aboard an e-bike and enjoy the highlights of Manly, such as North Head, St Patrick’s Estate, Shelly Beach and the iconic Manly Beach promenade on a 2-hour experience.
Group size: 4-20 people
Cost: $159 per person. However, group discounts are available. Call to discuss.
Booking time: 7 days minimum
Scavenger hunt around Manly
Can you and your colleagues untangle the web of clues and triumphantly make a great escape before time runs out?
A Packhunt is Escape This‘s outdoor challenge which is part scavenger hunt, part escape room and part adventure movie. Your group will follow the story with their phones and head to various locations around Manly, solving puzzles while unlocking and revealing more clues.
Group size: 70-80 players (If booking numbers exceed this, they can split the booking into multiple groups)
Cost: $30 per person
Beach Volleyball – Volleyball Australia
Sydney Beach Volleyball School offers the perfect activities to energise, motivate and unite your business in a fun, social and energetic way. The coaches will assist your team in many different team-building exercises, which will create a competitive and fun atmosphere.
Group size: minimum 12 people
Cost: $55-$65 per player