NZ and AUS day 12: In which I have a Manly adventure

Today’s adventure requires a little context.  Back in 2011 when Brent worked for Google, we spent six weeks here in Sydney.  T. spent the whole time with us and Syd came over for a week.  It happened that 2011’s summer was the coldest and rainiest in 51 years.  My plans to spend days lounging at the beach were dashed.  There was, however, one sunny day that has gone down in family lore.  It was the day the kids and I went to the beach in Manly and took the Manly Scenic Walkway.

The short version of the story is this:  the walkway was, in fact, in Manly, and it was also scenic.  Walkway, though, implies a certain amount of casual ease that we did not find.  Plus, we got lost.  So it was, for us, the Long Manly Scenic Death March.

 

I went back to Manly today.  I took the ferry to get there:

 

For a while, I lounged on the beach.  I read a bit.  I got harassed by a beach turkey.  No, I’m not kidding.  The wild bush turkeys know that people on beaches usually have snacks.  Any bag left unattended for long is likely to get pecked at by a turkey.  My ability to lounge indefinitely has faded since my salad days of extreme tanning.  I wanted to move.

 

The nice lady at the information center near the ferry had given me a map and a second map of the area near Shelly Beach, where there was a less-grueling but still interesting alternative to the Manly Scenic Walkway.  I set off.  Here are some of the lovely views I saw:

 

The thing is, Manly seems to be some kind of portal or something.  Despite the clearly-marked map, I got lost.  Again.  I kept thinking it was going to be fine if I kept walking.  But it was hot and I was tired.  I eventually caved and looked to Google Maps to save me and get me back to the ferry terminal.

 

About that time, I saw what I think is a kookaburra.  It did not laugh at me:

 

When I got off the trail I was on and found the road (thanks, Google!), I also found the hike I had been looking for.  I considered taking it, but then I remembered that I was still about a mile from the ferry terminal and I had a walk back from Circular Quay to the hotel still to go.  I may take that hike another day.

 

The new and improved route back to the ferry had this sign:

 

It also went through a residential area and I saw this flower:

 

When I reached the Manly Wharf, I bought ice cream, but I only ate about half of it:

 

It was a good day.