Manly Beach

Last fall we took a trip to Australia.

Our first stop was Manly Beach where we stayed for three days and enjoyed a little slice of beach life.


Having grown up on the North Shore of Oahu, this is a lifestyle with which I am very familiar. People walking around barefoot wearing all manner of beach attire. Buggy boards and surfboards strapped to car roofs, bicycles, motorcycles, and backs. Salty breezes and perpetually sandy feet. Endless applications of sunscreen and the inevitable burn in spite of your vigilance. Swimsuits that never quite dry between wearings and sand in your hair no matter how many times you wash it. Delicious food that tastes all the more scrumptious after a long day of sun and surf. Sand castles and crab hunting, napping on the beach, and good old-fashioned fun.

The first day we arrived was overcast and a little chilly,
so we visited the local aquarium.

We saw sharks and sea turtles and rays and eels and endless varieties of fish.

We watched the penguin show,

and hung out with the mermaids.

The next day, the sun came out. Huzzah! We donned our swimsuits, grabbed our pails and shovels, and headed to the beach for a relaxing day of

sand 

and surf

and a dip in the pool afterwards just because we could.

It was so refreshing being in a place where the air (and everything else) was clean.  The people were so friendly and everything was easy and calm.  We spent a lot of time outside just breathing deeply and trying to rehabilitate our lungs after prolonged exposure to the polluted air in China.  The kids played at the local playground and ran everywhere.  Every way we looked we were met with gorgeous, pristine scenery.  It was such a relaxing and much needed escape.

This was the view from our hotel room.  Perfection. 

These free filtered water stations were everywhere in Manly. Such a great idea. We had forgotten that there are still places in the world where water not in a plastic bottle is potable!

Our last evening in Manly we took in the coast.

 

First, we went to this art museum built right on the shore featuring the work of many local artists.

Then we ate dinner at this waterfront restaurant.

After dinner, we went for a walk along the coast. We saw beautiful plant life, like this stunning bird of paradise. 

We didn't see any penguins on our walk, but these signs were everywhere, so we were on the lookout. 

We climbed the rocks and trees. 

 We explored the tide pools.

We watched the sunset and just soaked in the beauty of it all.  Our time in Manly was a great start to what turned out to be a nearly perfect vacation.