Getting a turn at the wheel on the Tall Ship
Robyn and Mark bought us all a trip on one of the old Tall Ships that cruise around Sydney Harbour. I remember them from the big bicentenary celebration in 1988 where they were an integral part of the festivities on the Harbour that day. It was a blast to be on it, particularly when they cut the engine and we just sailed back on the nor-easter.
Jude with the Levitating Gold Man at Circular Quay
We caught the ferry to Circular Quay a few times during our trip. And every time we saw the Levitating Gold Man doing his thing on the east side of the Quay. Jude wanted to tip him and when we did he invited Jude for a photo. We also walked around the Botanic Gardens while we were there and saw them setting up for the big NYE fireworks celebration.
Near Mrs Macquarie’s chair with the iconic Opera House/Bridge view
We had a very interesting New Year’s Eve. First, I played golf with my old mates Tim and Matt (I first played golf with them in the early 1980s) at Wakehurst, a local course. Meanwhile, Marcy and the kids went into the city to visit the Australian Museum and …
That night we had decided to go watch the fireworks at North Head, just like we did two years ago. But Tim had also invited us to watch the fireworks from his house in Seaforth which has beautiful views of the city fireworks. So, after the 9pm show at North Head, we walked back to our place and then drove to Tim’s house for the midnight celebrations.
Midnight fireworks on New Year’s Eve from my friend Tim’s house
A few minutes after we toasted the New Year we noticed that our car wasn’t there. Sure enough, it had been stolen while we were inside celebrating, Anna had left her AirPods in the car so we were able to track the car so we chased the car all around the North Shore but were always 10 minutes behind so we never caught up with them. We called the police but it was a busy night for them. We had left our keys in the car so we had to spend the night at Tim & Jo’s house – they were super helpful during this time. The car was found just before we left and returned to Avis with Anna’s AirPods intact.
Jude learning to surf
Our place came with a surfboard that Jude and Anna both tried but it was not really a beginner’s board. So, we decided to get surfing lessons one day for all four of us. We all got to stand up on these beginner boards and it was a blast. So, we decided to rent boards the following day. Surfing has a steep learning curve but both kids were able to stand up while catching a wave at least a couple of times.
Anna catching a wave
On our last night we decided to eat at the Pantry Restaurant which is right on the beach. It opened in 2010 (in the old Beach House that was built in 1919) and so we have been past it literally hundreds of times over the last 14 years on our stays in Manly. We have always been curious about it and so we decided to give it a go. The food was excellent but the view is what enamored me. We were able to get a window table with the best view in Manly.
Our last night in Manly, dining at The Pantry
The two weeks were over too fast. We had a fantastic time. The weather was perfect, we loved catching up with friends and family and enjoyed our beach time every day. The Manly to Shelly Beach ocean swim was done numerous times, including on our last morning where it was a picture perfect sunrise.
