Leader: Cliff Britton

Middle and North Harbour etc: Taronga Zoo to Manly

13 May 2019

An 80 leaders walk

Photos Ian Evans

Participants:

Cliff Britton, Julia Stevenson, Alan Brennan, Angie Sutalo, Rogo, HL Gan, Trevor Giblin, Charo Hogan, Robert Lowman, Carole Beales, Ian Evans, Judy Shea, Paul Shea, Joe Van Der Velden, Lyndal Lawless, Kumiko Suzuki, Linda Mallett, prospective Gary Sheekey

Walk description:

Taronga Zoo to Manly via Clifton Gardens, Balmoral and Chinaman's beaches, lunch at Clontarf Beach, plenty of opportunities for swim and coffee stops. No significant climbs, all on track, opportunity to exit on buses at Spit Bridge

Report:

18 Attendees and a beautiful sunny day as we assembled at 9:00am at Taronga Zoo Wharf, a cool 10 degree start but warming up to a mid-afternoon ~22 degrees. Stopped for our morning coffee and a great group photo opportunity (photographer Ian Evans) at Frenchy’s cafe Georges Heights.

Stunning harbour and bush scenery all along the way, together with autumnal colours and resident water dragons. Only one walker exited at Spit Bridge.

A very pleasant lunch stop at Clontarf Beach. Even with the cooler weather a couple of us would have ventured a swim at Clontarf but the beach and the beach pool were all closed as large excavators dredged the pool and replenished the beach sand. Three walkers departed after lunch leaving 14 in the group.

One unfortunate incident was a lost iPhone, slipped out of the hand and, we think gone forever over one of the main harbour lookouts with a 20+metre drop (Robert was very stoic, said he was about to upgrade his phone anyway!). High tide and a bit of very easy rock hopping as we approached Forty Baskets Beach.

At Dalwood Beach pool (only 10 mins from Manly) two more walkers departed for their afternoon swim.

We arrived at Manly Wharf just in time to make the departing 3:45pm Circular Quay ferry and for those that remained a pleasant end of walk beer and a chat. A slight underestimation of the distance with it ending up just over 20km.